River Parishes
parishes in Louisiana on the west bank of the Mississippi River from the Mississippi State Line to just outside the New Orleans metro area
The River Parishes are the Louisiana parishes that line the Mississippi River in the eastern part of Acadiana, from the Mississippi state line to just outside the New Orleans metro area. From Baton Rouge north, the parishes are on the west bank of the river (we have placed Baton Rouge in the Florida Parishes). The parishes between Baton Rouge and New Orleans straddle the river and, in particular, form a unique area known as the "Acadian Coast." This was an area that the first Acadian (now Cajun) exiles settled when they arrived in Louisiana from Canada. The region's parishes are Ascension, Avoyelles, Iberville, Pointe Coupee, St. Charles, St. James, St. John the Baptist, and West Baton Rouge.