Lake Charles (French: Lac Charles) is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the parish seat of Calcasieu Parish, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Founded in 1861 in Calcasieu Parish, it is a major industrial, cultural, and educational center in the southwest region of the state.
The city and metropolitan area of Lake Charles is considered a regionally significant center of petrochemical refining, gambling, tourism, and education, being home to McNeese State University and Sowela Technical Community College.
Strategically seated on the Calcasieu River in southwestern Louisiana, just 30 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, the Lake Charles area’s assets are integral to the nation’s logistics and energy networks.
Lake Charles has played a significant role in the growth and development of the state and now serves as an economic hub, with many major companies based in the area, and strategic point for critical infrastructure serving the south west. The Lake Charles area continues to be one of the fastest growing areas in the nation
