Ascension Parish, Louisiana
Ascension Parish (French: Paroisse de l'Ascension; Spanish: Parroquia de la Ascensión) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 126,500. Its parish seat is Donaldsonville. The parish was created in 1807. Ascension Parish is part of the Baton Rouge metropolitan statistical area.
Ascension Parish | |
|---|---|
Parish | |
Ascension Parish Courthouse in Donaldsonville | |
|
Flag | |
Location within the U.S. state of Louisiana | |
Louisiana's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 30°12′N 90°55′W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Founded | 1807 |
| Named for | Ascension of Jesus Christ |
| Seat | Donaldsonville |
| Largest city | Prairieville |
| Area | |
| • Total | 303 sq mi (780 km2) |
| • Land | 290 sq mi (800 km2) |
| • Water | 13 sq mi (30 km2) 3.75% |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 126,500 |
| • Density | 420/sq mi (160/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional districts | 2nd, 6th |
| Website | www |
Ascension Parish is one of the 22 parishes that make up Acadiana, the heartland of the Cajun people and their culture. This is exhibited by the prevalence of the French or Cajun French language heard throughout the parish, as well as the many festivals celebrated by its residents, including the Boucherie Festival, Lagniappe Music and Seafood Festival, Crawfish Festival, and the Jambalaya Festival. The largest incorporated city in Ascension Parish, Gonzales, is celebrated as the "Jambalaya Capital of the World".