From 'Big Ole' to the Bayou: The Other Alexandrias

There are more than a dozen other cities and towns named Alexandria in the United States.

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Periodically, Alexandria Living Magazine gets subscription requests from residents of Louisiana, Minnesota or New York, who mistakenly think this Northern Virginia magazine covers their hometown — also called Alexandria.

It turns out there are more than a dozen other town and cities named Alexandria across the United States. Here, we take a look at several of them.

Alexandria, Louisiana

The city of Alexandria, Louisiana, was part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. The young United States government platted the land to a businessman from Pennsylvania named Alexander Fulton. It was Fulton who laid out the plan for the town.

Today, the city is home to more than 44,000 people and is the ninth-largest city in Louisiana.

The “Cenla”—Central Louisiana—region boasts plenty to do from enjoying nature to arts and culture. Alexandria itself features a zoological park that houses more than 500 animals of 160 different species. Admission is less than $10 per person.

In addition, Alexandria boasts an award-winning art museum. Alongside pieces from all over the world, the art museum displays an impressive permanent collection of contemporary Louisiana art and the largest collection of North Louisiana Folk Art in the state. Be sure to check out the Arna Bontemps African American History Museum.

The best place to stay is the historic, four-star Hotel Bentley ($129/night).

For nightlife, several bars focus on daiquiris and frozen drinks, but you can also take a tour of the Huckleberry Brewing Co. and try the local craft brews.

For lunch, stop by Pamela’s Bayou in a Bowl; treat yourself to dinner at Cajun Landing.

The city is situated on the south bank on the Red River and visitors are encouraged to explore the riverfront walk and the Booker Fowler Fish Hatchery just 20 minutes south of Alexandria.

Nearby Pineville has a discgolf course, an ATV park, paddle rentals and recreation areas with hiking trails.

Expect hot and humid conditions in the summer months with temperatures in the 90s in July and August. Average daytime temperatures in the coldest month, January, are in the upper 50s.

Connections Between Cities

In 1996, the government of Alexandria, Egypt, hosted a festival and meet-up for delegations from ALL cities named Alexandria around the world.

“We travelled on the flight from NYC to Egypt with the Alexandria, Virginia delegation, including Patsy Ticer, who served as Mayor of Alexandria, VA and at that time, had recently been elected to the Virginia State Senate,” wrote Deborah Randolph, President of the Central Louisiana Regional Chamber of Commerce, in an email to Alexandria Living Magazine. Randolph and her husband, who was mayor of Alexandria, Louisiana, visited Alexandria, Virginia for its 250th birthday celebration in 1999.

Randolph also noted that the nuclear submarine USS Alexandria is named for both Alexandria, Virginia and Alexandria, Louisiana. The insignia says, “Twice As Strong.” The San Diego, California-based submarine is sometimes open to visitors when it is docked in the United States. “Sometimes we connect with Alexandria, Virginia folks on those visits,” Randolph said.

Alexandria, Minnesota

Alexandria, Minnesota was first settled in 1858 and is named for the brothers Alexander and William Kinkead, who settled there from Maryland. The town, about 130 miles northwest of Minneapolis, is home to just over 14,000 residents and it is growing.

One of the more curious attractions is a giant statue of a Viking called Big Ole. The 28-foot-tall statue was built for the 1965 New York World’s Fair and now sits on a pedestal in town. While locally loved, he was built based on the belief that Nordic explorers had come to the area in the 1300s, which was later found to be untrue. (You can see a live camera feed of Big Ole at explorealex.com/big-ole-live-camera.)

Big Ole faces the Runestone Museum, named for a runestone discovered in the area in 1898. The museum admits the runestone is “controversial” (some believe it is a fake), but a large portion of the museum is dedicated to the “additional artifacts found in Minnesota that relate to Middle-Age Nordic explorers.”

Minnesota is called the “Land of 10,000 lakes” and several of them surround Alexandria. In the summer, there are endless opportunities to rent kayaks, jet skis, paddleboards and sailboats. There are plenty of fishing charters, too, in the summer (and some ice fishing charters in the winter months). The Alexandria area also boasts more than 100 miles of biking and hiking trails. Every July, Alexandria hosts the Big Ole Paddlefest, a two-day festival and event where people can paddle their kayaks or canoes along a 26, 13 or 5-mile route from Lake Miltona through adjacent creeks and lakes.

Alexandria has a couple of cute bed & breakfasts and multiple cabin-centered resorts — many are pet-friendly — on its lakes. National chain-hotels are also an option.

Alexandria has a thriving arts scene, including hosting outdoor concerts every Thursday in the summer by the Red Willow Arts Coalition. The city is home to the Central Lakes Symphony Orchestra, several theaters and artist studios.

Within a short drive, you can explore multiple wineries, Panther Distillery, Ida Graves Distillery, 22 Northmen Brewing Co. and Thousand Lakes Brewing.

The Land of 10,000 Lakes comes with a ton of mosquitoes, so bring bug spray if you visit in the summer. The good news: temperatures peak around 80 degrees in July with much less humidity than we have in Northern Virginia. If you visit in the winter, bundle up! The average daytime high temperature in January is a brisk 18 degrees.

Alexandria, Kentucky

Alexandria, Kentucky may have been named after Alexandria, Virginia. It is believed that the town’s first settler, in 1793, was a man named Frank Spilman, who hailed from Virginia.

Alexandria’s motto is “where the city meets the country.” Officially founded in 1834, this city of 10,396 people is often considered a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio, but is also called the gateway to Kentucky’s bluegrass region.

The city is just a couple of miles west of Ohio River, and the river and nearby lakes offer ample opportunities for fishing (catfish and trout are common). If lake fishing is more your style, Alexandria Community Park features a 9-acre fishing lake as well as 3 miles of paved trails, unpaved trails and Frisbee golf holes.

There are also a few highly-rated golf courses within a short drive, including the A. J. Jolly Golf Course and Hickory Sticks. A.J. Jolly Park, just five miles south of town, also hosts the annual Sun Valley Bluegrass Festival in July and the annual Dragon Boat Festival in September. 

One of the city’s attractions is the Campbell Country Log Cabin Museum, which features reconstructed log cabins, antique farm equipment and more.

Most of the city’s restaurants are on the main drag, Route 27 (also called Alexandria Pike). Try Four Mile Pig for BBQ    or Gold Star Chili, with a chili-focused menu.

Most hotels are in nearby Newport or Wilder, Kentucky. Cincinnati, as a large city, has more options.

If you visit in July and August, expect temperatures in the mid-80s. Winter temperatures are similar to Alexandria, Virginia, with daytime temperatures around 40 in January.

Alexandria, New York

One hundred miles due north of Syracuse, New York, on the banks of the St. Lawrence River, Alexandria is called the “Heart of the Thousand Islands.”

The town has a population of just more than 4,000 people and was founded in 1821. It was named after the son (Alexander) of the town’s founder, J.D LeRay de Chaumont. Much of the city life revolves around the river and the historic downtown, which features unique shops and restaurants.

Like many other Alexandria’s on the river, there are plenty of opportunities to go on fishing boats and enjoy other recreational activities on the water. Seafood-forward restaurants include Cavallario’s Steak and Seafood House and Riley’s by the River.

Don’t miss the Boldt Castle and Yacht House on one of the many islands in Alexandria Bay. Construction on the castle started in 1900 at the direction of millionaire hotelier George C. Boldt. It was meant to be a getaway for his wife, but she died in 1904 before construction was complete. Distraught, Boldt stopped construction, and the castle sat unfinished and vacant for more than 70 years. Now under the ownership of the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority, the castle is open for weddings and other events as well as historic tours.

Summertime temperatures are pleasant, with daytime temperatures in July barely climbing into the low 80s. If you visit in January, you’ll want to wear several layers. High temperatures in the winter are in the 20s and there will be snow on the ground.

All the Ones We've Found... 

Here are the other areas named Alexandria in the United States. (Population data below the map is from the 2020-2021 U.S. Census.)

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