Baton Rouge is the capital of Louisiana, and its name comes from the French words baton rouge, meaning “red stick.”
French explorers and surveyors reported seeing a reddish marker or pole along the Mississippi River in the area. Indigenous groups used such markers to identify boundaries or meeting places, and French descriptions of the location gave rise to the name Baton Rouge.
The settlement was founded by French colonists in 1721. Baton Rouge later passed through Spanish, British, and American control as European empires changed claims in the region. Louisiana became a U.S. state in 1812, and Baton Rouge eventually became its permanent capital.
New Orleans served as Louisiana’s capital at several points and is much larger and more internationally famous. Baton Rouge became the state capital in 1849, was replaced by New Orleans in 1865, and regained the role in 1880. The Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge is one of the city’s best-known landmarks.