Simmesport, Louisiana
Town in Louisiana, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Simmesport is a town in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, United States.[1] As of the 2020 census, Simmesport had a population of 1,468.[4] It is the northernmost town on the Atchafalaya River, located near the Old River which connects the Red and Atchafalaya rivers with the Mississippi River.
Simmesport, Louisiana | |
|---|---|
Town | |
Location of Simmesport in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana. | |
.svg) Location of Louisiana in the United States | |
| Coordinates: 30°58′50″N 91°48′51″W[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Parish | Avoyelles |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.37 sq mi (6.15 km2) |
| • Land | 2.19 sq mi (5.66 km2) |
| • Water | 0.19 sq mi (0.49 km2) |
| Elevation | 46 ft (14 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 1,468 |
| • Density | 671.9/sq mi (259.43/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 71369[3] |
| Area code | 318 |
| FIPS code | 22-70525 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2407344[1] |
| Website | simmesportla |
History
The town was founded by Bennet Barton Simmes (1811–1888), one-time owner of White Hall Plantation, which was located on the opposite bank of the Atchafalaya River.
In December 2005 industrialist Frank Stronach founded a new community just south of Simmesport along the Atchafalaya River levee, known as Canadaville, a place intended to house people displaced by Hurricane Katrina.[5]
Geography
Simmesport is located in eastern Avoyelles Parish on the west bank of the Atchafalaya River.[6]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.1 km2), of which 2.2 square miles (5.7 km2) is land and 0.19 square miles (0.5 km2), or 7.93%, is water.[7]
Demographics
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 528 | 35.97% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 858 | 58.45% |
| Native American | 8 | 0.54% |
| Asian | 5 | 0.34% |
| Other/Mixed | 49 | 3.33% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 20 | 1.36% |
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,468 people, 627 households, and 379 families residing in the town.
Notable people
- Norma McCorvey, a.k.a. "Jane Roe", the plaintiff in Roe v. Wade, was born in Simmesport in 1947.
- Joe Simon, the soul musician, was born in Simmesport in 1943.