Browse / United States / Louisiana / Ville Platte
Ville Platte
Louisianacity
Ville Platte
Total population
6,253
Median home value
$101,200
Bachelor's+
Median income
$28,361
Founded
1780
Demographic figures from US Census Bureau · ACS 5-year estimates. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.
City facts
Facts from Wikidata (CC0).
Overview
Ville Platte is the largest city in, and the parish seat of, Evangeline Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 6,303 at the 2020 census, down from 8,145 in 2000. The city's name is of French origin, roughly translating to "flat town", in reference to its relatively flat topography in contrast to the more hilly terrain north of the area.
Read more on WikipediaHistory & geography
History
The area surrounding Ville Platte was likely first settled in the latter half of the eighteenth century, during the period of Spanish rule in Louisiana. The earliest record of settlement in the immediate vicinity dates to the 1780s. According to popular legend, the founder of Ville Platte was Marcellin Garand, an adjudant major in the Army of the French Empire during the reign of Napoleon. In 1824, Garand obtained one of the first two lots that were platted in what is now Ville Platte, with the second being obtained by Dr. Robert Windex. Those lots were obtained from the estate of William O'Donegan, marking what is generally considered the town's founding. The first post office in Ville Platte was established in 1842 with Marcellin Garand as postmaster from 1842 to 1848.
Geography
Ville Platte is located in eastern Evangeline Parish According to the United States Census Bureau, Ville Platte has a total area of , of which , or 0.01%, is water. U.S. Route 167 passes through the city as Main Street (eastbound) and Lasalle Street (westbound). The highway leads southeast to Opelousas and north to Alexandria. Louisiana Highway 10 passes through the city in tandem with US 167 but leads northwest to Oakdale. Chicot State Park, Louisiana's largest state park, is located north of Ville Platte. The park covers of rolling hills and water and has large numbers of deer, raccoon, and other wildlife.
Excerpted from the corresponding Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA).
Demographics & economy
Race & ethnicity
Source: US Census Bureau — American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.
Geography
Coordinates & boundaries from the US Census TIGER/Line shapefiles.
Climate
Current forecast
Forecast for Ville Platte, LA from NOAA NWS API.
Air quality
Industrial & pollution facilities
Natural hazard risk
Health (adults)
Age-adjusted prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES (latest release).
Walkability
Amenities nearby
Wildlife & biodiversity
Most-observed species
- Northern CardinalCardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves295
- Great EgretArdea alba Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves294
- Carolina WrenThryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves257
- American CrowCorvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves250
- Red-bellied WoodpeckerMelanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves239
- Turkey VultureCathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves233
- Tufted TitmouseBaeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves229
- White IbisEudocimus albus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves226
Citizen-science & research observations from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).
Schools
Largest nearby schools
- Mamou High SchoolHigh · Mamou · 765 students · 20.1:1 ratio
- Bayou Chicot Elementary SchoolElementary · Ville Platte · 661 students · 20:1 ratio
- Ville Platte High SchoolHigh · Ville Platte · 656 students · 18.7:1 ratio
- James Stephens Montessori SchoolElementary · Ville Platte · 442 students · 19.2:1 ratio
- Mamou Elementary SchoolElementary · Mamou · 432 students · 18.8:1 ratio
- Ville Platte Elementary SchoolElementary · Ville Platte · 418 students · 13.9:1 ratio
- Chataignier Elementary SchoolElementary · Chataignier · 402 students · 18.3:1 ratio
- Vidrine Elementary SchoolElementary · Ville Platte · 398 students · 18.1:1 ratio
Public K–12 schools within ~10 mi from Urban Institute Education Data Portal (NCES Common Core of Data, 2022).
Earthquake history
Events from the USGS Earthquake Catalog (global) (FDSN Event Web Service).
Photos
Sights & places nearby
Notable people from here
People born within ~10 km, from Wikidata (CC0). Click any name for their Wikipedia article.
Nearby places in Louisiana
Geography & sun
Elevation, sunrise/sunset and daylight from Open-Meteo. Solar climatology from NASA POWER.
Nearby airports
Public attention
Pageview totals from the Wikimedia Pageviews API.
Books about Ville Platte
Search results from Open Library.
Recent natural events nearby
- Prescribed Fire RX CALV BU 104-108, Vernon, LouisianaWildfires · 2026-09-16 · 56 mi
- Wildfire Star Lake, Jefferson, TexasWildfires · 2026-09-11 · 133 mi
- Wildfire Round Prarie, Morehouse, LouisianaWildfires · 2026-09-20 · 151 mi
- Wildfire Pine Tree Rd, Union, ArkansasWildfires · 2026-08-20 · 172 mi
- Wildfire Bunker Fire, Calhoun, ArkansasWildfires · 2026-09-15 · 200 mi
- Wildfire Bunker Fire, Calhoun, ArkansasWildfires · 2026-09-14 · 200 mi
- Wildfire Merit Creek, Greene, MississippiWildfires · 2026-09-23 · 205 mi
- Wildfire Jackson - Hwy 90, Jackson, MississippiWildfires · 2026-08-16 · 227 mi
Wildfires, storms and other events from NASA EONET (last 12 months, within 250 mi).
Ground air-quality sensors
Recently spotted species
Research-grade observations from iNaturalist (within ~15 mi).
Nearest stream gauge
Live readings from USGS NWIS · measured 2026-10-13 16:45 UTC.
Events
Gallery
Sources
- • Wikipedia
- • US Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates)
- • NOAA National Weather Service
- • Wikidata
- • USGS Earthquake Catalog (global feed)
- • USGS NWIS (water data)
- • NCES via Urban Institute Education Data Portal
- • GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility)
- • iNaturalist
- • CDC PLACES
- • Open-Meteo / sunrise-sunset.org
- • Wikipedia Pageviews API
- • Open Library
- • NASA EONET