Covington, Louisiana, United States

🇺🇸 Covington is a city in, and the parish seat of, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is located at a fork of the Bogue Falaya and the Tchefuncte River. Covington is part of the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner metropolitan statistical area.

History The earliest known settlement by Europeans in the area was in 1800 by Jacques Drieux, during the British West Florida period.

In 1813, John Wharton Collins established a town with the name of Wharton. He is buried on the corner of the city cemetery directly across from the Covington Police Department. On March 11, 1816, the town of Wharton was renamed to that of Covington. There are conflicting stories about how the city came to be named Covington. Many historians believe the city was renamed for General Leonard Covington, a hero of the War of 1812. Covington was killed late in 1813, having established his home in the Mississippi Territory.

Local historian Judge Steve Ellis floats another theory centered on the suggestion by Jesse Jones, a local attorney, that the city be named in honor of the Blue Grass whiskey – made in Covington, Kentucky – enjoyed by town officials. In any case, Leonard Covington is the namesake of both towns.

Originally, commerce was brought to Covington via boat up the Bogue Falaya River, which used the Tchefuncte River as a means of passage to and from Lake Pontchartrain. Then in 1888, the railroad came to town. Much of the former railroad right-of-way is now occupied by the Tammany Trace, a thirty-one mile bike trail running east and west through several communities on the north side of Lake Pontchartrain.

In the late 20th century, with the expansion of Louisiana's road system, many people who worked in New Orleans started living in Covington, commuting to work via the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. With the expansion of the interstate system, Covington experienced a boom of growth. Many people moved to the Northshore for more affordable housing, larger lot size and a small town feeling. This is considered to be associated with white flight out of New Orleans, though the Jefferson Parish area saw the most expansion during that period.

Neighborhoods The city is divided into many subdivisions. Notable ones include the communities of: West 30s, West 20s, Ozone, Tchefuncta Country Club, Covington Country Club, Downtown Covington, as well as Barkley Parc.

Geography: Vegetation Covington is rich in native plant species because of its diversity in habitats. Native plants include: Lemonade berry, Virginia Willow, century plant, Cream wild indigo, elderberry, boysenberry and huckleberry

Awards and recognition Covington has earned the 2nd Best City to Live In Louisiana according to the Chamber of Commerce.

The Covington Bicentennial Parade 2013 earned Covington a 2nd place statewide award for community achievement for outstanding community improvement in economic development.

Economy

The Covington Market Square, a popular community gathering place in the centre of the city, is home to many businesses, including Starbucks, The Southern Hotel, Toad Hollow, The English Tea Room and Eatery, and the Covington Branch of the St. Tammany Parish Library.

The city is home to Zen-Noh Grain Corporation, a subsidiary of the Japanese cooperative Zen-Noh. as well as the satellite communications company that operates a low Earth orbit satellite constellation, Globalstar. Bevolo Gas and Electric Lights has a manufacturing facility in Covington.

The Tulane National Primate Research Center, a federally funded biomedical research facility affiliated with Tulane University, is situated on 500 acres of land in Covington.

Points of interest A 10-foot-tall (3.0 m) statue of Ronald Reagan on a 6-foot (1.8 m) base is reputed to be the world's largest of the former president.

The Covington trail head is the start of Tammany Trace, a 31-mile paved rails-to-trails path for hikers and bicyclists, which connects Covington with Mandeville, Abita Springs, Lacombe and Slidell.

Golf Covington Louisiana, and the surrounding areas are a main hub for golfing attracting many visitors per month year round. Notable golf courses include: