LALouisiana Map

Louisiana on the US map

Louisiana sits in the South region of the United States — specifically the deep south subregion as defined by the US Census Bureau. With an area ranking of #31 of 50, Louisiana is mid-sized for the United States. The map above highlights Louisiana in gold and color-codes the 49 other states by region.

Whether you're a student studying US geography, a traveler planning a road trip, a teacher building a lesson plan, or simply curious, the goal of this page is to give you a complete picture of where Louisiana is and what surrounds it. Click any other state on the map above to navigate to its dedicated page.

Capital and largest city

The capital of Louisiana is Baton Rouge. The largest city by population, however, is New Orleans — not Baton Rouge. This pattern (capital ≠ largest city) holds for about 33 of the 50 US states, including most of the famous mismatches like California (Sacramento, not LA), Florida (Tallahassee, not Miami), and New York (Albany, not NYC).

The historical reason for these mismatches dates to the late 18th and 19th centuries. When state founders chose capitals, they often deliberately picked smaller, more centrally located towns to avoid concentrating political and commercial power in the same place. They worried that a capital in a major port or commercial city would be too vulnerable to mob influence (a real concern at the time) and would skew political decisions toward commercial interests.

Borders and neighbors

Louisiana shares land borders with 3 other US states: Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi. Each link goes to that state's dedicated page where you can see its own map, history, and facts.

Geographic features at a glance

• Total area rank: #31 of 50
• Population: 1 to 5 million
• Coastline: gulf
• Mountain ranges: no major mountain ranges
• Time zone: Central
• Region: South — deep south subregion
• Mississippi River: bordered or crossed by

Major highways and transportation

Louisiana is connected to the rest of the country by the federal Interstate Highway System (planned by President Eisenhower in the 1950s). Major airports serve New Orleans and Baton Rouge, with regional connections to the rest of the state. Amtrak rail service connects parts of Louisiana to the national passenger rail network, though geographic isolation and population density vary.

Louisiana notable firsts

• Louisiana has a unique place among the 50 states — discoverable across its geography, history, and culture

Louisiana vs similar states

How does Louisiana compare with 3 other states in the same region and size category?

State	Capital	Pop	Area rank	Admitted
Louisiana	Baton Rouge	1 to 5 million	#31	1812
Alabama	Montgomery	1 to 5 million	#30	1819
Arkansas	Little Rock	1 to 5 million	#29	1836
Florida	Tallahassee	over 10 million	#22	1845

Bordering states (3)

Louisiana shares borders with 3 other US states, listed alphabetically below. Each link goes to the dedicated state page.

Similar states to Louisiana

If this page interested you, you may also want to explore states with similar geography, history, or culture. These states share Louisiana's region (South) and similar size category:

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