Alexandria is the ninth-largest city in Louisiana and serves as the parish seat of Rapides Parish. Located on the south bank of the Red River near the geographic center of the state, Alexandria is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area, which includes all of Rapides and Grant parishes. The city had a population of 45,275 according to the 2020 census.
Alexandria's neighboring city is Pineville, situated across the Red River. As the largest city in Rapides Parish, Alexandria functions as the administrative and economic hub for the region.