The Lake Area | |
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Lake Charles, LA metropolitan statistical area | |
Downtown Lake Charles | |
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Country | ![]() |
State | ![]() |
Largest city | Lake Charles |
Other cities | |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 254,652 |
• Estimate (2023) | 240,082 |
• Rank | US: 199th |
Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
The Lake Charles metropolitan statistical area is a metropolitan area in the Acadiana region of southwest Louisiana that covers three parishes—Calcasieu, Cameron, and Jefferson Davis. According to a 2023 census estimate, the MSA had a population of 240,082.[1] It is also part of the larger Lake Charles–DeRidder combined statistical area which had a population of 276,909 in 2023.[1] The Lake Charles MSA also shares borders with the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area to the west. Metropolitan Lake Charles, the principal city, is commonly referred to as the Lake Area.