Baton Rouge is named for a red-painted stick or pole noted by early explorers.
French explorers used the name bâton rouge, meaning “red stick,” for a marker found near the Mississippi River. Indigenous groups had placed such poles to mark boundaries or meeting areas, and the French name was later applied to the settlement.
Baton Rouge became Louisiana’s capital in 1849, replacing New Orleans. The capital moved back to New Orleans in 1862, during the Civil War, and returned to Baton Rouge in 1882. Baton Rouge has remained the state capital since that return.
The city stands on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River and is a major center for state government, industry, and education. Its French name is often written with accents as Bâton Rouge, although the official English city name is Baton Rouge.