Lafayette, Louisiana is part of the

Gulf Coastal Plain The Gulf Coastal Plain extends around the Gulf of Mexico in the Southern United States and eastern Mexico. This coastal plain reaches from the Florida Panhandle, southwest Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, the southern two-thirds of Alabama, over m ...

region of the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and is located at coordinates 30°12′50″N 92°01′46″W. It has an elevation of 36 feet (11.0 m). One of the physical characteristics of the geography include many streams that drain the parish. The primary river that runs through the city is the Vermilion River. This river was formed by the confluence of a few small bayous, stretches about 70 miles long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
, accessed June 20, 2011 and drains into the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

. Most of Lafayette's landscape is urban; however its humid and subtropic climate during the summer allow it to house many species of birds, alligators, and fish. The winter season is mild. While Lafayette is situated in a geographic location that is overall relatively safe, the city is susceptible to flooding; hurricanes are also a common natural disaster.

Geography

Lafayette is located at and has an elevation of . According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of 47.7 square miles (123.5 km²), of which, 47.6 square miles (123.3 km²) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km², or 0.19%) is water. Lafayette is located on the West Gulf Coastal Plain. What is now Lafayette was part of the seabed during the

Quaternary Period The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), as well as the current and most recent of the twelve periods of the ...

. During this time, the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

cut a valley between what is now Lafayette and

Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; , ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Louisiana, Louisiana's second-m ...

. This valley was filled and is now the

Atchafalaya Basin The Atchafalaya Basin, or Atchafalaya Swamp (; Louisiana French: ''Atchafalaya'', ), is the largest wetland and swamp in the United States. Located in south central Louisiana, it is a combination of wetlands and river delta area where the Atch ...

. Lafayette is located on the western rim of this valley. This land, called the southwestern Louisiana Prairie Terrace, is higher in elevation, and not made of wetland like much of the surrounding areas to the south and east of Lafayette. Because of this, Lafayette does not suffer significant flooding problems. The Vermilion River runs through the center of Lafayette. Other significant waterways in the city are Isaac Verot Coulee, Coulee Mine, Coulee des Poches and Coulee Ile des Cannes, which are natural drainage canals that lead to the Vermilion River.

Climate

Lafayette's climate is described as

humid subtropical A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between la ...

using

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

. Lafayette is typical of areas along the

in that it has hot, humid summers and mild winters. (See table below for average temperatures for Lafayette.)

References

Geography of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana {{Louisiana-geo-stub