Linked to West Monroe just across the Ouachita River, Monroe is the main city of northeast Louisiana, so people often say the Twin Cities. It grew from a river fort into a cotton and gas town, and Delta Air Lines traces its start to crop dusters that flew from here. Visitors come for the Biedenharn Museum and Gardens, the zoo and gardens, the riverfront, and the Duck Dynasty stops over in West Monroe.
Living here is easy on the wallet. Housing is very cheap, and the pace is slow and friendly. The honest downsides are crime, which is well above the national average in parts of the north and west sides, and the weather: hot, sticky summers, spring tornadoes, and the occasional ice storm. The population has slipped a little in recent years, and demand for older houses is weak. Lock your car and stick to the busier areas at night.
Cities with a similar character, anywhere on the site.
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- Known as
- The Twin Cities (with West Monroe); Northeast Louisiana's hub; Birthplace of Delta Air Lines (Huff Daland Dusters); Home of the Ouachita River Delta
- Founded
- 1785 Fort Miro established by Don Juan Filhiol; 1820 named Monroe after the steamboat James Monroe; 1900 incorporated as a city
- Languages
- English; Spanish (small share); Louisiana French is rarely spoken here compared with south Louisiana; Vietnamese and Chinese small communities
- Airports
- Monroe Regional Airport (MLU), about 4 miles northwest of downtown with American, Delta and United connections; Shreveport Regional (SHV), about 95 miles west; Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International (JAN), about 135 miles east; Little Rock National (LIT), about 155 miles north
- Tipping
- Restaurants 18-20%; bars $1-2 per drink; taxis and rideshare 15-20%; hotel housekeeping $3-5 per night; bellhops $2-5 per bag; counter service optional
About this data
Population 46,860, land area 29.66 sq mi, median value and rent from Census QuickFacts (2025 estimate, ACS). Metro 222,072 is the Monroe MSA figure from Census Reporter (vintage not confirmed, so treat as approximate; MSA county list not verified). Elevation, coordinates, founding, events months (several unverified as current), hotel ranges, tipping, cost-of-living index, crime and airport distances are approximate or from general knowledge and not verified in this pass. Tourism bureau is Monroe-West Monroe CVB (Discover Monroe-West Monroe); URLs seen in search results but not load-tested. Lower confidence overall.
