Parish · code 22093
St. James ParishLouisiana
St. James Parish is a parish in Louisiana, with its seat at Convent.
- Founded1807
- County seatConvent
- Land area238 sq mi + 15 sq mi water
- Population20,192 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped10,173 checked 16 October 2026
Where it is
St. James 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.
St. James Parish was created on 14 April 1807 as a civil division within Acadia County, reusing earlier ecclesiastical boundaries and names. The parish lost territory to Ascension Parish in 1841 and exchanged territory with Assumption Parish in 1842, then gained territory from Lafourche Parish in 1847. By 1961 the parish lost additional territory to St. John the Baptist Parish.
- 1807St. James Parish created St. James 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
- 1841Lost territory St. James lost to Ascension. · La. Acts 1841, 15th Leg., 1st sess., p. 7
- 1842Exchanged territory St. James exchanged with Assumption. · La. Acts 1841, 15th Leg., 2nd sess., p. 514
- 1847Gained territory St. James gained from Lafourche Interior (now Lafourche).from Lafourche Interiorfrom Lafourche· La. Acts 1847, 1st Leg., 2nd sess., pp. 134-135
- c. 1961Lost territory St. James lost to St. John the Baptist.to St. Johnto Baptist· U.S.G.S. 7.5 Minute Series [topographic], 1962, 1998, 2005
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in St. James
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 10,173 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 11 July 2026 · checked 16 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for St. James Parish yet.
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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
St. James 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.
Zoning and code
- Planning and zoning
Planning/Permitting Office
- Municode Library
- Land Use Ordinance (PDF)
- Property & Zoning
County government
- County government
The official website of St. James Parish.
See your own lot on these maps
Open St. James 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 St. James Parish
- When was St. James Parish founded?
- St. James Parish was founded in 1807.
- What is the county seat of St. James Parish?
- The county seat of St. James Parish is Convent.
- Is there an online parcel map for St. James Parish?
- Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 10,173 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has St. James Parish's boundary or name changed?
- St. James Parish was created in 1807. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 4 later changes, chiefly involving Ascension Parish, Assumption Parish and Baptist Parish.
- Who issues building permits in St. James Parish?
- The county's page on building permits: Planning & Permitting Office. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for St. James Parish yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby