Westlake, Louisiana

Westlake is an industrial city in Calcasieu Parish, in western Louisiana, United States, and is part of the Lake Charles metropolitan statistical area. The population was 4,781 in 2020. Westlake was incorporated in 1945. There are many chemical plants and oil refineries situated around the Westlake area.

Geography

Westlake is located in east-central Calcasieu Parish on the west bank of the Calcasieu River, just north of that river's entry into the water body of Lake Charles. The city of Lake Charles borders Westlake across the river, connected via the Interstate 10 bridge, Calcasieu River Bridge.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Westlake has a total area of , of which is land and , or 1.49%, is water.

Moss Bluff is just to the northeast. Sulphur is to the west, after the small community of Mossville.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable"

|+Westlake city, Louisiana – Racial and Ethnic Composition<br> (NH = Non-Hispanic)<br><small></small>

!Race / Ethnicity

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!% 2000

!% 2010

|White alone (NH)

|3,688

|3,425

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3,340

|79.01%

|74.98%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |69.86%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|836

|897

|style='background: #ffffe6; |925

|17.91%

|19.64%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |19.35%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|23

|style='background: #ffffe6; |13

|0.19%

|0.50%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.27%

|Asian alone (NH)

|10

|13

|style='background: #ffffe6; |42

|0.21%

|0.28%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.88%

|Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1

|0.00%

|0.07%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.02%

|Some Other Race alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |4

|0.00%

|0.02%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.08%

|Mixed Race/Multi-Racial (NH)

|42

|54

|style='background: #ffffe6; |153

|0.90%

|1.18%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.20%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|83

|152

|style='background: #ffffe6; |303

|1.78%

|3.33%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |6.34%

|Total

|4,668

|4,568

|style='background: #ffffe6; |4,781

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Westlake had a population of 4,781. The median age was 37.1 years. 25.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 91.2 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 1,922 households in Westlake, including 1,178 family households, of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 40.2% were married-couple households, 20.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 33.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

Notable people

Mikey Kile, racing driver
David LaFleur, professional American football player for the Dallas Cowboys.
Joshua Ledet earned third place on American Idol season 11.

Education

Public schools in the town are operated by the Calcasieu Parish Public School System.

Elementary schools:

Westwood Elementary School
Western Heights Elementary School

Middle school:

S. P. Arnett Middle School

High school:

Westlake High School

List of mayors

1945–1950 Gus Warren Anderson
1950–1954 John Warren (Jack) Grout
1954–1957 Gus Warren Anderson (2.)
1957–1974 Charles M. Carroll
1974–1982 Wilridge P. Doucet
1982–2006 Dudley Dixon
2007–2014 Daniel Cupit
2015–2022 Robert "Bob" Hardey
2022–2023 Dan Racca (Pro-Tem)
2023–Present Hal McMillin