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Greater Baton Rouge is easy to underestimate. Drive through, and you might see a midsized Southern capital—government buildings, a big state university, refineries along the river. What you won’t immediately see is that this region sits at the center of one of the most important industrial corridors in the U.S., producing materials that show up in supply chains nationwide.
The Capital Region of Louisiana—nine parishes, more than 880,000 residents, anchored by Baton Rouge and the Mississippi River—has an image problem. Not because it lacks assets, but because those assets don’t fit a simple narrative. This is where petrochemical plants and political power meet Michelin-recommended restaurants and SEC football. Where suburban parishes are booming while downtown reconnects with a riverfront it turned its back on decades ago. It’s a region connected by the river, interstate corridors and an economy built on government, industry, education and health care working in tandem.
That complexity is the premise of ”Capital Assets,” a special editorial package from Business Report that examines what truly drives the Capital Region’s economy—and where it’s headed. The edition brings together reported stories; Q&As with executives, entrepreneurs and other community leaders; and data and visual journalism that highlight the region’s foundational strengths, from legacy industries and emerging investment corridors to workforce pipelines, infrastructure and quality-of-life factors shaping growth.
Get the 2026 Capital Assets edition.
