ZIP Code 71201

Monroe (historically French: Poste-du-Ouachita) is the eighth-largest city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and parish seat of Ouachita Parish. With a 2020 census-tabulated population of 47,702, it is the principal city of the Monroe metropolitan statistical area, the second-largest metropolitan area in North Louisiana. Fort Miro changed its name to Monroe to commemorate the first arrival of the steamboat James Monroe in the spring of 1820 (see "Etymology" above). During the American Civil War, Monroe and Opelousas, the seat of St. Landry Parish in southern Louisiana, had Confederate training camps. In 1913, Joseph A. Biedenharn, the first bottler of Coca-Cola, moved to Monroe from Vicksburg, Mississippi. Delta Air Lines, originally Delta Dusters, was founded in Tallulah, Louisiana in Madison Parish. It was based on products and processes developed by the Agriculture Experimental Station to dust crops from airplanes in order to combat the boll weevil, which was destroying cotton crops. The collapse of cotton production meant a widespread loss of farm jobs, which contributed to the early-20th-century Great Migration, when a total of 1.5 million African-Americans left the South for jobs in northern and midwestern cities. The city is open to the public and is the home and home and are open to Collett E. Woolman, the Parish agent who pioneered crop dusting.

Etymology

Monroe is the primary city name, but also Richwood are acceptable city names or spellings, Logtown on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. Fort Miro changed its name to Monroe to commemorate the first arrival of the steamboat James Monroe in the spring of 1820. The ship's arrival was the single event, in the minds of local residents, that transformed the outpost into a town. credit for the name is indirectly given to James Monroe of Virginia, the fifth President of the United States, for whom the ship was named. The steamboat is depicted in a mural at the main branch of the Ouachita Parish Public Library. It is the only steamboat to have been named after a U.S. president, and the only one to be so named in the state of Louisiana. It was built in 1791 by Esteban Rodríguez Miró, governor of Louisiana, and named Fort Miro after the town of Miro, which was then called Miro. The name was changed to Monroe in 1820 to honor the arrival of James Monroe, the ship's first captain, on the way to New Orleans from New Orleans. The town was named after Monroe, who was born in Virginia and died in Monroe, Virginia, in 1821. He was the first American president to be born in a state that had been part of the Union since 1788. He died in office in 1822. The city of Monroe was named in his honor in 1823. It has been the site of the Louisiana National Guard since 1820, and has been home to the Louisiana Army National Guard ever since.

History

Monroe's origins date back to the Spanish colonial period. Monroe and Opelousas, the seat of St. Landry Parish in southern Louisiana, had Confederate training camps. Joseph A. Biedenharn, the first bottler of Coca-Cola, moved to Monroe from Vicksburg, Mississippi. Collett E. Woolman pioneered crop dusting to eradicate the boll weevil, which destroyed cotton throughout the Mississippi Delta in the early 20th century.Howard D. Griffin (1911-1986) purchased a boat dealership in 1936 while a student at what became the University of Louisiana Monroe. By the 1960s, Griffin's company had become the world's largest motor dealership, selling toys, motorcycles, and motorbikes. He and his wife, M. M. Griffin, operated their Toys Bird M. O' store in Monroe from 1955 to 1985. The company was founded in Tallulah, Louisiana in Madison Parish, and is now owned by a private company, Delta Air Lines, originally Delta Dusters. It was based on products and processes developed by the Agriculture Experimental Station to dust crops from airplanes in order to combat the bolly weevil. It is now operated as the Biedengharn Museum and Gardens and is open to the public. It's located in Monroe's Ouachita Valley region, between the Red and the Mississippi Rivers, from north of Concordia and Rapides County to the Missouri. The area was sparsely populated, primarily by itinerant hunters and trappers until late in the 18th century, when Spanish colonial rule began.

Geography

Monroe is the center of the Monroe metropolitan statistical area. It is the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, and northeastern Louisiana's economic and cultural hub. The city has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) Rainfall is abundant, with the normal annual precipitation averaging over 51 inches (1.3 m) The winter months are normally mild, with an average of 35 days of freezing or below-freezing temperatures per year, with ice and sleet storms possible. The community was struck by a low-end EF3 tornado on April 12, 2020, but there were no deaths or injuries due to advance warnings. In March 2016, rainfall amounts ranging between 15 and 20 inches fell area-wide, more than any 3-day period ever previously recorded. More than 1,700 high-water rescues were performed in the parish alone, with 9,500 homes with flood damage, and 5,400 completely flooded. The area is 11.46% water, with 28.7 square miles (74.3 km²) of it land and 3.7 sq miles (9.6 km²), of which 3.6 sq mi (83.9 km², of which 31.6 square miles) is water. It has an elevation of 72 feet (21.9 m) above sea level, and is located in northeastern Louisiana. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the city's population in 2010 was 1,715,000.

Demographics

According to the 2020 United States census, there were 47,702 people, 17,327 households, and 9,811 families residing in the city. In 2010, the population was 48,815, declining from the city's historic high of 57,597 at the 1980 U.S. census. In 2019, the racial and ethnic makeup of the city was 62.0% Black or African American, 32.7% non-Hispanic or Latin American white, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, and 2.3% Hispanic and Latin American of any race. Approximately 36.8% of the population lived at or below the poverty line; 54.1% under 18 years, and 21.3 per cent aged 65 and older lived in poverty in 2019. As part of the Bible Belt, Christianity is the largest religion in Monroe, the city, and North Louisiana. Pentecostalism is a growing tradition among the population. Temple B'nai Israel, established in 1868, is Monroe's oldest synagogue. Muslims are predominantly Sunni, though the Nation of Islam also maintains a presence in the area. The city's Catholic population is served by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shreveport as of 2021. In common with much of northern and Central Louisiana, Baptists makes up the largest Christian denomination by affiliation. As a predominantly-African-American city, the largest Baptist denominations are the National Baptist Convention, USA and the Progressive National Baptist convention. The Southern Baptist Convention also has churches throughout the Monroe area.

Economy

According to the city's 2018 comprehensive annual financial report, the top employers in the area are: University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina State University, and the University of Wisconsin-Greenville. The city's unemployment rate is 4.7 percent. The unemployment rate for the area is 3.9 percent, according to the report. The economy is expected to grow by 2.4 percent in the next three years, the report says. The U.S. economy is projected to grow at a rate of 2.6 percent in 2019. The national economy is forecast to expand by 0.3 percent in that year. The United States is projected by the U.N. to expand its economy by 1.1 percent in 2020. The global economy is predicted to grow 1.7 per cent in the same period. The world is predicted by the World Bank to grow 2.1 per cent by the end of the decade. The region's unemployment rates are forecast to remain at 3.8 per cent for the next five years. The nation's economy is set to grow 3.4 per cent this year, the city says. It's projected that the world's economy will grow by 3.6 per cent. The top employers are: U.C. Greensboro and North Carolina University. The area's unemployment is currently 3.0 per cent, the City of Greensboro says. This year's economic growth rate is forecast at 2.8 percent. It is projected that it will reach 3.5 per cent next year.

Education

Monroe City Schools operates separately from the larger Ouachita Parish School System. The department consists of three high schools, three junior high schools and 18 elementary schools. Monroe City Schools is a part of the Louisiana Department of Education. Monroe is home to the University of Louisiana Monroe and the Louisiana Tech Institute of Technology. Monroe also has a number of private colleges and universities. The city is located on the Louisiana-Ouachita County Line, which runs into the Mississippi River and the Red River. The Monroe City School System was established in the early 1900s. It is the largest school system in the state, with more than 2,000 students in grades 7-12. Monroe has a population of about 1,800,000, making it one of the largest cities in the United States, along with New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The town is located near the center of Louisiana, which is the state's largest city. It also has one of its largest populations, at around 1,700,000. The state's population is also the largest in Louisiana, with about 2,500 people living in the Monroe area, compared to 1,200 in the city of New Orleans. The majority of Monroe's residents are African-American, and the majority of its residents are from the Monroe and Red River valleys. The area has a high percentage of African-Americans, and has a low percentage of whites, with less than 50% of the population living in Monroe. The population is predominantly white, with fewer than 100,000 people of Hispanic descent.

Sports and entertainment

Monroe is the home of the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo, which collectively maintains over 500 animals. Pecanland Mall has major anchor stores: Belk, Dillard's, and JC Penney. The Monroe area is home to several museums, including the Northeast Louisiana Children's Museum, the Biedenharn Museum and Gardens, the Chennault Aviation and Military Museum, and the Masur Museum of Arts. Monroe hosts the annual Miss Louisiana pageant. In the fiftieth competition, a winner was crowned on June 29, 2013, at the W. L. Jack Howard Theatre. This is one of the twenty-six sites identified in the early 21st century as part of the state's African American Heritage Trail. The largest mall in North Louisiana, it has a total of 83 retail stores. It is also home to the Bayou Desiard Country Club and the Links at Muny, Forsythe Park, and Manly Bend Country Club. It also has a number of golf courses, such as the Frenchman's Bend Golf Course and the Manly Park Golf Course, as well as several tennis and basketball courts. The city is located in Union Parish, which is part of Louisiana's Union Parish Parish. It has a population of 2.2 million, making it the second-largest city in the state after New Orleans. The mayor of Monroe is Republican John Bel Edwards, who served from 1956 to 1972 and again from 1976 to 1978. He is the son of former Monroe mayor W.L. "Jack" Howard, who also served as mayor in the 1950s and 1960s.

Media/press

Monroe is served by two African-American-owned weekly newspapers: the Monroe Free Press and the Monroe Dispatch. The Ouachita Citizen is a locally owned and operated weekly newspaper that was founded in 1924. Local radio station KJLO, and KMVX, that also broad KMLB AM 540. Emergency alert stations: KMLb, KJ LO, and KVX. The Monroe News Star is the city's morning-only newspaper. It is owned by the father-son team of publishers, Robert Wilson Ewing, I, and John D. Ewing. It has all-local coverage of events in Monroe, West Monroe, Sterlington and Richwood. It was founded by Roosevelt Wright, Jr., and Frank Detiege, who founded The Dispatch in 1975. The News Star was formerly an afternoon daily owned andoperated by the Ewing's Monroe Morning World, a sister publication of the News Star. It ceased publication when the Morning World ceased publication, and became a morning only newspaper. Its sister publication, the NewsStar, is now a morning daily owned by Gannett, which also publishes the Monroe Daily Star. The Daily Star is owned and operates by the family of publisher, Robert W. Ewings, I. The Free Press was founded. in 1969 by Roosevelt W. Wright, Sr., and The Dispatch was. founded in 1975 by Irma and Frank. Detiege. The free press is a weekly newspaper, while the Dispatch is a week-long newspaper.

National Guard

Monroe, Louisiana is home to the 528th Engineer Battalion of the Louisiana Army National Guard. This unit is part of the 225th Engineer Brigade which is headquartered in Pineville, Louisiana at Camp Beauregard. The National Guard is a component of the U.S. Army Reserve and Air Force. It is the only unit in the Louisiana National Guard that is based in Monroe, Louisiana. The unit is made up of men and women who serve in the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. It has been in the National Guard for more than 30 years and has served in Iraq, Afghanistan and Iraq since 2003. It was inactivated in 2007 after being inactivated during the Gulf War. It now serves as a training base for the Louisiana Air National Guard and other units in the state. It also serves as the base of operations for the National Guardsmen of Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and Louisiana-Dakotah. It's also home to a number of other units, including the 1st Battalion, the 2nd Battalion, and the 3rd Battalion, which is based at Camp Shreveport. The battalion is currently serving in the Gulf Coast region of the United States and is based near the town of Pineville. It will be deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in the near future as part of Operation Inherent Resilience, a military exercise in support of the Iraqi government. The U.N. National Guard has a presence in the region, including in Monroe.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Monroe, Ouachita Parish, Louisiana = 63.2. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 52. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 97. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Monroe = 5.5 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 47,702 individuals with a median age of 30.7 age the population dropped by -4.31% in Monroe, Ouachita Parish, Louisiana population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,608.57 residents per square mile of area (621.08/km²). There are average 2.56 people per household in the 18,572 households with an average household income of $29,868 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 7.80% of the available work force and has dropped -5.29% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 21.62%. The number of physicians in Monroe per 100,000 population = 240.7.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Monroe = 51.8 inches and the annual snowfall = 0.7 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 96. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 213. 93 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 34.2 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 25, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Monroe, Ouachita Parish, Louisiana which are owned by the occupant = 44.25%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 40 years with median home cost = $108,400 and home appreciation of 2.24%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $2.49 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,709 per student. There are 15.5 students for each teacher in the school, 342 students for each Librarian and 396 students for each Counselor. 3.06% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 16.85% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 10.63% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).