Description: The Physical map of Louisiana State, USA showing major geographical features such as rivers, lakes, topography and land formations.
The Physical Map of Louisiana shows a water-shaped state. The Gulf of Mexico lines the south. The Mississippi River curves down the east side, swings through Baton Rouge and New Orleans, then fans into a wide river delta. The central lowlands hold the Atchafalaya Basin, a massive wetland fed by the Atchafalaya River.
The Red River runs across the northwest through Shreveport and Alexandria, and the Ouachita River flows by Monroe. Along the coast are wide bays like Vermilion Bay, Barataria Bay, Terrebonne Bay, Atchafalaya Bay, and Breton Sound. Large coastal lakes - Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, Lake Borgne - wrap the New Orleans area, while Calcasieu Lake opens near Lake Charles in the west. A geographical map of Louisiana like this tells you at a glance where rivers, bayous, barrier islands and marshes sit next to the cities and parishes you travel through.
Capital: Baton Rouge on the Mississippi River.
Largest metro: New Orleans bordered by Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi.
Other anchors: Shreveport–Bossier City, Lafayette, Lake Charles, Houma-Thibodaux, Monroe, Alexandria.
Physiographic regions: Deltaic plain around the Mississippi and coastal lakes; Atchafalaya Basin wetlands; chenier plain in the southwest; Kisatchie uplands in the central-west; Red River valley and north uplands.
Major rivers: Mississippi, Red, Atchafalaya, Ouachita, Sabine, Pearl, Calcasieu, Tensas, Black.
Key lakes and bays: Lake Pontchartrain, Lake Maurepas, Lake Borgne, Calcasieu Lake, Toledo Bend Reservoir, Caddo Lake, Catahoula Lake, False River, Lake D’Arbonne, Vermilion Bay, Barataria Bay, Terrebonne Bay, Atchafalaya Bay, Breton Sound, Mississippi Sound.
Border waters: Sabine River with Texas, Pearl River with Mississippi.
Coastline: Marshes, barrier islands and bays along the Gulf of Mexico; no ocean cliffs.
Reminder: Printing or copying maps from this site is not permitted.
From the northeast corner near East Carroll Parish, the Mississippi River marks most of the border with Mississippi. It passes Lake Providence, Tallulah, Vicksburg opposite Madison Parish, then reaches Concordia and Natchez across the water. Farther south, it bends by Baton Rouge in East Baton Rouge Parish, flows past Ascension, Iberville, St. James, St. John the Baptist, and St. Charles Parishes, then curves into Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, and St. Bernard. The channel divides near the coast into many mouths that reach the Gulf of Mexico. Industrial ports, levees and river towns line this arc, which is why highways and rail lines crowd the valley.
West of the Mississippi, the Atchafalaya River drains a broad, forested swamp called the Atchafalaya Basin. On the map you can follow it from the Red and Mississippi inputs near Simmesport down past Krotz Springs, Butte La Rose, and Morgan City to Atchafalaya Bay. This basin is the state’s heart of wetlands. It also separates the Lafayette–Baton Rouge uplands from the coastal marshes of St. Mary, Iberia, Assumption, and Terrebonne Parishes.
In the northwest, the Red River enters near Caddo Parish and flows past Shreveport, Bossier City and Natchitoches toward Alexandria in Rapides Parish, where it turns southeast and joins the Atchafalaya system. The map shades a higher, drier landscape in this belt. Lakes like Caddo Lake, Cross Lake at Shreveport, and reservoirs on tributaries sit in broad valleys rather than marsh.
The Ouachita River flows through Monroe in Ouachita Parish and south toward the Atchafalaya system. Old Mississippi loops leave oxbow lakes that the map shows clearly, including Lake Providence and Lake Bruin near Tensas Parish, plus False River near New Roads in Pointe Coupee Parish.
South of Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines and St. Bernard Parishes the land feathers into the Gulf. Long, finger-like river passes and shallow bays fill much of the view. Labels like Barataria Bay, Breton Sound, Mississippi Sound, and Chandeleur water areas signal barrier islands and shallow lagoons. Marsh symbols cover most of the low coastal ground, which is why towns such as Port Sulphur, Boothville, Empire and Pointe à la Hache sit on the few leveed ridges.
From Vermilion Bay west to Cameron and Sabine Pass, the coast becomes a chenier plain—beach ridges separated by wide marshes. The Calcasieu Ship Channel reaches Calcasieu Lake near Lake Charles, while White Lake and Grand Lake spread across Vermilion and Cameron Parishes. Marsh Island sits across Vermilion Bay from Cypremort Point, both shown on the map. These areas are flat, wet and full of inlets.
Lake Pontchartrain: north of New Orleans, ringed by Slidell, Mandeville, Covington, Kenner, Metairie.
Lake Maurepas: west of Pontchartrain near Hammond and Ponchatoula, linked by Pass Manchac.
Lake Borgne: an open lagoon east of Orleans and St. Bernard, connected to Mississippi Sound.
Calcasieu Lake: southwest near Lake Charles, opening to the Gulf by Cameron.
Toledo Bend Reservoir: along the Sabine River on the Texas line in Sabine Parish.
Caddo Lake: northwest near Vivian and Mooringsport.
Catahoula Lake: central Louisiana near La Salle and Catahoula Parishes.
False River: an oxbow near New Roads in Pointe Coupee.
Lake D’Arbonne and Lake Claiborne: in the north-central uplands near Union and Claiborne Parishes. These names are anchors for trip planning and classroom map work.
New Orleans (Orleans Parish): between Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River; delta marshes spread to the south and east.
Baton Rouge (East Baton Rouge Parish): on high natural levees of the Mississippi; a good example of a river terrace city.
Lafayette (Lafayette Parish): on the western rim of the Atchafalaya Basin, linked to Bayou Vermilion and Bayou Teche.
Lake Charles (Calcasieu Parish): inland from Calcasieu Lake and the Gulf, tied to the ship channel.
Houma and Thibodaux (Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes): in the bayou country between Barataria Bay and Terrebonne Bay; Bayou Lafourche and Bayou Terrebonne organize towns along narrow ridges.
Morgan City (St. Mary Parish): at the mouth of the Atchafalaya Basin on Berwick Bay.
Shreveport and Bossier City: Red River crossings in the northwest.
Monroe and West Monroe: Ouachita River valley in the northeast.
Alexandria and Pineville: Red River middle course where uplands of the Kisatchie area begin.
Most of Louisiana sits near sea level, yet some higher ground breaks the pattern. The Kisatchie hills in Vernon, Rapides, Natchitoches, Sabine and Grant Parishes show up as a belt of drier land with fewer marsh symbols and more branching creeks. Farther north in Bienville Parish the land rises toward Driskill Mountain, the state high point. These are gentle hills rather than mountains, but they affect roads, forests and drainage.
I-10: runs west to east from Lake Charles to Lafayette, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans, then into Mississippi.
I-12: bypasses New Orleans north of Lake Pontchartrain through Hammond and Slidell.
I-20: crosses the northern uplands from Shreveport through Minden, Ruston, Monroe, and into Mississippi.
I-49: links Shreveport, Alexandria, Opelousas, and Lafayette.
US-90: ties Morgan City, New Iberia, Lafayette, Houma and the lower coast. Highways tend to follow firm ground like natural levees or chenier ridges. Long straight stretches across marsh indicate raised roadbeds.
Levee lines: towns on the Mississippi sit on the higher natural levee; wetlands spread behind them.
Marsh icons: show low, saturated ground that may be seasonally flooded.
Bayou corridors: ribbon-like towns and roads along Bayou Lafourche and Bayou Teche mark historic levee ridges.
Oxbow lakes: crescent shapes like False River or Lake Bruin tell where the main river once flowed.
Barrier islands: thin, outer lines along the Gulf protect inner bays like Terrebonne Bay and Barataria Bay.
Start near Shreveport and Bossier City. The Red River valley is broad and farmed, with Cross Lake on the city’s west side and Caddo Lake to the northwest. The Sabine River forms much of the Texas boundary. The map shows Toledo Bend Reservoir stretching along that line in Sabine Parish. Eastward, the upland hills of Bienville, Lincoln, Jackson, Union, Claiborne, and Webster have branching creeks that feed the D’Arbonne, Claiborne and Caney reservoir network. You can see the change from swamp to rolling woodland by the tighter drainages and the lack of marsh symbols.
Monroe and West Monroe sit on both sides of the Ouachita River. North of them, patterns of old river loops appear as small lakes and straight backwaters. Southward, the Ouachita joins the Tensas and Black rivers toward the Atchafalaya. Students can trace valley width changes and identify levee ridges by noting which roads stay close to the river bends.
The Alexandria–Pineville area in Rapides Parish sits on the Red River. West and south you enter the Kisatchie uplands through Vernon, Natchitoches and Sabine Parishes. Creeks run in narrow valleys and the landscape is drier than the coastal plain. This is where you see the clearest non-marsh terrain on the map.
South of Opelousas and Breaux Bridge, Bayou Teche arcs through St. Landry, St. Martin, Iberia and St. Mary Parishes to Morgan City. Towns like St. Martinville and New Iberia sit on the bayou’s natural levee. A detailed map helps you notice how those settlements line up like beads along the watercourse while wide wetlands fill the spaces behind them.
The map shows Baton Rouge squarely on the big river, with Port Allen across the channel in West Baton Rouge Parish. Downstream stretch Ascension, Iberville, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Charles and Jefferson Parishes. Plants and ports cluster along this deepwater path. The levee and natural ridge host most roads and towns; swamps spread to either side. This is a good example of how a geographical map of Louisiana explains urban placement: firm, high ground next to shipping.
North of Orleans Parish, Lake Pontchartrain is a round inland sea that connects to Lake Borgne and the Gulf through tidal passes. Slidell, Mandeville, Covington and Hammond ring the north shore. I-12 runs along that rim to avoid marsh around the city. Lake Maurepas sits west of Pontchartrain and links by Pass Manchac, a narrow route shown as a water gap under the interstate.
South of New Orleans the river splits into slim fingers that reach the Gulf. Barataria Bay spreads to the west, Breton Sound to the east. Barrier islands lie across these sounds as low ridges. Marsh colors on the map explain why many coastal communities sit on linear ridges like Bayou Lafourche and Bayou Terrebonne, not scattered at random.
Town names line up along single bayous: Thibodaux follows Bayou Lafourche; Houma follows Bayou Terrebonne; Morgan City and Berwick face each other at the mouth of the Atchafalaya. Between them the map shows open water and marsh. When you plan travel, choose the bayou ridge roads because they keep you on firm ground. Water crossings are limited and bridges are key landmarks.
In the far southwest, Lake Charles sits inland from Calcasieu Lake. The Calcasieu Ship Channel reaches the Gulf near Cameron, where cheniers—beach ridges—run east-west. West of Cameron the Sabine opens to the Gulf at Sabine Pass. Eastward you find White Lake, Grand Lake and Marsh Island at the mouth of Vermilion Bay. Because this area is low and open, wind and tide strongly affect surface water; your route often follows the highest chenier.
Watershed tracing: Outline the Mississippi, Atchafalaya, Red, Ouachita, Sabine, Pearl, and Calcasieu river systems and list the parishes each one crosses.
Delta building: Use the coast south of New Orleans to discuss how sediment forms new land in the Mississippi River Delta while storms and currents remove it elsewhere.
Bayou settlement pattern: Have students mark towns along Bayou Teche and Bayou Lafourche, then explain why long, narrow settlements follow a single ridge.
Oxbow lakes: Compare False River, Lake Providence and Lake Bruin to active river bends and explain cutoffs.
Upland vs. lowland: Draw a line from Shreveport to Houma and describe how terrain changes from piney uplands to deltaic marsh.
Pick levee routes in flood season. Roads that hug the Mississippi and the Atchafalaya ridges stay higher.
Identify causeway-like crossings such as the highway across Pass Manchac between Lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas; long water stretches mean limited exit points.
Expect straight canals near the coast. They cut across marsh to connect bays. Recognize them so you are not surprised by long gaps between service points.
Use parish names as regional cues. Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. Mary, Plaquemines, Cameron and St. Bernard tell you the ground is low and wet. Lincoln, Bienville, Sabine, Natchitoches and Vernon suggest uplands.
The Gulf of Mexico forms the entire southern coastline with bays and barrier islands.
The Mississippi River curves along the border, through Baton Rouge and New Orleans, and into the delta.
West of the Mississippi between Simmesport and Morgan City, marked by wide wetlands crossed by the Atchafalaya River.
The Red River flows southeast from northwest Louisiana toward the Atchafalaya system.
The Ouachita River flows by Monroe and continues south toward the Atchafalaya Basin.
Lake Pontchartrain, connected to Lake Maurepas and Lake Borgne.
West of Lake Pontchartrain near Hammond and Ponchatoula, linked by Pass Manchac.
Calcasieu Lake, connected to the Gulf by the Calcasieu Ship Channel near Cameron.
South of New Orleans across Jefferson, Plaquemines and St. Bernard Parishes, where the river splits into many passes.
Vermilion Bay along the central Gulf Coast.
Bayou Terrebonne and Bayou Lafourche form narrow settlement corridors across the marsh.
At the southern end of the Atchafalaya Basin on Berwick Bay and Atchafalaya Bay.
The Sabine River with Toledo Bend Reservoir in Sabine Parish.
The Pearl River flows south into the marshes east of Lake Pontchartrain.
On the Mississippi River in East Baton Rouge Parish, opposite Port Allen.
As a crescent oxbow near New Roads in Pointe Coupee Parish.
Cameron, Vermilion, Iberia, St. Mary, Terrebonne, Lafourche, Jefferson, Plaquemines and St. Bernard.
In central Louisiana near La Salle and Catahoula Parishes, west of the Ouachita corridor.
I-10 crosses Lake Charles, Lafayette, Baton Rouge and New Orleans; I-12 skirts north of Lake Pontchartrain; I-20 runs Shreveport to Monroe; I-49 links Shreveport, Alexandria and Lafayette.
Southwest Louisiana between Lake Charles and Cameron with a straight channel to the Gulf.
Lake Providence and Lake Bruin near East Carroll, Madison and Tensas Parishes.
Across Vernon, Rapides, Natchitoches, Sabine and Grant Parishes west of Alexandria.
East of New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish, opening toward Mississippi Sound.
Along the Sabine River on the Texas boundary in Sabine Parish.
No. Louisiana has low marsh coastlines, barrier islands and bays on the Gulf of Mexico.
Look for long strings of towns and roads hugging the Mississippi or major bayous like Bayou Lafourche and Bayou Teche.
Between Lake Pontchartrain to the north and the Mississippi River to the south and east.
East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Ascension, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Charles, Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines and St. Bernard.
No. Printing or copying maps from the site is not permitted.
Find Lake Pontchartrain, trace the Mississippi downstream to the delta, then scan west across Barataria Bay, Terrebonne Bay, Atchafalaya Bay and Vermilion Bay to Calcasieu Lake.
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