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Major city · United States

Houma

Give Houma one night, two at most: it is a bayou-and-wetlands base, not a sightseeing city. Come for an airboat run and Cajun plate lunches.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Feb–May, Oct–Nov
avoid Jun–Sep (heat, humidity and hurricane season); check for storm closures
Airports
MSY · LFT
Nights
1–2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Houma is a small city of about 33,000 on Bayou Terrebonne in south-central Louisiana, the seat of Terrebonne Parish and the middle of a metro area of a little over 200,000 with Thibodaux and Bayou Cane. Visitors use it as a base for swamp tours, plantation houses and Cajun food, not as a place to walk a historic core. New Orleans is about 1 h 15 min by car, Lafayette about 2 h 10 min.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Houma, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee$3–5
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry$1–10
  • Budget bedBudget motel double room, a night, per roomUS$70
  • Mid-range bedBudget motel double room, a night, per roomUS$95
  • High-end bedBudget motel double room, a night, per roomUS$130

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$110 · Mid US$180 · High US$300

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Bayou Terrebonne and the Intracoastal WaterwayAirboat swamp toursCajun and seafood plate lunchesSouthdown Plantation HouseChauvin Sculpture Garden
Airports
MSY Louis Armstrong New Orleans International (About 1 h 15 min by car via I-310 and US-90; the usual arrival airport for Houma.) · LFT Lafayette Regional (About 2 h 10 min by car via US-90 east.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Houma: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

17°C

6°C

9 rd

Feb

19°C

8°C

8 rd

Mar

23°C

11°C

8 rd

Apr

26°C

14°C

7 rd

May

30°C

19°C

8 rd

Jun

32°C

22°C

12 rd

Jul

33°C

23°C

15 rd

Aug

33°C

23°C

14 rd

Sep

31°C

21°C

11 rd

Oct

27°C

16°C

7 rd

Nov

22°C

11°C

8 rd

Dec

18°C

7°C

9 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

A car is effectively required: sights, swamp-tour launches and plantation houses sit outside the centre and there is no useful local transit. Greyhound stops at a Shop-N-Bag on West Park Avenue and links Lafayette, Morgan City, Thibodaux, Houma, Raceland and New Orleans along US-90. Amtrak's Sunset Limited stops at Schriever, about 20 min north, three days a week; the station has no facilities.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
New Orleansgo

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min by car

Car via I-310 and US-90, or Greyhound from West Park Avenue

Easy day trip, but better as an overnight if you want the music and food after dark.

Thibodaux

go

Door to door: About 30–40 min

Car via LA-24 or LA-20

Small historic downtown and a good lunch stop on the way to or from Houma.

Morgan City

caution

Door to door: About 45 min

Car west on US-90

Worth it mainly if you are already driving the US-90 corridor; little to hold you for a full day.

Franklin

caution

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min

Car west on US-90

Main Street historic district and a couple of museums; pair it with Morgan City rather than going alone.

Grand Isleovernight

Door to door: About 1 h 30 min

Car south on LA-1

Beach and fishing at the end of the road; too far for a comfortable return day.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

West Park Avenue corridor

Chain hotels, the mall and most restaurants; you need a car for everything.

Downtown Houma (Main Street)

Closer to the bayou front and a few local restaurants; quieter at night.

Grand Caillou Road

Extended-stay and budget options south of the centre, on the road toward Chauvin.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$90–140 excl. bed
Mid
$140–230 excl. bed
High
$230+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range chain hotel double room1 × 1 night × US$150US$150
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$180US$360
Airboat swamp tour, per adult2 × US$40US$80
Car rental, one day1 × US$55US$55
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$25US$50
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$70
Trip total≈ US$383 per person per day, bed includedUS$765

2026 estimate in US dollars; prices are shown before sales tax. Flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee$3–5
Plate lunch (meat, rice, side)$12–18
Po-boy$10–16
Boiled crawfish, per pound, in season$6–9
Museum entry$1–10
Airboat swamp tour, adult$40
Gallon of petrol$3–4

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Houma is a normal small US city: the real risks are heat, mosquitoes and summer storms, not street crime. Drive carefully on US-90 and bayou roads, and keep an eye on hurricane forecasts from June to November.
  • Hurricane season runs Jun–Nov: check storm tracks and evacuation routes before booking a summer trip.
  • Airboat and swamp tours run on reservation and can be cancelled by weather; confirm the day before.
  • Some plantation houses and small museums keep short or seasonal hours: check before driving out.
  • Distances between sights are longer than they look on a map; plan around one or two stops a day.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911
Houma Police Department (non-emergency)
985-873-6371

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

HoumaHouma

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911
  • Houma Police Department (non-emergency)985-873-6371

Embassy

No embassies in Houma; consulates are in New Orleans and embassies in Washington, DC.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • MSY airport → Houma by car: about 1 h 15 min, 100 km
  • Greyhound Houma → New Orleans: about 1 h 30 min, fare check
  • Airboat swamp tour, adult: $40, about 1½ hours

Say or show

  • Thank you — Thank you
  • Where is the restroom? — Where is the restroom?
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • Is this seat taken? — Is this seat taken?
  • How far is it? — How far is it?

Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Houma. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Feb–May, Oct–Nov · avoid Jun–Sep (heat, humidity and hurricane season); check for storm closures · month by month →
  2. 2 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for MSY: drive times, last Greyhound from New Orleans, taxi fallback.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: downtown Main Street, West Park Avenue, Southdown, Chauvin.
  3. Place pages with verified hours and cutoffs (Southdown Plantation House, Bayou Terrebonne Waterlife Museum, Chauvin Sculpture Garden) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Storm and heat fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources