Lake Charles, Louisiana | city, county seat

 city, county seat

Lake Charles is a city in and the parish seat of Calcasieu Parish in the US state of Louisiana. Named for Charles Sallier (an early settler of the area) and located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River, it is the fifth largest incorporated city in the state and the principal city of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area, with population of 71,993 at the 2010 Census.

Often referred to as "The Festival Capital of Louisiana", Lake Charles is considered a major center of petrochemical refining, tourism, gaming, and outdoor recreation. In 2010, Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine ranked it as the 19th Best Place To Raise A Family.

Lake Charles is home to McNeese State, a four-year public university in the University of Louisiana System, as well as Sowela Technical Community College. Public schools are operated by the Calcasieu Parish Public School System.

Notable persons from Lake Charles include:

●Michael DeBakey - world-renonwed heart surgeon
●Lynn Anderson - country & western recording artist
●Tony Kushner - Pulitzer Prize-winning playright
●Alvin Dark - Major League Baseball player and manager

City website: www.cityoflakecharles.com/