Opelousas Information

Opelousas is located in south central Louisiana in St Landry Parish at the junction of Interstate 49 and Highway 190 in the heart of Acadiana.

Established in 1720, Opelousas is rich in history and in culture -- from authentic Cajun food to tantalize your taste buds to Zydeco and Cajun music that gets your feet tapping.

picture of Opelousas Tourist Center

Historic Opelousas - Poste des Opelousas was founded in the early 1700s by the French as a trading post with the Indians. It was also a stopping point for travelers going between Natchitoches and New Orleans. The town was named for the Opelousas tribe who located their capital in the area many years before the French and Spanish arrived. The rule of the territory switched back and forth during the 1700s between the French and Spanish with Opelousas continuing as the governing center. After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, Opelousas was named in 1805 as the seat of Imperial St. Landry Parish. Read more >>

picture of Landry Street

Imperial St Landry Parish - Established by a legislative act approved on April 10, 1805, St. Landry Parish (first called Opelousas County) derived its name from the Catholic church of the old Opelousas Post, named for St. Landry, a Bishop of Paris in 650 AD. However, the history of the area goes back many centuries before the parish was officially created. Read more >>