Caddo

Formed January 18, 1838 (33^rd parish)

Caddo Parish (237,857), Shreveport (187,587)

The large masonry and concrete Classical Revival and Modern courthouse for Caddo Parish was built in 1928.  The building features high columns at the main entrance.  Inside the lighted foyer are carved ceilings.  The facility is at Texas and Marshall streets in downtown Shreveport.  United States Highway 71 is four blocks east of the facility.  Interstate Highway 20 is five blocks south of the location.  The 1885 and 1891 versions of the courthouse were also located in Shreveport.  The current courthouse was remodeled in 1971.  A Juvenile Judicial Center was added in 1991.  Caddo Parish was created on January 18, 1838 from Natchitoches Parish as the 33^rd parish with Shreveport as the only parish seat.  Edward F. Neild was the architect for the current courthouse building.  Shreveport’s name was provided from co-founder and riverman, Henry M. Shreve.  The Caddo Native Americans were the source of the name for the parish.  Caddo Parish was the birthplace of 1 Louisiana Governor, Charles E. Roemer III. 

Caddo Parish government consists of a President, a sheriff, a clerk, a treasurer, and a coroner (executive).  It has 12 Commissioners (legislative.)  Eleven District Court Judges, Three Parish Court Judges, and Nine Justice Court Judges serve Caddo Parish (judicial.) The parish is in the northwest corner of the state bordering both Texas to the west and Arkansas to the north.  The Red River forms the eastern border and the Caddo River enters from Texas and joins the Red River.  The parish center is 9.6 miles Northwest of Shreveport nearer Mooringsport.  The parish is surrounded clockwise by Arkansas and Bossier, Red River, and De Soto parishes and Texas. 

The area of the parish is 937 square miles.  It is 17 out of 64 in the state.  It ranks 6 out of 64 in population in the state.  It has a density of 253.8 persons per square mile making it 6 out of 64 in the state.  Caddo Parish has 82.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 20 goes east to west from Bossier Parish into Texas.  Interstate Highway 49 starts in Caddo Parish and goes southeast into De Soto Parish.  United States Highway 71 enters from the north, Arkansas, and goes to the east, Bossier Parish.  United States Highway 79 comes from Bossier Parish (east) and exits into Texas (west).  United States Highway 80 is joined with United States Highway 79 from Bossier Parish, splits west of Shreveport, and continues parallel to Interstate Highway 20 into Texas.  United States Highway 171 begins in Caddo Parish and travels south into De Soto Parish.  The parish is shaped like a small letter h.  Shreveport is located in south of the parish center on the Red River and extends into Bossier Parish.  Shreveport is the parish seat and the largest city.  It is 78.9% of the parish population.  The parish is pronounced CAD-DOE.  The parish seat is pronounced SHREEV-PORT.  This parish is in the Shreveport-Bossier City Metropolitan Statistical Area.