Slidell Information

About Slidell, LA

Slidell, located in the famous Ozone Belt of Louisiana, is located at the southeastern tip of St. Tammany Parish, three miles from Lake Pontchartrain's northeast shore and a convenient half-hour's drive from the heart of New Orleans. Slidell is the largest municipal community of St. Tammany Parish, whose strategic location affords Slidell residents and businesses the benefits of the New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner Metro area, as well as the Gulf-South region by commuting across Lake Pontchartrain on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. Slidell is one of Louisiana's fastest growing communities, yet provides its residents a small-town feel and big-city opportunities. St. Tammany Parish has a flourishing business community and has been recognized by the state of Louisiana for the high quality of its school systems.

Slidell is close to all of the attractions and excitement of New Orleans, but maintains a quiet lifestyle and an independent charm of its own. Founded in 1882 during the construction of the New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad, Slidell was chartered as an independent town in 1888. Named to honor John Slidell, an American politician and Confederate ambassador to France, the City of Slidell assumed the modern profile it holds today during the U.S. space program in the 1960s, when NASA's lunar landing program assumed three locations near Slidell's central location. The NASA computer center on Slidell's Gause Boulevard, Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans and the John C. Stennis Space Center in nearby Bay St. Louis, Mississippi brought both tourism and an unprecedented number of technical jobs to the Slidell area, increasing the city's growth and bringing it firmly into the ranks of the major suburbs of New Orleans. Additionally, the National Weather Service forecast office for the New Orleans and Baton Rouge area is located in Slidell. Located with in thirty minutes of most major New Orleans attractions, such as the Superdome, French Quarter and the city's famous Mardi Gras celebrations, Slidell residents have all the excitement of the big city close at hand, but live in a community without the stresses and inconveniences of big-city living.

Geographically separate from the city by Lake Ponchartrain, the Twin Span bridge offers Slidell residents an escape from the problems of large metropolitan areas without isolating them from the city's amenities, allowing Slidell to maintain its unique identity and laid-back lifestyle. Lake Ponchartrain, an estuary, supports a diverse ecosystem of lakes, rivers, bayous, forest, swamp and marshes in the region, making Slidell a paradise for nature enthusiasts and lovers of the great outdoors. Favorite local activities include fishing, hunting, shrimping, crabbing, crawfishing, boating, swimming, and camping, with no shortage of idyllic locations to choose from. Honey Island Swamp, located east of Slidell, is a preserved river swamp full of wildlife and classic Louisiana scenery, which is best observed during one of the many guided boat swamp tours offered locally. Honey Island Swamp also features the White Kitchen Boardwalk, where visitors can observe the resident and migratory wildlife, which include alligators, black bear, raccoons, deer, beaver, nutria, bald eagles, waterfowl, herons, mink, turtles and the Louisiana state bird, the pelican, at their leisure. In addition to the abundant natural beauty, Slidell also features St. Tammany Parish's largest and busiest public library, as well as the Slidell Cultural Center, Slidell Little Theater, the Slidell Museum and the Slidell Olde Towne historic district. For more leisure activities, Slidell's Antique District is an opportunity not to be missed. Other attractions within easy distance of Slidell include Abita Springs & Brewery, Fort Pike, Tammany Trace, Madisonville Lighthouse, Global Wildlife Center, Bayou Lacombe Museum, Fontainebleau State Park, Bogue Falaya Park and Fairview-Riverside State Park. Slidell, Louisiana offers its citizens world-class educational and employment opportunities, combined with an affordable cost of living and a casual suburban lifestyle. Families, professionals and retirees find Slidell ideal and enjoy the unique history, flavors and recreational opportunities of its semi-rural lifestyle.