Fact Sheet

Tangipahoa Parish

Quick Facts:

  • Tangipahoa Parish was founded on March 6, 1869.
  • Tangipahoa Parish is located in the southeast part of Louisiana.
  • Lake Pontchartrain lies on the southeast side of the parish.
  • According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 823 square miles, of which 791 square miles is land and 32 square miles is water.
  • Most of the parish south of Ponchatoula consists of Holocene coastal swamp and marsh—gray-to-black clays of high organic content and thick peat beds underlying freshwater marsh and swamp.
  • The name Tangipahoa comes from an Acolapissa word meaning “ear of corn” or “those who gather corn.”
  • The parish was organized in 1869 during Reconstruction.
  • Tangipahoa Parish is part of the “the Florida Parishes” because at one time the parish was part of West Florida.
  • Tangipahoa Parish comprises the Hammond, LA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the New Orleans-Metairie-Hammond, LA-MS Combined Statistical Area.
  • The parish seat is Amite City, while the largest city is Hammond.
  • Southeastern Louisiana University is located in Hammond.

Population:

Year    Total Population
2000     100,588
2008     120,827
2017     132,497

Average household income: $49,141

Quality of Life:

Climate/Average Temperature:
Winter – 59 degrees
Summer – 92 degrees
Annually – 67 degrees
Average Annual Rainfall – 68 inches


Market Access:

Interstates: 10, 12, 55, 59
U.S. Highways: 51, 190

Navigable Waterways/Ports (distance in miles):
South Tangipahoa Parish Port – 9ft (local)
Port of New Orleans – 45ft (57 miles)
Port of Greater Baton Rouge – 45ft (50 miles)

Railways:
Canadian National/Illinois Central

Airports (distance in miles):
Hammond Municipal (local)
New Orleans International Airport (40 miles)
Baton Rouge Metro Airport (50 miles)

Motor Freight:
15 major freight lines
Terminal facilities are available

Distance to Major Cities (in miles, from center of parish):
Atlanta, GA – 500
Birmingham, AL – 391
Chicago, IL – 840
Dallas, TX – 479
Denver, CO – 1,150
Houston, TX – 333
Kansas City, MO – 740
Memphis, TN – 335
Minneapolis, MN – 1,180
Nashville, TN – 550
New Orleans, LA – 57

Education:

4-Year Colleges and Universities (within 100 miles)
Southeastern Louisiana University (local)
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
University of New Orleans, New Orleans
Tulane University, New Orleans
Southern University, Baton Rouge
Xavier University, New Orleans
Dillard University, New Orleans

2-Year Colleges (within 100 miles)
Northshore Technical Community College, Hammond Area Campus (local)
Delgado Community College, New Orleans
River Parishes Community College, Gonzales

Primary/Secondary Education
37 Public Schools
7 Nonpublic Schools
Source: LA Department of Education

Major Employers:

North Oaks Health System
Southeastern Louisiana University
Tangipahoa Parish School Board
Sanderson Farms, Inc.
Neill Corporation
Elmer Candy Production
Winn-Dixie Stores

Medical Services:
North Oaks Medical Center, Hammond
Cypress Pointe Surgical Hospital, Hammond
Lallie Kemp Regional Medical Center, Independence
North Oaks Rehab Hospital, Hammond
Hood Memorial Hospital, Amite