Metairie is the largest suburb of New Orleans, Louisiana, in Jefferson Parish.

Get in

• Louis Armstrong International Airport, the main airport of the Greater New Orleans area, is in suburban Kenner, which borders Metaire just to the west.
• I-10 Interstate Highway 10 is the main auto route in the area.

Get around

By car; while there are some bus routes public transit is poor in Metairie.

Wide Veterans Highway is the main commercial avenue, running east to west. Narrow winding Metaire Road runs through the older part of town, flanked by more upscale small businesses. Causeway Boulevard runs south to north, connecting with the causeway across Lake Pontchartrain leading to the North Shore.

"Sno-ball" shop on Metairie Road; a cool treat on hot days.

Understand

At the start of the 20th century, most of what is now Metaire was a mixture of farmland and swamp. In the 1910s and 1920s, suburban development from neighboring New Orleans spread along Metaire Ridge, natural high ground along winding Metaire Road. Most development, however, occurred in the boom following World War II. While lacking the history and architecture of New Orleans, Metairie is an economic center in Greater New Orleans.

See

Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, carrying Causeway Blvd over lake Pontchartrain, is the longest bridge over water in the world.

Buy

• Clearview Center, 4436 Veterans Blvd (at Clearview Parkway). Shopping mall, with a 12-screen movie theater. (updated Nov 2021)
• Dorignac's Food Center, 710 Veterans Blvd. Locally owned supermarket not only stocks groceries; their wine and liquor aisles offer one of the best selections in the metro area. 
• Lakeside Mall, 3301 Veterans Blvd (stretching from Causeway Blvd to Severn Avenue). Greater New Orleans' largest shopping mall. Has the majority of national retailers, plus a few local shops. 

Eat

Budget

• Bear's Poboys (Bear's at Gennaro's), 3206 Metairie Road, ☏ +1 504 833-9226. M-Sa 11AM-8:30PM, Su 11AM-3PM. Locally popular po-boy sandwich shop in Gennaro's bar. (updated Oct 2020)
• Ben's Burgers, 2008 Clearview Parkway. 11AM-11PM. Chargrilled burgers and chicken sandwiches. (updated Oct 2020)
• Cafe Equator, 2920 Severn Ave. Thai food. 
• Eggroll House, 3507 Veterans. Good fast reasonably priced Chinese.
• Frosty's Cafe, 3400 Cleary Ave. Small restaurant serves Vietnamese food and po-boys; their tasty bubble-teas and fresh fruit drinks are popular for take out as well. 
• Kosher Cajun, 3519 Severn Avenue. Kosher New York-style deli, with some kosher Louisiana items on the menu. Also has a kosher grocery. Tel. 888-2010 
• Lee's Hamburgers 3 locations, 904 Veterans Blvd; 3516 Veterans; 1507 Metairie Road. Small local chain of burger joints.
• Royal China, 600 Veterans Blvd. Dim-sum and other southern Chinese. 

• Stella Pizzeria & Restaurant, 4421 Clearview Pkwy, ☏ +1 504-309-7677. Pizza and pasta. 

Mid-range

• Drago's, 3232 N Arnoult Rd (6 blocks back from Veterans across from Lakeside Mall), ☏ +1 504-304-9578. Seafood & Creole; a Metaire institution since 1969. 

• Vincent's 4411 Chastant (just back from West Esplanade Avenue; 1 block up from Transcontinental Dr.) . Creole-Italian; also has branch in the Carrollton section of New Orleans.
• Zea, 4450 Veterans Blvd (in the Clearview Mall), ☏ +1 504 780-9090. Su–Th 11AM–10PM, F Sa 11AM–11PM. Metaire branch of this popular small local chain. Rotisserie & grill and good microbrewed beer. (updated May 2017)

Sleep

• Ramada by Wyndham Metairie New Orleans Airport, 3400 S I-10 Service Rd W (near Causeway Blvd), ☏ +1 504-322-1284. Free parking and a location in the heart of Metairie's Central Business District. 
• 1 Wyndham Garden New Orleans Airport (formerly Four Points By Sheraton), 6401 Veterans Memorial Blvd, ☏ +1 504-885-5700. Situated in suburban Metairie. Smoke-free hotel. Every room is equipped with inviting furniture and amenities. 
• 2 Ramada Metairie New Orleans Airport, 3400 South I-10 Service Road W (I-10 at Exit 228), ☏ +1 504-322-1284. (updated May 2017)
• TownePlace Suites New Orleans Metairie, 5424 Citrus Boulevard, ☏ +1 504-818-2400. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. This hotel offers amenities including an outdoor swimming pool, fitness center, continental breakfast, and free wireless Internet. 
• Sheraton Metairie - New Orleans Hotel, 4 Galleria Blvd, ☏ +1 504-837-6707, fax: +1 504 837-6906. Close to the businesses and attractions of Metairie and Lake Pontchartrain's southern shore. 
• New Orleans Marriott Metairie at Lakeway, 3838 North Causeway Boulevard, ☏ +1 504-836-5253. Located along the scenic shores of Lake Pontchartrain in Metairie. 

Go next

• The attractions of central New Orleans are about a half hour drive east (though it can take longer during rush hour).
• Baton Rouge is about a 75-minute drive west on Interstate 10.
• Covington and the Lake Pontchartrain North Shore are within an hour's drive north over the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway.

Routes through Metairie

Baton Rouge ← Kenner ←	W  E	→ New Orleans → Mobile
Baton Rouge ← Kenner ←	N  S	→ New Orleans → END

Connect

Telephone area code is 504, same as New Orleans.