Iberia Parish | |
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![]() Historic House and Garden Shadows-on-the-Teche | |
![]() Location within the U.S. state of Louisiana | |
![]() Louisiana's location within the U.S. | |
Coordinates: 29°47′N 91°47′W / 29.79°N 91.78°W | |
Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
Founded | October 30, 1868 |
Named for | Iberian Peninsula |
Seat | New Iberia |
Largest city | New Iberia |
Area | |
• Total | 1,031 sq mi (2,670 km2) |
• Land | 574 sq mi (1,490 km2) |
• Water | 456 sq mi (1,180 km2) 44% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 69,929 |
• Density | 68/sq mi (26/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
Congressional district | 3rd |
Website | iberiaparishgovernment |
Iberia Parish (French: Paroisse de l'Ibérie, Spanish: Parroquia de Iberia) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 69,929;[1] the parish seat is New Iberia.[2]
The parish was formed in 1868 during the Reconstruction era and named for the Iberian Peninsula.[3][4] It is part of the 22-parish Acadiana region of the state, with a large Francophone population. Some of its ethnic French residents had ancestors who settled here after being expelled in the 18th century by the British from Acadia in present-day Canada. Historically, it has also been a center for sugar cane cultivation and produces the most sugar of any parish in the state.
Iberia Parish is part of the Lafayette metropolitan area. The Port of Iberia has a waterway with access to the Gulf Coast.