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Crowley, Louisiana
Downtown Crowley
Downtown Crowley
Nickname: 
Rice Capital of America
Motto: 
Where Life Is Rice And Easy
Location of Crowley in Acadia Parish, Louisiana.
Location of Crowley in Acadia Parish, Louisiana.
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Coordinates: 30°12′49″N 92°22′25″W / 30.21361°N 92.37361°W / 30.21361; -92.37361
CountryUnited States
StateLouisiana
ParishAcadia
Incorporated1887
Founded byC.C. Duson and W.W. Duson
Named forPatrick Crowley, railroad owner
Government
 • MayorChad Monceaux
 • Police ChiefTroy Hebert
Area
 • Total5.85 sq mi (15.16 km2)
 • Land5.85 sq mi (15.15 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
20 ft (6 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total11,710
 • Density2,001.37/sq mi (772.70/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
70526
Area code337
FIPS code22-18650
Websitecrowley-la.com

Crowley (Local pronunciation: /ˈkræli/) is a city in, and the parish seat of, Acadia Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana.[2] At the 2020 United States census, Crowley had a population of 11,710.[3] Crowley is the principal city of the Crowley micropolitan statistical area, which includes all of Acadia Parish. It is also part of the larger LafayetteAcadiana combined statistical area.

History[edit]

Crowley was founded in 1886 by C.C. Duson and W.W. Duson.[4] Incorporated in 1887, W.W. Duson, General Manager of Southwest Louisiana Land Company, plotted and developed Crowley. W.W. Duson's daughter, Maime Duson, married Percy Lee Lawrence, who founded the First National Bank of Crowley. The 7-story building was once the tallest building between Houston and New Orleans. They lived with their three children, P.L. Jr., Pattee, and Jack at 219 East 2nd Street. The house was burned down in a fire a few years later.

The town was named after Pat Crowley, an Irish railroad owner who brought the railroad depot to W.W. Duson's land.[5] Descendants of founder W.W. Duson continue to live in Crowley.

Geography[edit]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.85 square miles (15.2 km2), all land.[6]

Louisiana Highway 13 passes through the city with Kaplan, which is located in Vermilion Parish, being located 19 miles southeast and Eunice, located in both Acadia and St. Landry parishes, is located 20 miles north. The city of Rayne is located 9 miles east of Crowley via U.S. Highway 90 and I-10. The city of Jennings is located 17 miles west via U.S. Highway 90 and I-10.

Climate[edit]

Climate data for Crowley 2 NE, Louisiana (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1906–2019)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 82
(28)
83
(28)
95
(35)
94
(34)
97
(36)
106
(41)
102
(39)
105
(41)
106
(41)
96
(36)
88
(31)
84
(29)
106
(41)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 60.6
(15.9)
64.4
(18.0)
71.2
(21.8)
77.5
(25.3)
84.3
(29.1)
89.2
(31.8)
90.7
(32.6)
91.5
(33.1)
88.1
(31.2)
80.7
(27.1)
70.4
(21.3)
62.9
(17.2)
77.6
(25.3)
Daily mean °F (°C) 51.1
(10.6)
54.8
(12.7)
61.6
(16.4)
68.1
(20.1)
75.6
(24.2)
80.9
(27.2)
82.4
(28.0)
82.5
(28.1)
78.7
(25.9)
69.9
(21.1)
59.9
(15.5)
53.3
(11.8)
68.2
(20.1)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 41.6
(5.3)
45.2
(7.3)
52.0
(11.1)
58.8
(14.9)
67.0
(19.4)
72.5
(22.5)
74.1
(23.4)
73.5
(23.1)
69.2
(20.7)
59.1
(15.1)
49.3
(9.6)
43.7
(6.5)
58.8
(14.9)
Record low °F (°C) 6
(−14)
14
(−10)
22
(−6)
34
(1)
44
(7)
54
(12)
62
(17)
57
(14)
41
(5)
29
(−2)
22
(−6)
9
(−13)
6
(−14)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 6.40
(163)
4.26
(108)
3.84
(98)
5.34
(136)
5.58
(142)
6.68
(170)
5.77
(147)
6.21
(158)
4.95
(126)
4.69
(119)
5.04
(128)
4.77
(121)
63.53
(1,614)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 10.4 8.7 7.8 7.0 7.6 11.2 12.8 11.3 8.8 7.0 7.7 9.7 110.0
Source: NOAA[7][8]

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
1890420
19004,214903.3%
19105,09921.0%
19206,10819.8%
19307,65625.3%
19409,52324.4%
195012,78434.2%
196015,61722.2%
197016,1043.1%
198016,036−0.4%
199013,983−12.8%
200014,2251.7%
201013,265−6.7%
202011,710−11.7%
2023 (est.)12,7038.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
Crowley racial composition as of 2020[10]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 7,059 60.28%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 3,834 32.74%
Native American 25 0.21%
Asian 51 0.44%
Other/Mixed 348 2.97%
Hispanic or Latino 393 3.36%

At the 2020 United States census, there were 11,710 people, 4,807 households, and 2,934 families residing in the city. At the 2019 American Community Survey, there were 4,807 households.[11]

In 2019, the racial and ethnic makeup of the city was 58.5% non-Hispanic or Latino white, 34.8% Black or African American, <0.0% Asian, 0.4% some other race, 1.9% two or more races, and 4.4% Hispanic and Latin American of any race.[12] At the 2000 U.S. census, the racial and ethic makeup was 67.83% White American, 30.98% Black or African American, 0.15% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.29% Asian, 0.01% Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 0.51% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latin Americans were 1.10% of the population.

There were 4,807 households, and 33.5% were married couples living together, 18.5% male households with no female present, and 41.8% female households with no male present.[11] The average family size was 3.34.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 5.4% aged 5 and under, 72.4% aged 18 and older, and 17.2% aged 65 and older. The median age was 37.7 years, up from 35 years at the 2000 United States census.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,972. Family households had a median income of $31,168, married couples had a median income of $50,066, and non-family households had a median income of $19,138. An estimated 37.1% of the population lived at or below the poverty line.

Arts and culture[edit]

Crowley is noted for its annual International Rice Festival.[13] Crowley has the nickname of "Rice Capital of the World",[14][15] because at one time it was a major center for rice harvesting and milling. Today, Crowley still has a number of rice mills and rice is the main crop of many local farmers.

Education[edit]

The Crowley High School "Fighting Gents" were State Division 3A champions in the 1989 football season and had an 8–2 regular season.

Crowley is also the home of Notre Dame High School.[16] Notre Dame is an Acadia Parish-wide Catholic high school whose football program has won six state championships and numerous District Champion titles, in addition to numerous state championships in other sports, such as men's baseball, women's softball, men's tennis, men's track & field, and women's volleyball.

Notable people[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ "QuickFacts: Crowley city, Louisiana". United States Census Bureau.
  4. ^ Louisiana State Department of History & Culture. "Crowley Historical Marker".
  5. ^ Leeper, Clare D'Artois (October 19, 2012). Louisiana Place Names: Popular, Unusual, and Forgotten Stories of Towns, Cities, Plantations, Bayous, and Even Some Cemeteries. LSU Press. p. 76. ISBN 978-0-8071-4740-5.
  6. ^ "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Crowley city, Louisiana". www.census.gov. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  7. ^ "NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  8. ^ "Station: Crowley 2 NE, LA". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
  9. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  10. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  11. ^ a b "Geography Profile: Crowley city, Louisiana". data.census.gov. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  12. ^ "2019 Demographic and Housing Estimates". data.census.gov. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  13. ^ "History of the International Rice Festival". riceFestival.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2018. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
  14. ^ "7 Louisiana Capitals Of The World". GATOR 99.5. March 31, 2017. Archived from the original on March 31, 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  15. ^ "Crowley, Louisiana | Advisory Council on Historic Preservation". www.achp.gov. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  16. ^ "NDHS - Home of the Pioneers". Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  17. ^ Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder by John E. Miller, page 100
  18. ^ James and Angelina Wilder on www.liwfrontiergirl.com

External links[edit]