Baton Rouge, Lousiana's capital, is located in
East Baton Rouge Parish and is the parish seat. It lies northwest of
New Orleans along Interstate 10, on the banks of the
Mississippi River.
French settlers established Baton Rouge as a military outpost in 1719. Incorporated in 1817, the city became the capital of Louisiana in 1882. Admiral David Farragut captured the city early in the Civil War. The seat of government moved from Baton Rouge during the war.
Today, Baton Rouge is the premier industrial city in the area and the site of an extensive petroleum and chemical complex on the Mississippi. The Port of Greater Baton Rouge ranks fourth in the nation and second in Louisiana in tonage handled. The metropolitan area is the second largest in the state with a population of 231,219 and is home to Louisiana State University.
Baton Rouge enjoys a subtropical climate with mild winters. The Capitol, erected in 1932, is 450 feet high.
