Why Monroe
Monroe is located in northeastern Louisiana as the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, serving as the cultural and economic center of the region. Situated at an elevation of 72 feet above sea level, the city spans nearly 32 square miles, with water accounting for over 11 percent of its total area. It represents the central municipality of North Louisiana's second-largest metropolitan district.
The settlement was established during the Spanish colonial period when Jean Baptiste Filhiol designated the area, then called Prairie des Canots, as a regional administrative post in 1785. A military post known as Fort Miro was erected in 1791 in honor of the Spanish governor. The community was later renamed Monroe to commemorate the spring 1820 arrival of the steamboat James Monroe, a vessel named after the fifth United States president that local residents regarded as pivotal to the town's development. In the early 20th century, Joseph A. Biedenharn, the first bottler of Coca-Cola, moved to the city and helped establish the aerial crop-dusting business that eventually developed into Delta Air Lines.
Visitors to Monroe can explore numerous historical, artistic, and educational venues. The Biedenharn Museum and Gardens preserves the pioneer bottler's former residence and estate. Additional regional history and art are displayed at the Masur Museum of Arts, the Chennault Aviation and Military Museum, the Northeast Louisiana Children's Museum, and the Northeast Louisiana Delta African-American Heritage Museum, which belongs to the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail. The city is also home to the University of Louisiana Monroe. For outdoor activities, travelers can visit 17 municipal parks, several local golf courses, and the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo, which houses more than 500 animals and features boat tours. The Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge provides free public access for nature viewing.
Monroe hosts the annual Miss Louisiana pageant during the final week of June. The Monroe Civic Center serves as a major venue complex, containing an exhibit arena, convention facilities, and the W. L. Jack Howard Theatre. Shopping is available at Pecanland Mall, the largest enclosed shopping center in North Louisiana. Monroe has a humid subtropical climate with generous annual rainfall exceeding 51 inches. Summers are hot and humid, frequently climbing past 90 degrees Fahrenheit alongside periodic severe thunderstorms, while winters remain generally mild with an average of 35 days reaching freezing temperatures.
01 Weather
97°
81°
97°
72°
98°
73°
96°
76°
☔ 24% 
97°
78°
☔ 66%
95°
76°