Once known as Vermilionville, the city of Lafayette has a rich and colorful history. First settled by the Attakapas Indians, European settlers made their way from New Orleans to Acadiana in the mid 1700s. However, the greatest cultural impact to the region happened in 1784, when French-speaking Acadians whom were exiled from Nova Scotia were allowed to settle the lands through farming, fishing, trapping, and hunting. They were hard-working people who enjoyed every bit of what life had to offer.

Since those early days, Lafayette has enjoyed a unique Joie de Vivre, or love of life, and shared that feeling with visitors from across the world. Acadiana is the Cajun heartland, a place of warm and wonderfully hospitable people, great food, the magnificent beauty of bayous and swamps, festivals that turn small towns into weekend hotspots for thousands and music venues that come alive every night with the sounds of unique music and foot-stomping dancing. Our irresistible music, cuisine, dancing, and culture have kept folks coming back year after year.

While we fully embrace our Cajun and Creole heritage, we are proud to be a progressive community. We are moving forward with a plan to bring fiber to the homes of all Lafayette residents, making us a technology leader in the state.

Enriching the area is the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, which sits prominently in the middle of town. The university is the only Doctoral II institution in the state, providing fertile ground for researchers and scholars. Lafayette was also awarded with the Acadiana Technology Immersion Center, one of seven complex research facilities in the world, slated to open within the next few years and guaranteed to continue attracting the creative class of people: researchers, scientists, doctors, lawyers, and other professionals.

When you live here, you'll find that friends are family. It won't take long to realize you have come home!