FORT POLK: IN-DEPTH WELCOME CENTER

Introduction

Welcome to Fort Polk Louisiana, situated in Vernon Parish. Around 9,000 people live and work here in the almost 200,000 acres that make up the post. It’s hot and humid in these parts, and some of your closest colleagues will be alligators. You’re going to need to know what’s around here — where to shop, how to keep your hair in regulation, where to find housing and more. But if you prepare yourself for what lies ahead, you’re going to do just fine here on post. Find out all you need to know about what you’ll be in for by reading our Fort Polk in-depth welcome center guide.

1. Where Is Fort Polk?
2. Google Map View
3. Getting There – Directions to the Post
4. Entering Fort Polk and Post Amenities
   • Check-in Procedures for Incoming Personnel
   • Fort Polk Visitor Center
   • Fort Polk DEERS Office
   • Fort Polk Gate Hours
   • Fort Polk Commissary
   • Fort Polk Exchange
   • Fort Polk Barber Shops
   • Fort Polk Post Office
   • Fort Polk Finance Office
   • Fort Polk Legal Office
   • Fort Polk Library
   • Fort Polk Hotels
5. Where Should I Live Near Fort Polk?
6. What Schools are Near Fort Polk?
7. What’s the Weather Like in Fort Polk?
8. Things to Do Around Fort Polk

Where is Fort Polk?

Fort Polk Welcome Center

1591 Bell Richard Avenue Building #920 Fort Polk, LA 71459

Phone

: 1 (800) 241-1071

Fort Polk Map

Fort Polk Directions

Public Transportation

The nearest Greyhound bus station is an hour away in Alexandria, Louisiana. Amtrak, though the train station is a bit farther in Lake Charles, Louisiana, which is about an hour and 20 minutes from post by car.

Alexandria International Airport

The closest airport is in Alexandria, and you should have no problem renting a car there.

Driving Directions

You can rent a car or carpool and be on the post before you know it.

From the North

1. Take I-20 W to I-49 S 2. Take exit 138 toward University Parkway 3. Turn left onto LA-117 S 4. Turn right onto LA-28 W/LA-8 W 5. Take the 2nd traffic circle exit onto US-171 S/N 6th St 6. Turn left onto W Louisiana St 7. Turn right onto LA-467/University Parkway 8. Turn right onto Bell Richard Ave 9. Turn right onto Berkley Ct

From the South

1. Take I-10 E to US 171 N 2. Turn right onto Entrance Rd 3. Keep straight onto Louisiana Ave 4. Turn right onto Magnolia Drive 5. Turn left onto Bell Richard Ave 6. Turn left onto Berkley Ct

From the West

1. Take 190 E toward Burkeville 2. Keep straight onto LA-8 E 3. Turn right onto S 6th Street 4. Turn left onto W Louisiana St 5. Turn right onto LA-467/University Parkway 6. Turn right onto Bell Richard Ave 7. Turn right onto Berkley Ct

From the East

1. Take I-49 N to Shreveport 2. Merge onto LA-28 W 3. Turn left onto LA-468 W 4. Take the 3rd traffic circle exit to LA-184/Chaffee Rd 5. Keep straight onto Georgia Avenue 6. Georgia Avenue becomes Mississippi Avenue 7. Turn right onto 3rd Street 8. Turn left onto University Parkway 9. Turn right onto Bell Richard Ave 10. Turn right onto Berkley Ct

Fort Polk Transportation Office

Of course, if you have any questions or would like to make a specific plan as to how to arrive on post, make sure that your first call is to the transportation office. They have all the information you need to plan a safe trip to your new home.

Fort Polk Transportation Office

7585 Virginia Avenue Building #4374 Fort Polk, LA 71459

Phone

: 1 (337) 531-7097

Hours

: Monday through Friday 0900-1700

Entering Fort Polk and Post Amenities

Visitors and new personnel will need their ID and vehicle registration to pass through the gate. You’ll need to register at the visitor center the first time you arrive. You will also need to register any firearm that you plan to carry onto post. The main gate is open 24/7.

Check-in Procedures for Incoming Personnel

If you arrive during duty hours you will report to the In/Out Processing Center.

In/Out Processing Center

1716 Bldg 250 Fort Polk, Louisiana 71459

Phone

: 1 (337) 531-1891 If you arrive after duty hours you need to report to Warriors Keep in Bldg 240 which is adjacent to Bldg 250.

Fort Polk Visitor Center

3Q38+46 Fort Polk South, Louisiana 71459

Phone

: 1 (337) 531-0380

DEERS Fort Polk

Enroll in DEERS for the first time or get your new post ID here. Dependents can also obtain their IDs at the office, as can contractors. You can also apply online here.

Consolidated In/Out Processing Center

1716 Bldg 250 Fort Polk, Louisiana 71459

Phone

: 1 (337) 531-1891

Fort Polk DEERS Office Hours

Monday through Friday

0730-1630

Fort Polk Gate Hours

Make sure to stay updated on the gate hours before planning your travels because they’re constantly changing.

• Main Gate, Louisiana Ave.

  - Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

• University Parkway La. Hwy 467 North

  - Open 5 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday through Friday, closed weekends and federal holidays.

• Mill Creek Road

  - Closed.

• Lookout Road and La. Hwy 10

  - Closed.

• La. Hwy 467 South and La. Hwy 10

  - Open 5 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Closed Sunday, and federal holidays.

• Chaffee Road at North Fort housing

  - open 5 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday through Friday, closed weekends and federal holidays.

• K Avenue and Alligator Lake

  - Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

• Artillery Road and K Avenue

  - Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week only during rotations in support of the Joint Readiness Training Center.

Fort Polk Commissary

Stop in for your groceries and be met with an assortment of quality goods at reasonable prices.

Fort Polk Commissary

7445 LA-467 Fort Polk, LA 71459

Phone

: 1 (337) 531-7725

Fort Polk Commissary Hours

• Tuesday through Friday

  - 0930-2000

• Saturday

  - 0900-2000

• Sunday

  - 1000-1800

• Closed

  - Monday

Fort Polk PX

The Fort Polk PX is filled with quality eats and must-have equipment that will surely fit the needs of your busy life on post. Come in for coffee, a haircut, clothes, and more.

Fort Polk Exchange

7742 Colorado Ave Bldg. 850 Ft Polk, LA 71459

Phone

: 1 (337) 537-1001

Fort Polk Exchange Hours

Monday through Saturday

- 1000-1900

• Sunday

  - 1000-1700

Fort Polk Barber Shops

There are plenty of places to go to keep those long flowing locks out of your eyes during field training. Here are your closest options.

1. Barber Shop

Fort Polk PX Building 3310

Phone

: 1 (337) 537-1397

Hours

:

• Monday through Friday

  - 0900-1700

• Saturday and Sunday

  - Closed

2. Barber Shop

Fort Polk PX Building 850 Phone: 1 (337) 537-0625

Hours

:

• Monday through Saturday

  - 1000-1800

• Sunday

  - 1000-1700

3. Stylique Salon

Fort Polk PX Building 850

Phone

: 1 (337) 537-3102

Hours

: By appointment only

4. Barber Shop

Fort Polk PX Building 285

Phone

: 1 (337) 531-3307

Hours

:

• Monday through Friday

  - 0800-1400

• Saturday and Sunday

  - Closed

Fort Polk Post Office

The U.S. post office at Fort Polk has everything you need to figure out all of your mail and postage needs.

Fort Polk Post Office

6180 University Parkway Fort Polk, LA 71459

Phone

: 1 (800) 275-8777

Hours

:

• Monday through Friday

  - 0830-1530

• Saturday

  - 0930-1130

• Sunday

  - Closed

Fort Polk Finance

The Fort Polk finance office is a fantastic resource of soldiers and their families. This is a place you can go to talk to knowledgeable professionals about how to manage your money the right way. Plan for saving, investing, and look ahead to retirement because it’s never too early. Make an appointment so that the staff here can help make sure you’re on track for smooth financial sailing.

Fort Polk Finance Office

2123 11th street Building 1630 Fort Polk, LA 71459

Phone

: 1 (337) 531-8648

Fort Polk Legal Assistance

Sometimes life throws obstacles in your way that you aren’t able to handle by yourself. The legal team at Fort Polk is here to see you through times like that. From little things like tax filing and drawing up a will, to bigger things like immigration issues, the personnel here will guide you through it. Some particular cases require an appointment to be seen, so make sure to call ahead.

Fort Polk Legal Assistance

Office of the Judge Advocate 7141 Radio Road Building 406 Fort Polk, LA 71459

Phone

: 1 (337) 531-2580

Fort Polk Library

The Fort Polk Library is part of the General Library Information System (GLIS) and allows for free ebooks and audiobooks, and access to research materials. You’ll find light summer reading here, as well as programs for families and children.

Allen Memorial Library and Education Center

7460 Colorado Ave. Building 660 Fort Polk 71459

Phone

: 1 (337) 531-2665

Fort Polk Hotels

1. Comfort Suites

11498 Lake Charles Hwy Leesville, LA 71446

Phone

: 1 (337) 404-3890

2. Super 8 Leesville

1808 S 5th St Leesville, LA 71446

Phone

: 1 (337) 238-7860

3. Montigo Inn

1808 S 5th St Leesville, LA 71446

Phone

: 1 (337) 238-7860

4. SureStay Hotel by Best Western

1200 N 6th St Leesville, LA 71446

Phone

: 1 (337) 392-1672

Where Should I Live Near Fort Polk?

Cities Near Fort Polk

The nearest cities to Fork Polk are Leesville, DeRidder, with the major cities of Alexandria and Lake Charles sitting much farther away from the post. It’s a fairly isolated place you’ll be living in, with a lot of surrounding villages or incorporated areas and smaller towns. If you’re considering living on post, check out the available on-post housing options. Otherwise, read on to find out more about living off post.

Best Places to Live Near Fort Polk

Leesville

The best part of living in the middle of nowhere is the property values. Things are very affordable here. Even Leesville has plenty of two-bedroom apartments for rent under $700. The city of Leesville has a population of around 10,000. It’s less than a 20-minute drive from Fort Polk as well. This is a great little community to serve the more urban-centric folks who arrive here.

Rosephine

Rosephine is a small town of 1,600 people that’s just over a 15-minute drive from Fort Polk. It was incorporated in 1902 as a logging community and is the second largest town in Vernon Parish. There are six churches in the area. It’s a cozy 4 square miles in Rosephine, but it still has everything you could want from a small town.

DeRidder

DeRidder is a half hour drive south of post. It’s a small city with a population of about 10,000. Here you get a good balance of rural and urban living, as it’s a designated city, though it’s spread out into over 9 square miles of Louisiana real estate. DeRidder is a storied city with a blue-collar industrial history. First came the railroad, then logging, and then the mills. There is a smattering of culturally significant places to see in town because of this, including the Old Beauregard Parish Jail and the Beauregard Museum. The commercial historic district of the city was incorporated into the National Register of Historic Places.

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Fort Polk Schools

The Vernon Parish School District is a large collection of schools that serve kids in grades K-12. There are 7 elementary schools in its network, 2 middle schools, and 9 high schools. They each sit in a town or city nearby post and can take children in their respective boundaries. The Child Development Centers on post are in various buildings and offer daycare services that involve many programs and enrichment activities.

Fort Polk Weather

There’s no getting around the fact that Fort Polk weather is hot and humid. You’re going to sweat while you’re here and you’re going to sweat a lot. Plan for plenty of cold showers during the day between running around and meeting your responsibilities. Or just jump in the ponds around post like Catfish Cove, or take a dip in Bundick Creek. This is not advisable though--because, again, alligators. The spring and fall are much more tolerable than summer, of course, and the humidity does stick around but becomes manageable. In winter, expect rain but no snow. It’ll get chilly on some mornings and possibly remain that way all day, but it never gets cold enough to necessitate a lot of layering. For a complete detailed guide about the weather at Fort Polk, you can read our guide here.

Things to Do Around Fort Polk

There’s a lot to see around the post. The surrounding area is really gorgeous, and when the weather cooperates, which is mostly always, you’ll be able to take full advantage of the outdoors. Nearby Alligator Lake Recreation Site is a host to tons of wildlife and hiking and is a nice fishing spot for the angler in your life. Just be careful wading in too deep because--you guessed it--alligators. Kisatchie National Forest encompasses some of Vernon Parish and offers a ton of camping and hiking options for the whole family. There are also lots of cultural sites to see in the area, such as the Fort Polk Military Museum and the Museum of West Louisiana. There are tons of good restaurants to choose from as well, with a variety of cuisines to fit whatever kind of hungry you’re feeling. For a more detailed look at things to do around Fort Polk, read our full guide.

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Conclusion

Fort Polk is a great place to live and work. The weather is good if you like it hot, just make sure to find some shade and keep yourself hydrated. There are some great neighborhoods to settle down in while you’re here, each with their own unique personalities and offerings. You can make the landscape of west Louisiana your home by hiking through Kisatchie National Forest and the surrounding area. There’s a lot to find here and a lot to love. Check out our detailed guides to Fort Polk to get yourself situated and keep the stress of relocation out of your life.

The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

 

Last Updated:

9/30/2021