New Orleans metropolitan area
762683
220296047
2008-06-19T04:33:13Z
VerruckteDan
824876
again, these are not within the MSA
[[Image:Landsat new orleans nfl lrg.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Satellite image of the [[New Orleans]] metropolitan area.]]
'''New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner''' is a [[List of United States metropolitan areas|metropolitan area]] designated by the US Census encompassing seven parishes in the state of [[Louisiana]], centering on the city of [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]]. As of the July 1, [[2006]] estimate, the metropolitan statistical area (MSA) had a population of 1 million.<ref name=msa_est>http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/metro_general/2006/CBSA-EST2006-01.csv</ref>
The metropolitan area was hit by [[Hurricane Katrina]]—a Category 4 storm—in August [[2005]], causing a loss of population from 1.3 million before the hurricane.<ref name=msa_est/>
== Parishes ==
[[Image:Louisiana regions map.svg|thumb|250px|The Greater New Orleans region indicated here in the far south-eastern corner of Louisiana.]]
For U.S. Census purposes, this MSA includes seven parishes: [[Jefferson Parish, Louisiana|Jefferson]], [[Orleans Parish, Louisiana|Orleans]], [[Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana|Plaquemines]], [[St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana|St. Bernard]], [[St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana|St. Tammany]], [[St. Charles Parish, Louisiana|St. Charles]], and [[St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana|St. John the Baptist]].
The Louisiana state legislature created a commission, the Regional Planning Commission, to be responsible for the planning and development of the New Orleans metropolitan area. The parishes covered by the commission are: [[Jefferson Parish, Louisiana|Jefferson]], [[Orleans Parish, Louisiana|Orleans]], [[Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana|Plaquemines]], [[St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana|St. Bernard]], and [[St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana|St. Tammany]]. Additionally, [[St. Charles Parish, Louisiana|St. Charles]] and [[St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana|St. John the Baptist]] are associate members of the Regional Planning Commission.
The Center for Cultural and Eco-Tourism at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette has designated the New Orleans metropolitan area as the '''Greater New Orleans''' region<sup>[http://ccet.louisiana.edu/03a_Cultural_Tourism_Files/01.00_The_Land.html]</sup> This region includes four parishes: [[Jefferson Parish, Louisiana|Jefferson]], [[Orleans Parish, Louisiana|Orleans]], [[Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana|Plaquemines]] and [[Saint Bernard Parish, Louisiana|St. Bernard]].
== Geographic Terms ==
In the New Orleans metropolitan area, the following geographic terms are used: ''East Bank'', ''West Bank'', ''North Shore'' and ''River Parishes''.
=== "East Bank" and "West Bank" ===
The [[Mississippi River]] divides the United States into east and west, running from north south. In southeast Louisiana, though, confusion about the terms "East Bank" and "West Bank" often arises since, due to the curves of the Mississippi River, what is called the "East Bank" is sometimes located to the geographic west of what is called the "West Bank" and vice versa. The banks also run north and south at some points. In southeast Louisiana, the term "East Bank" is often used refer to any area that lies along the eastern side of the Mississippi River, while the term "West Bank" is often used to refer to areas along the opposite side of the river. These terms are used in those parishes that are dissected into two sides by the Mississippi River, which include [[St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana|St. John the Baptist]], [[St. Charles Parish, Louisiana|St. Charles]], [[Jefferson Parish, Louisiana|Jefferson]], [[Orleans Parish, Louisiana|Orleans]] and [[Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana|Plaquemines]].
In the New Orleans metropolitan area, the term "East Bank" is a blanket term to refer to all of portions of [[suburb]]an New Orleans that are situated on the eastern bank of the river, while the term "West Bank" is used to refer to all of portions of suburban New Orleans that are situated on the western bank of the river. The majority of the population of suburban New Orleans resides on the East Bank.
The East Bank of suburban New Orleans includes the East Bank of [[Jefferson Parish, Louisiana|Jefferson Parish]] (including the suburbs of [[Metairie, Louisiana|Metairie]], [[Kenner, Louisiana|Kenner]], [[River Ridge, Louisiana|River Ridge]], [[Harahan, Louisiana|Harahan]], [[Elmwood, Louisiana|Elmwood]], and [[Jefferson, Louisiana|Jefferson]]) and the East Bank of [[Orleans Parish, Louisiana|Orleans Parish]] (including the majority of the city of [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]]). Further down the Mississippi River are those suburbs of New Orleans that are located in [[St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana|St. Bernard Parish]], which include [[Arabi, Louisiana|Arabi]], [[Chalmette, Louisiana|Chalmette]], and [[Meraux, Louisiana|Meraux]] (and, also, [[Violet, Louisiana|Violet]] and [[Poydras, Louisiana|Poydras]]). All of St. Bernard Parish is located east of the river, extending from the eastern bank of the river back into the marshlands.
The West Bank of suburban New Orleans includes the West Bank of Jefferson Parish (including the suburbs of [[Waggaman, Louisiana|Waggaman]], [[Avondale, Louisiana|Avondale]], [[Bridge City, Louisiana|Bridge City]], [[Westwego, Louisiana|Westwego]], [[Marrero, Louisiana|Marrero]], [[Harvey, Louisiana|Harvey]], [[Gretna, Louisiana|Gretna]], [[Terrytown, Louisiana|Terrytown]], [[Estelle, Louisiana|Estelle]], [[Timberlane, Louisiana|Timberlane]], and [[Woodmere, Louisiana|Woodmere]]) and the West Bank of Orleans Parish (including the New Orleans communities of [[Algiers, Louisiana|Algiers]] and English Turn). Further down the Mississippi River is the suburb of [[Belle Chasse, Louisiana|Belle Chasse]], which is located on the West Bank of [[Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana|Plaquemines Parish]]. Plaquemines Parish covers the final leg of the Mississippi River before it enters the Gulf of Mexico (downriver from Belle Chasse, Plaquemines has numerous rural communities scattered along both banks of the river, but none of these communities have a population higher that 5,000).
=== "North Shore" ===
The term "North Shore" refers to areas that lie on the northern shore of [[Lake Pontchartrain]], which is covered by [[Saint Tammany Parish|St. Tammany Parish]]. The North Shore includes the communities of [[Mandeville, Louisiana|Mandeville]], [[Covington, Louisiana|Covington]], [[Madisonville, Louisiana|Madisonville]], [[Abita Springs, Louisiana|Abita Springs]], [[Lacombe, Louisiana|Lacombe]], [[Eden Isle, Louisiana|Eden Isle]] and [[Slidell, Louisiana|Slidell]]. This region is also referred to as the [[Florida Parishes]], dating back to the time when the territory known as Florida extended westward all the way to the Mississippi, including portions of what are now [[Alabama]], [[Mississippi]] and [[Louisiana]].
=== "River Parishes" ===
The term "[[River Parishes]]" refers to those parishes along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The two River Parishes nearest to New Orleans are [[St. Charles Parish, Louisiana|St. Charles]] (including the cities of [[Destrehan, Louisiana|Destrehan]], [[Luling, Louisiana|Luling]], [[St. Rose, Louisiana|St. Rose]] and [[Hahnville, Louisiana|Hahnville]]) and [[St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana|St. John the Baptist]] (including the cities of [[Laplace, Louisiana|Laplace]] and [[Reserve, Louisiana|Reserve]]).
== Cities and census designated places ==
===Principal city===
* [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]]
===Satellite Cities(Places with over 50,000 inhabitants)===
* [[Kenner, Louisiana|Kenner]]
* [[Metairie, Louisiana|Metairie]], ''unincorporated community''
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=== Places between 10,000 and 50,000 inhabitants ===
* [[Chalmette, Louisiana|Chalmette]]
* [[Destrehan, Louisiana|Destrehan]]
* [[Estelle, Louisiana|Estelle]]
* [[Gretna, Louisiana|Gretna]]
* [[Harvey, Louisiana|Harvey]]
* [[Jefferson, Louisiana|Jefferson]]
* [[Laplace, Louisiana|La Place]]
* [[Luling, Louisiana|Luling]]
* [[Mandeville, Louisiana|Mandeville]]
* [[Marrero, Louisiana|Marrero]]
* [[Meraux, Louisiana|Meraux]]
* [[River Ridge, Louisiana|River Ridge]]
* [[Slidell, Louisiana|Slidell]]
* [[Terrytown, Louisiana|Terrytown]]
* [[Timberlane, Louisiana|Timberlane]]
* [[Westwego, Louisiana|Westwego]]
* [[Woodmere, Louisiana|Woodmere]]
{{col-2}}
=== Places with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants ===
* [[Abita Springs, Louisiana|Abita Springs]]
* [[Ama, Louisiana|Ama]]
* [[Arabi, Louisiana|Arabi]]
* [[Avondale, Louisiana|Avondale]]
* [[Barataria, Louisiana|Barataria]]
* [[Belle Chasse, Louisiana|Belle Chasse]]
* [[Boutte, Louisiana|Boutte]]
* [[Bridge City, Louisiana|Bridge City]]
* [[Covington, Louisiana|Covington]]
* [[Eden Isle, Louisiana|Eden Isle]]
* [[Edgard, Louisiana|Edgard]]
* [[Elmwood, Louisiana|Elmwood]]
* [[Folsom, Louisiana|Folsom]]
* [[Garyville, Louisiana|Garyville]]
* [[Hahnville, Louisiana|Hahnville]]
* [[Harahan, Louisiana|Harahan]]
* [[Jean Lafitte, Louisiana|Jean Lafitte]]
* [[Lacombe, Louisiana|Lacombe]]
* [[Lafitte, Louisiana|Lafitte]]
* [[Madisonville, Louisiana|Madisonville]]
* [[Montz, Louisiana|Montz]]
* [[New Sarpy, Louisiana|New Sarpy]]
* [[Norco, Louisiana|Norco]]
* [[Paradis, Louisiana|Paradis]]
* [[Pearl River, Louisiana|Pearl River]]
* [[Poydras, Louisiana|Poydras]]
* [[Reserve, Louisiana|Reserve]]
* [[St. Rose, Louisiana|Saint Rose]]
* [[Violet, Louisiana|Violet]]
* [[Waggaman, Louisiana|Waggaman]]
{{col-end}}
== Transportation ==
The [[Louis Armstrong International Airport]] is located in western part of Jefferson Parish in the city of Kenner. Major highways in the area include [[Interstate 10]], [[Interstate 12]], [[Interstate 610 (Louisiana)|Interstate 610]], [[Interstate 310]], [[Interstate 510]], [[Interstate 55]], Interstate 59 as well as [[U.S. Route 90|U.S. Highway 90]] and [[U.S. Route 61|U.S. Highway 61]]. The [[Lake Pontchartrain Causeway]], the world's longest over water bridge, connects New Orleans to its suburbs on the North Shore. Train service is provide by [[Amtrak]] on the [[Crescent (Amtrak)|Crescent]], [[City of New Orleans (Amtrak)|City of New Orleans]] and [[Sunset Limited (Amtrak)|Sunset Limited]] routes.
Since Louisiana is under constant threat from [[hurricane]]s, the Louisiana State Police are prepared to enact a [[contraflow lane reversal program]] in order to evacuate the metropolitan area as quickly as possible.
== Flood Control ==
The state, by approval of Louisiana voters, created a new [[SLFPA|Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority]] (SLFPA) to oversee flood protection in the region beginning in 2007.
''see also'':
*[[Bonnet Carré Spillway]]
*[[Mississippi Valley Division]] of the United States Army Corps of Engineers
== See also ==
* [[List of regions of the United States#Intrastate regions|Intrastate regions]]
* [[Effect of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans]] and [[Reconstruction of New Orleans]]
* [[French Louisiana]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
* [http://www.norpc.org/ New Orleans Regional Planning Commission]
{{Louisiana}}
{{New Orleans}}
[[Category:Greater New Orleans| ]]
[[Category:Regions of Louisiana]]