Lake Providence, Louisiana

Lake Providence, Louisiana
Town
Location of Lake Providence in East Carroll Parish, Louisiana.
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Coordinates: 32°47′58″N 91°10′29″W / 32.79944°N 91.17472°W / 32.79944; -91.17472
CountryUnited States
StateLouisiana
ParishEast Carroll
Area
  Total
3.62 sq mi (9.36 km2)
  Land3.60 sq mi (9.31 km2)
  Water0.02 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation
102 ft (31 m)
Population
 (2020)
  Total
3,587
  Density997.77/sq mi (385.28/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
  Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code
71254
Area code318
FIPS code22-41400
GNIS feature ID2405976
WebsiteTown of Lake Providence

Lake Providence is a town in, and the parish seat of, East Carroll Parish in northeastern Louisiana. The population was 5,104 at the 2000 census and declined by 21.8 percent to 3,991 in 2010. The town's poverty rate is approximately 55 percent; the average median household income is $16,500, and the average age is 31.

The town shares its name with the oxbow lake of the Mississippi River, also called Lake Providence. This area was historically developed as cotton plantations before and after the Civil War, and remains largely rural. The Union Army developed a supply depot near the lake during the Civil War, and its camp was crowded with refugee slaves seeking their freedom. The town grew larger at this site.