Why does Louisiana have parishes instead of counties?

Louisiana Files #001

Louisiana Doesn't Have Counties

If you're new to Louisiana, one of the first things you'll notice is that we don't have counties.

We have parishes.

The name dates back to Louisiana's French and Spanish colonial history, when the Catholic Church divided communities into ecclesiastical parishes. When Louisiana became a U.S. territory and later a state, those parish boundaries gradually became the basis for local government.

Today, Louisiana remains the only state in America whose primary local governments are called parishes instead of counties.

It's a small detail—but it's one of the many reminders that Louisiana has always followed its own path.

Some places have counties.

Louisiana has stories.

— Christopher Galvez

Every place has a story. Louisiana has thousands.