Lake Charles is the fifth largest incorporated city in the US state of Louisiana. It is the major cultural and educational center in the southwest region of the state and one of the most important in Acadiana. As of the 2000 U.S. census, Lake Charles' population was 71,757. The city serves as the parish seat of Calcasieu Parish. Lake Charles is the principal city of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes the parishes of Calcasieu and Cameron. It is also part of the larger Lake Charles-Jennings Combined Statistical Area.

The city is located on the banks of the Calcasieu River in southwestern Louisiana, and borders both Lake Charles and Prien Lake. It is a port on a deep-water channel to the Gulf of Mexico, and was first settled in 1852. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 110.2 km² (42.5 mi²). 104.0 km² (40.2 mi²) of it is land and 6.1 km² (2.4 mi²) of it (5.57%) is water.