Page Contents for Metairie, Louisiana

Statistics & Facts

Location

History & History-related items

City Attractions

Government

Historical Events

Chamber of Commerce.

Organizations, Churches, and Sports.

Libraries.

Schools.

Miscellany

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Statistics & Facts

The Louisiana state capital is Baton Rouge.
The population of Metairie is approximately 149,428 (2000), 138481 (2010).
The approximate number of families is 67,225 (2000), 59915 (2010).
The amount of land area in Metairie is 60.24 sq. kilometers.
The amount of land area in Metairie is 23.2 sq. miles.
The amount of surface water is 0.016 sq kilometers.
The distance from Metairie to Washington DC is 997 miles.
The distance to the Louisiana state capital is 65 miles. (as the crow flies)
Metairie is positioned 29.99 degrees north of the equator and 90.17 degrees west of the prime meridian.
Metairie elevation is 2 feet above sea level.
Metairie per capita income is $ 24,771 (2000).
Metairie median income is $ 43,044 (2005).
The Metairie median home price is $ 170,900 (2005).

Location

about eight miles from New Orleans in southeastern Louisiana. Other nearby communities include Jefferson, Elmwood, River Ridge, Harahan, Kenner, Bridge City, Waggaman and Avondale.
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History & History Related Items

The original spelling, Métairie, is a French language term for a tenant farm which paid the landlord with a share of the produce (sharecropping), as this was the main activity of the area in the early 19th century
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Attractions

Metairie is a large unincorporated area which surrounds Harahan on three sides. Though once mostly residential, the area has built up a healthy business center in recent years. One of it's claims to fame is the longest bridge over water in the world, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. The Causeway connects Metairie with St. Tammany Parish on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain. Technically, Lake Pontchartrain is not a lake at all, but an estuary with a large salt-water content. It has 610 square miles and is joined with the Mississippi Sound. It is the largest inland estuary in the United States. The Lake is a popular birdwatching area with places set aside for the fans to watch the birds. The Purple Martins fly in huge formations during the summer months, peaking during July.

Jefferson Performing Arts Society
P.O. Box 704
Metairie, LA
Phone: 504 834-5727
features Jefferson Symphony Orchestra, Jefferson Symphony Chorus, Children's Chorus Theater Wing and the Jefferson Ballet.

Learn all about Metairie

Metairie is also one of the largest unincorporated communities in the United States.
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Metairie City Government

Metairie is an unincorporated area - governed by Jefferson Parish. If it were to incorporate, it would be larger than most of the cities in the state. It is the largest community in the Parish.

Jefferson Parish Court-Civil
924 David Dr
Metairie, LA 70003-5135
Phone: 504-736-8948

Metairie Historical Events

2005 August 29
Metairie was hard hit by Hurricane Katrina, not only from flooding but from wind damage. There were 29 reported deaths in the area from this hurricane. From satellite photos, it appears that 75% of the community was flooded. Evacuations were ordered on August 28 and residents were not allowed to return until September 4. The flooding in the area was caused by Lake Ponchartrain backflow into canals, rain water due to the low elevations and the 17th STreet Canal breach. Though the canal was breached, the Metairie side was not but water came into the area through Airline Highway. 1995
The 8 May 1995 Louisiana Flood, which dumped upwards of twenty inches of rain into Metairie in a twelve-hour period, flooded some parts of the region, especially areas south and west of Metairie, including Kenner, Harahan, and River Ridge.

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1965
Hurricane Betsy, a category three storm, hit the area in 1965, causing extensive wind damage and moderate flooding.

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1947
The 1947 Fort Lauderdale Hurricane with winds of 125 mph directly hit Metairie. Much of the community was under six feet of water.

Metairie Chamber

Chamber Of Commerce
4624 W Esplanade Ave
Metairie, LA 70006-2700
Phone: 504-885-4262

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Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana
4324 Veterans Memorial Blvd.
Metairie LA 70006
Phone: 504-885-4262

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Jefferson Chamber of Commerce
3421 N. Causeway Blvd, Ste 203
Metairie, LA 70002
Phone: 504-835-3880
Improving business, Improving Lives in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana

Metairie Organizations

Chamber Of Commerce
4624 W Esplanade Ave
Metairie, LA 70006-2700
Phone: 504-885-4262

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Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana
4324 Veterans Memorial Blvd.
Metairie LA 70006
Phone: 504-885-4262

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Jefferson Chamber of Commerce
3421 N. Causeway Blvd, Ste 203
Metairie, LA 70002
Phone: 504-835-3880
Improving business, Improving Lives in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana

Metairie Libraries

Jefferson Parish Library
2350 Metairie Rd
Metairie, LA 70001-5531
Phone: 504-838-4353

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Jefferson Parish Library
4747 W Napoleon Ave
Metairie, LA 70001-2310
Phone: 504-838-1100

Metairie Schools

Metairie Park Country Day School
300 Park Rd
Metairie, LA 70005-4142
Phone: 504-837-5204

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St Martin's Episcopal School
5309 Airline Hwy
Metairie, LA 70003-2401
Phone: 504-733-0353 Metairie

Miscellany

The population of Metairie was:
1970 - 136,477
1980 - 164,160
1990 - 149,428
2000 - 146,136

The number of housing units was:
1990 - 67,021
2000 - 67,225

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Median age:
2000 - 39.5 years

Median household income:
2000 - $ 41,265
2005 - $ 43,044

Median house value:
2000 - $ 139,100
2005 - $ 170,900

Metairie is located in the central time zone and does participate in daylight savings time during a portion of the year.