Raceland, Louisiana

Raceland, Louisiana
Raceland is located in Louisiana
Raceland
Raceland
Location in Louisiana
Raceland is located in the United States
Raceland
Raceland
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 29°43′21″N 90°36′19″W / 29.72250°N 90.60528°W / 29.72250; -90.60528
CountryUnited States
StateLouisiana
ParishLafourche
Area
 • Total
21.62 sq mi (55.99 km2)
 • Land21.57 sq mi (55.86 km2)
 • Water0.05 sq mi (0.13 km2)
Elevation
14 ft (4 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
9,768
 • Density452.89/sq mi (174.86/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code
70394
Area code985
FIPS code22-63155
A house in Raceland
Drinking at the bar, crab boil night, Raceland, September 1938

Raceland is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) on Bayou Lafourche in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 9,768 in 2020. It is part of the HoumaBayou CaneThibodaux metropolitan statistical area.

According to the Louisiana Office of Tourism, Raceland was named for the Race family that once owned a large plantation named "Raceland" on Bayou Lafourche.[2]

Raceland sugar plantation was founded by Ebeneezer Eaton Kittredge and his son in law Fayette Clay Ewing. On April 19, 1855 a daughter of Kittredge, Olivia Corrinne, married George W. Race.[3] The plantation was named Raceland the same year in honor of the young couple who made it their first home where their children were born.[4]

Geography

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Raceland is located at 29°43′21″N 90°36′19″W / 29.72250°N 90.60528°W / 29.72250; -90.60528 (29.722576, -90.605172),[5] on both sides of Bayou Lafourche. It is bordered to the southeast by Mathews.

U.S. Route 90 (future Interstate 49) passes through the southeast part of Raceland, leading northeast 44 miles (71 km) to New Orleans and west 40 miles (64 km) to Morgan City. Louisiana Highways 1 and 308 pass through the center of Raceland, on the south and the north sides of Bayou Lafourche, respectively. Both highways lead southeast (downriver) 7 miles (11 km) to Lockport and northwest (upriver) 15 miles (24 km) to Thibodaux, the parish seat. Louisiana Highway 182 passes through the center of Raceland on the old route of US-90; it leads northeast 3.5 miles (5.6 km) to US-90 and southwest 12 miles (19 km) to Houma.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the Raceland CDP has a total area of 21.6 square miles (56.0 km2), of which 0.04 square miles (0.1 km2), or 0.23%, are water.[6]

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note
20209,768
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
Raceland racial composition as of 2020[8]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 6,163 63.09%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 2,749 28.14%
Native American 108 1.11%
Asian 38 0.39%
Pacific Islander 2 0.02%
Other/Mixed 305 3.12%
Hispanic or Latino 403 4.13%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 9,768 people, 3,971 households, and 2,812 families residing in the CDP.

Government and infrastructure

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The U.S. Postal Service operates the Raceland Post Office.[9]

Education

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Lafourche Parish Public Schools operates public schools.

  • Raceland Lower Elementary School[10]
  • Raceland Upper Elementary School[11]
  • Raceland Middle School[12]

Central Lafourche High School is in Mathews,[13] and has a Raceland postal address.[14] The school serves all of Raceland.[15][16]

Raceland High School opened in 1912 and was expanded in 1924; it was consolidated into Lafourche Central High along with Lockport High School in 1966. An elementary school occupies the former Raceland High.[17] In the era before desegregation (circa 1969) Raceland Colored School educated black residents.[18]

Lafourche Parish Library operates the Raceland Branch.[19]

Fletcher Technical Community College has Lafourche Parish in the college's service area.[20] Additionally, a Delgado Community College document stated that Lafourche Parish was in the college's service area.[21]

Notable people

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References

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  1. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
  2. ^ "Raceland".
  3. ^ Times-Picayune April 25, 1855 page 2
  4. ^ Case Papers, 1880-1929; Author: Louisiana. Civil District Court (Orleans Parish); Probate Place: Orleans, Louisiana
  5. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  6. ^ "U.S. Gazetteer Files: 2019: Places: Louisiana". U.S. Census Bureau Geography Division. Retrieved February 27, 2020.
  7. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  8. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  9. ^ "Raceland." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on March 12, 2017. "109 RACELAND ST RACELAND, LA 70394-9998"
  10. ^ Home. Raceland Lower Elementary School. Retrieved on November 29, 2016.
  11. ^ Home. Raceland Upper Elementary School. Retrieved on November 29, 2016.
  12. ^ Home. Raceland Middle School. Retrieved on November 29, 2016.
  13. ^ "2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP: Mathews CDP, LA." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on November 29, 2016.
  14. ^ Home. Central Lafourche High School. Retrieved on November 29, 2016. "4820 Highway 1, Raceland, LA 70394"
  15. ^ "2010 CENSUS - CENSUS BLOCK MAP (INDEX): Raceland CDP, LA." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved on November 29, 2016. Pages: 1, 2.
  16. ^ "SCHOOL ATTENDANCE BOUNDARIES Archived 2016-12-02 at the Wayback Machine." Lafourche Parish Public Schools. Retrieved on December 2, 2016. Based on the text description of the school boundaries
  17. ^ Theriot, Clifton. Lafourche Parish. Arcadia Publishing, December 1, 2014. ISBN 1439648662, 9781439648667. p. 71.
  18. ^ Engineering News-Record, Volume 143, Part 1. McGraw-Hill, 1949. p. 50. "C.+M.+Washington+Colored" See search page.
  19. ^ "LOCATIONS & CONTACT". Lafourche Parish Library. Retrieved March 9, 2024. Raceland Branch 177 Recreation Drive Raceland, LA 70394
  20. ^ "Our Colleges". Louisiana's Technical and Community Colleges. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  21. ^ "The Economic Value of Delgado Community College" (PDF). Delgado Community College. Retrieved March 9, 2024. For the purposes of this analysis, the Delgado Service Area is comprised of [...]Lafourche,[...]
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