Alexandria is the ninth-largest city in the state of Louisiana and is the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes. Its neighboring city is Pineville. In 2010, the population was 47,723, an increase of 3 percent from the 2000 census.
Alexandria Welcome Sign on Louisiana Highway 28 West.
Rotary International Clock (1916), with Alexandria City Hall (constructed 1963) in the background
Aerial view, 1945
Trees are reflected in Bayou Rapides east of MacArthur Drive in Alexandria
Rapides Parish, Louisiana
Rapides Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 130,023. The parish seat is Alexandria, which developed along the Red River of the South. Rapides is the French word for "rapids". The parish was created in 1807 after the United States acquired this territory in the Louisiana Purchase.
Upper portion of the Rapides Parish Courthouse in Alexandria
Lower view of the Rapides Parish Courthouse
The main branch of the Rapides Parish Library is located in downtown Alexandria.
Purple Heart Memorial Bridge over the Red River in Alexandria and Pineville