The officially recognized Acadiana region of Louisiana is made up of 22 parishes.
Acadiana is the traditional Cajun and Acadian homeland in southern Louisiana. The name reflects the region’s connection to Acadians, French-speaking settlers who arrived in Louisiana after being expelled from parts of eastern Canada in the 18th century. Louisiana’s legislature officially recognized the 22-parish region for its Cajun and Acadian heritage in 1971.
The official area stretches beyond the smaller “Cajun Heartland” commonly associated with Lafayette and nearby communities. Its 22 parishes include Lafayette, Acadia, Iberia, St. Landry, Vermilion, Calcasieu, Terrebonne, Lafourche, and others across prairie, coastal, marsh, and bayou environments.
The number can cause confusion because “Acadiana” is sometimes used informally for a smaller group of central parishes, often around Lafayette. Those local or tourism-focused definitions vary, but the state-recognized Acadiana region has 22 parishes. Louisiana uses parishes instead of counties; the state has 64 in total.