Natchitoches (La.)

Natchitoches ( NAK-ə-təsh; French: Les Natchitoches, [le nakitɔʃ]), officially the City of Natchitoches, is a small city in, and the parish seat of, Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. At the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 18,039. it is the most populous city in Natchitoches Parish. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was named after the indigenous Natchitoches people. The City of Natchitoches was incorporated on February 5, 1819, after Louisiana had become a state in 1812. It is the oldest permanent settlement in the land acquired by the Louisiana Purchase. Natchitoches is home to Northwestern State University. Its sister city is Nacogdoches, Texas.