After the Louisiana Purchase, Lake Charles remained a lawless land unclaimed by the United States and Spain. Legends of pirates and pioneers like Jean Laffite and Charles Sallier are still told today, embraced with a knowing wink around "Lake Chuck," where the distinction between Texas and Louisiana becomes blurry. "The culture of early Southwest Louisiana was of a place where pirates and cowboys regularly met," says local historian Adley Cormier. "They serviced this part of the coast, this rural area outside the realm of business and outside the realm of government, because it was a no-man's-land." A major timber hub, then an economic engine running on petrochemical refining and, over the last 30 years, gambling, the troubled waters of the Calcasieu River and the Calcasieu Shipping Channel have always balanced industry and the environment. The region offers no shortage of wild areas for hunters and anglers to explore, yet the climate can be challenging. Recent investments helped the area bounce back from storm damage, including several major hurricanes over the last 20 years. Nowadays, development has emboldened a free-spirited creative scene while bolstering the business landscape and an overall sense of belonging. "There's actually quite a lot to do around here, especially for free or on the cheap. But we're not going to get Willie Nelson to play at the Event Center. We're not going to sell out crazy huge crowds. But there's a very community-driven arts and culture scene around here," says Cameron Fultz, executive director for the Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana. "It's very laid back. I would say it's a big town in a small city."
Discover architectural beauty in Lake Charles's Charpentier Historic District.
Explore the natural beauty and southern hospitality of Lake Charles.
Shrimp caught in Hackberry are served in almost every state in America.
Prien has a variety of home styles and price points available to those in the market.
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Casinos and chemical refineries sustain a busy port city
Almost 80,000 people live in Lake Charles, making it the largest city in Southwest Louisiana and the sixth-biggest city in the state. As the seat of Calcasieu Parish, the city serves as a regional hub for sea and air traffic, including Chennault International Airport, formerly an Air Force base, for transporting cargo and maintaining aircraft, plus commercial flights from Lake Charles Regional Airport, which offers connections to Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth. Now, though, casinos and petrochemicals are the true centers of power, with each industry employing thousands while taking advantage of Lake Charles' location. For casinos, that means proximity to Texas, where gambling is still illegal. For refineries, it means the logistical advantage of the Calcasieu Ship Channel. "We're about 30 miles as the crow flies from here to the Gulf of Mexico," Cormier says. "This was a very remote part of Louisiana — we're not connected to any other parts of Louisiana by water. The citizens here realized that, in order to be better connected to the world, they would need to explore the possibility of making the river more navigable. And in order to make it more navigable, one of the things they did was landmark the river. They dredged out sandbars, struck out bends, cut through loops." Today, the channel helps make the Port of Lake Charles the 12th busiest port in the country.
Three hospitals in Lake Charles also serve as major employers, as do local schools, including McNeese State University and the Calcasieu Parish Public Schools district, which together employ 5,500 people.
As the halfway point between Baton Rouge and Houston, Lake Charles has long been a popular stop for travelers, too. Jack Kerouac even mentions the city in “On The Road.” The aging Calcasieu River Bridge on Interstate 10 is less of a bragging right, but the Louisiana state legislature recently approved funding to replace the 74-year-old bridge by 2028. The Interstate 210 loop offers connections around the city center and to many of the refineries on the west side of the lake. Once home to five streetcar lines, the city now offers the Para-Transit Service bus network, which serves most of the city. Most residents rely on a car, though.
Golden Nugget and L’Auberge bring excitement to Lake Charles with gaming and entertainment.
Kayakers enjoy a morning on Lake Charles, launching out of LeFleur Park in Prien.
Christus Ochsner Hospital supports Lake Charles with vital care and employment opportunities.
Tug boats move barges around the intercostal waterway just north of Cameron.
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Housing market rebounding from Hurricane Laura
Lake Charles faced a major housing shortage following the destruction of Hurricane Laura in 2020, but the market has since recovered. The median price for a single-family home is around $235,000, while the townhouses and condos around downtown — a welcome addition when housing was in short supply after Laura — offer slightly lower prices with a median of $209,000. Generally, the city's most established homes surround downtown in historic neighborhoods like the Charpentier Historic District, a federally recognized historic neighborhood, and the Margaret Place Historic District. Within these areas, the history of the timber industry is evident in elegant Victorian-style homes made entirely from locally sourced wood. Further from downtown, suburbs like Prien or North Lake Charles offer larger, newer homes in various styles, including midcentury ranchers, Acadian cottages and French Colonial-inspired designs. A few master-planned neighborhoods surround the area, like Graywood, a prestigious country club community south of Prien.
Many homes on the outskirts of home sit on large lots in Cameron.
Discover quaint cottage houses nestled in Charpentier Historic District, Lake Charles.
Step into a storybook setting with a Downtown Lake Charles cottage.
Explore the beauty of lakefront living in Gillis, Lake Charles, with scenic waterfront homes.
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North Shore revitalization brings new museums and breweries
Lake Charles is a pilgrimage destination for budget-friendly Cajun food and seafood dining. In particular, Darrell’s Po-Boys serves arguably the city’s most beloved dish. Shopping-wise, most commercial options fall into major north-south corridors like Ryan Street, Nelson Road and Martin Luther King Junior Highway. Hubs for big-box shopping are scattered around the city as well. Local shops are hanging on, but some local shopping areas, like the Cottage Shop District, have been largely displaced by major storms. Even so, downtown is now home to a growing collection of locally owned restaurants, art galleries, cafes and clothing boutiques. "The true downtown vibe probably stops at Clarence Street," Fultz says. "There is quite a bit of living options downtown. The only problem with our downtown, in my opinion, is there's not a lot of grocery stores or things to supply the needs of people who live directly downtown." Historically, the lakefront has been underutilized, and an abandoned casino parking garage along the North Shore served as a reminder of Hurricane Rita’s destruction. But that is changing as structures like the longstanding Capital One Tower are demolished to make space for new development. In 2023, voters passed the LC Rebound tax plan to fund a slew of projects. "There's a new giant Children's Museum being built there. They're doing a lot on the beach fronts. And then soon, they're actually going to be replacing the Interstate 10 Bridge," Fultz says. "There's a brewery that's going to open next to that giant parking garage on the North Shore, and Port Wonder is currently being built on the other side of that. So everything in that green space down past Memorial Park, all the way to the Event Center, that's all space that either developers have bought out and are currently working on it, or it's in the city's plans to sell parcels."
Darrell’s Po-Boys delights Lake Charles with its iconic and budget-friendly Cajun flavors.
The Creole Nature Center, near Hackberry, offers a hands-on experience.
Explore unique creations at Candice Alexander Art Studio on your Downtown Lake Charles.
Unwind with premium beers at Pappy's Sports Pub in the Cottage Shop District.
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Pirate festivals, lakefront concerts and family-friendly Mardi Gras
Each May, Lake Charles pays homage to its past with the Louisiana Pirate Festival, when "pirates" pretend to capture the mayor and take over the city so they can throw a carnival. This being Louisiana, Mardi Gras is also celebrated, but with a heavy emphasis on making the event more family-friendly compared to the wilder version in New Orleans, about 200 miles east. The Southwest District Livestock Show and Rodeo, held at Burton Coliseum, has been an annual event since 1939, and it's now a stop on the professional rodeo circuit. As Louisiana’s biggest casino town, Lake Charles is home to three resort casinos: Golden Nugget, L’auberge du Lac and Horseshoe Lake Charles. Each features high-end dining and shopping as well as concerts and standup comedy, an alternative to downtown venues like the Lake Charles Event Center.
Let kids enjoy playing in the festive fake snow at the Downtown Holiday Stroll.
Hackberry is prone to flooding due to its proximity to the bay and gulf.
Feel like a kid again at Bord du L.Ac. Park.
Explore the timeless beauty of Charpentier Historic District in Lake Charles.
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Home to McNeese State and a high school baseball powerhouse
Serving 30,000 students across 65 schools, Calcasieu Parish Public Schools receive an overall B-plus rating from Niche. Among its distinctions, the district is a Top 10 choice for athletes in Louisiana. A.M. Barbe High School, in particular, has produced multiple MLB Draft picks and is regularly ranked among the country's top high school programs. Athletics are also big at McNeese State University, an NCAA Division I school, home to 7,500 Cowboys and Cowgirls. Roughly 4,000 students attend Sowela Technical Community College, which offers a dual-enrollment program to area high schoolers. Private religious schools are also popular in the city.
Joe Miller Ballpark energizes Lake Charles with exciting McNeese State baseball games.
SOWELA connects Lake Charles students to skills through hands-on technical programs.
McNeese State shapes Lake Charles with Division I sports and academic excellence.
Students are the highest priority at A. M. Barbe High School.
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History told in undisturbed forests at Sam Houston Jones State Park
Louisiana is often called “Sportsman’s Paradise,” and Lake Charles is no exception. The area offers hunting preserves and off-roading beaches in remote areas like Cameron, plus a half-dozen golf courses closer to the city, most open year-round. The Parks & Recreation Department oversees 46 facilities across the city, including numerous parks and playgrounds, recreation centers and beaches. Backcountry explorers flock to the nearby Creole Nature Trail, a scenic byway that cuts through marshes inhabited by gators and 400 bird species. North of the city, Sam Houston Jones State Park features miles of trails that meander through an unspoiled grotto of longleaf pines. "There are still some early virgin areas in Sam Houston State Park," Cormier says. "Some of those trees were certainly there before Laura, Delta and Rita — the hurricanes that affected the area most recently. But even today, there are a couple of these grandpappy pines up there that were just beyond the reach of the exploiting sawmills."
Discover serene fishing locations in Gillis, Lake Charles where nature and relaxation meet.
Wildlife in action at a natural Sam Houston Jones State Park reserve.
The waterways and bayous in and around Cameron are a big part of the life of local residents.
At Graywood, golf is a lifestyle and can be played all year long, no matter the season.
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A fragile environment prone to hurricanes and humidity
Lake Charles is one of the most humid cities in the continental U.S. The weather demands a lot from homeowners, especially the past 20 years. Hurricanes Rita (2005), Laura (2020) and Delta (2020) each struck the area head-on, collectively causing $30 billion in damages and nearly 400,000 insurance claims across Louisiana. To mitigate future damage, the city invested millions of dollars in flood-control measures, including improved pumping stations, although numerous flood zones still slice across the city and its drainage canals. Storm surges and coastal erosion are major concerns, too, but the city is known for its enduring spirit. "Our live oaks are another symbol of resilience," Cormier says, pointing to the centuries-old Sallier Oak outside the Imperial Calcasieu Museum. "After every hurricane, everyone drives by to make sure it didn't fall down," says Realtor Timothy Feist of Century 21 Bono Realty.
Lake Charles has property crime and violent crime rates above national figures. The Environmental Protection Agency says that Lake Charles has some of the highest levels of toxic air pollution in the country, mostly because of the chemical refineries nearby. The city has one of the highest numbers of Superfund sites in the U.S., which require cleanup to remove hazardous chemicals and make the land safe again. In some parts of the city, people are advised against eating local crab and catfish. Lake Charles also has three different species of termites, a nuisance for many homeowners.
Discover the fun at North Beach near Charpentier Historic District in Lake Charles.
A kayaker fishes along the Calcasieu River in Graywood.
The Creole Nature Trail runs through Cameron and is a great way to explore the local beauty.
Drive along the coast outside of Cameron to take in the views of the Gulf of Mexico.
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A proud member of the Compass Real Estate family, Ambra also serves as Chair of Government Affairs and Events for the Southwest Louisiana Association of REALTORS®, where she actively advocates for her industry and community. She’s also a dedicated volunteer through The Rotary Club and a familiar face at local events and causes close to her heart.
At home, she enjoys life in Westlake with her husband, Calvin, their six children, and three grandchildren—proof that her roots and relationships run deep.
With a bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing from Northwestern State University and an associate degree in Accounting, Ambra combines savvy business skills with a heart for helping people find where they truly belong.
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Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
