Lake Charles, Louisiana, the seat of Calcasieu Parish. Although 34 miles (55 km) north of the Gulf of Mexico, Lake Charles is a port that accommodates oceangoing vessels. It is connected to the Gulf by a channel running through Calcasieu Lake and the Calcasieu River, on which Lake Charles borders. The city is the seat of McNeese State University.
Lake Charles is the nation's leading rice port. It also exports cotton, corn, and sugarcane. The surrounding area has large deposits of oil and sulfur, and in the city are chemical and rubber plants and oil refineries. Lake Charles was settled about 1852.
Population: 71,757.
