Opelousas is the parish seat of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, and is one of the former capitals of Louisiana. Opelousas is in the south Louisiana area known as "Acadiana", the center of Cajun culture in Louisiana. Opelousas is also on the far eastern edge of the geographic region known as the "Cajun Prairie." This is due to the extensive prairie lands that extend from northeast of Lake Charles eastward to the edge of Opelousas.

Understand

Opelousas is called The Spice Capital of the World with productions and seasonings of Tony Chachere's products.

Get in

By car

Interstate 49 services the city from north to south, while US Highway 190 serves Opelousas from east to west. The famed Louisiana Highway 31 (Bayou Teche Byway) and Louisiana Highway 182 (The Old Spanish Trail) also pass through Opelousas.

By bus

Greyhound Lines serves Opelousas several times a day. Northbound buses head to Alexandria and Shreveport, while southbound buses serve Lafayette.

Get around

By car

Opelousas is best explored by car, though be warned: most city streets away from the main roads are in poor condition. Even highways can be in bad condition in some places. Drive slow and watch for cracks and potholes on neighborhood streets.

Rideshare

Both Uber and Lyft serve the Opelousas area, but as many drivers come in from Lafayette, a rider could wait anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes for a ride.

See

• 1 Le Vieux Village du Poste des Opelousas and Louisiana Orphan Train Museum, 828 E. Landry St., ☏ +1 337-948-6263. Collection of historic buildings and structures from 19th century Opelousas and onward, and museum depicting stories of orphans sent by train from New York to Louisiana. Schoolhouse, chapel, and homes are displayed. Personal items from Alamo legend Jim Bowie are on display inside the tourist center at the site. Free. 

Do

• 1 Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino, 2235 Creswell Lane Extension (Entrance to casino is less than two minutes east of Interstate 49 on Creswell Lane), toll-free: +1 866-472-2466. 24 Hours. (updated Aug 2018)

Go next

Routes through Opelousas

Shreveport ← Lecompte ←	N  S	→ Lafayette → Ends at
Alexandria ← Lecompte ←	N  S	→ Lafayette → END
Huntsville ← Eunice ←	W  E	→ Krotz Springs → Baton Rouge