Westwego is a city in
Jefferson ParishJefferson Parish is a parish in Louisiana, United States that includes most of the suburbs of New Orleans. The seat of parish government is Gretna....
,
LouisianaThe State of Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state divided into parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and a suburb of
New OrleansNew Orleans is a major U.S. port and the largest city in the state of Louisiana. New Orleans is the center of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area, the largest metro area in the state....
. The population was 10,763 at the 2000 census. It lies along the west bank of the
Mississippi RiverThe Mississippi River is the second longest river in the United States, with a length of from its source in Lake Itasca in Minnesota to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico....
.
Geography
Westwego is located at (29.902986, -90.142932) and has an elevation of .
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the city has a total area of 3.6 square miles (9.2 km²): 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²) of it is land, and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km²) of it (10.64%) is water.
History
Westwego was so named because it was a major crossing point on the Mississippi river during the great westward movement of the late 1800s. When travelers were asked where they were going, they would often reply "west we go".
In 1977, a
grain elevatorGrain elevators are buildings or complexes of buildings for storage and shipment of grain. They were invented in 1842-43 in Buffalo, New York, by a local merchant named Joseph Dart, Jr. and an engineer named Robert Dunbar...
in Westwego exploded due to a spark igniting grain dust. The explosion killed 36 people. The explosion prompted new safety developments in grain elevators.
Westwego holds a weekly farmers market on Sala Avenue, featuring fresh produce, bbq, and local bands.
Demographics
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 10,763 people, 4,211 households, and 2,850 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 3,378.0 people per square mile (1,302.7/km²). There were 4,521 housing units at an average density of 1,418.9/sq mi (547.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.16% White, 20.02% African American, 0.94% Native American, 1.57% Asian, 0.91% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.59% of the population.
There were 4,211 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 20.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 26.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,218, and the median income for a family was $31,187. Males had a median income of $29,398 versus $18,916 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the city was $13,160. About 17.9% of families and 22.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.7% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
Education
The
public schoolsIn most of the world, excluding England and Wales and some Commonwealth countries, a public school is an educational institution that is funded with tax revenue and most commonly administered by a local government or government agency...
in Westwego are operated by the Jefferson Parish Public School System.
The following schools in Westwego serve city residents:
Most city residents are zoned to Worley Middle School (Westwego) and Higgins High School (Unincorporated Jefferson Parish). Some are zoned to Marrerro Middle School (Unincorporated Jefferson Parish) and
John Ehret High SchoolJohn Ehret High School is a four-year public high school serving grades 9-12 located in Marrero, an unincorporated community in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States....
(Unincorporated Jefferson Parish).
Notable natives and residents
- Sidney Arnondin, jazz writer of the song "Lazy River
" Lazy River" is a popular song by Hoagy Carmichael and Sidney Arodin, published in 1930. The song is considered a jazz and pop standard, and has been recorded by many artists.-Recorded versions:*Acker Bilk*Adam Faith...
" was resident of and born in Westwego (across the river from New Orleans), March 29, 1901
External links