Parish · code 22005
Ascension ParishLouisiana
Ascension Parish is a parish in Louisiana, one of the original civil parishes created in 1807, with its seat in Donaldsonville.
- Founded1807
- County seatDonaldsonville
- Named forAscension of Our Lord Chapel
- Land area290 sq mi + 13 sq mi water
- Population126,500 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped48,112 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Ascension on the map of Louisiana
Louisiana has 64 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Founded in 1807
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Ascension Parish was created on April 14, 1807 as a civil division within Acadia County, taking its name from the Ascension of Our Lord Chapel. The parish underwent several boundary changes, gaining territory from Iberville and St. James in 1841, then losing land to Assumption, Iberville, Livingston, and St. John the Baptist over subsequent decades.
- 1807Ascension Parish created Ascension Parish created within Acadia County. The nineteen parishes created on 14 April 1807 were civil divisions which reused the earlier ecclesiastical boundaries and names. The division into civil parishes did not abolish the twelve counties established on 10 April 1805. This and subsequent laws set up a dual system in which the counties existed "for the purpose of making the election of the representatives of the territory, and levying the territorial taxes", while the parishes took over jurisdiction of all civil, criminal, probate and other judicial matters. The dual county / parish system remained in effect until the state constitution of 1845. Though there was no legislative act formally abolishing the old counties, the 1845 constitution dropped all reference to the county as a civil or legislative division and redefined the limits of parish autonomy and authority. · Orleans Terr. Acts 1807, 1st. Leg., 2nd sess., ch. 1, sec. 9/ p. 12; Calhoun, 85-93
- 1824Changed Surveyor appointed to run the boundary line between Ascension and Iberville and to determine the limits of said parishes. · La. Acts 1824, 6th Leg., 2nd sess., p. 140; HRS, 39
- 1841Gained territory Ascension gained from Iberville, and St. James; lost to Assumption. · La. Acts 1841, 15th Leg., 1st sess., p. 7
- 1842Lost territory Ascension lost to Assumption. · La. Acts 1841, 15th Leg., 2nd sess., p. 514
- c. 1850
- 1850
- c. 1961Lost territory Ascension lost to St. John the Baptist. · U.S.G.S. 7.5 Minute Series [topographic], 1962, 1998, 2005
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Ascension
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
-
Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 48,112 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 11 July 2026 · checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Ascension Parish yet.
-
Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- Official
- from the office that keeps the record
- Good enough
- a reliable statewide or national copy
- Fallback
- a guide only; check the official record
- Missing
- nothing public found yet
People and land
Ascension by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Who to ask before you build, dig or sell
Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.
Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.
County government
- County government
The official website of Ascension Parish.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Ascension Parish on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about Ascension Parish
- When was Ascension Parish founded?
- Ascension Parish was founded in 1807, and named after Ascension of Our Lord Chapel.
- What is the county seat of Ascension Parish?
- The county seat of Ascension Parish is Donaldsonville.
- Is there an online parcel map for Ascension Parish?
- Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 48,112 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Ascension Parish's boundary or name changed?
- Ascension Parish was created in 1807. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 6 later changes, chiefly involving Iberville Parish, Assumption Parish and Livingston Parish.
- Who issues building permits in Ascension Parish?
- The county's page on building permits: Parish Permits - Apply Online. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Ascension Parish yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby