The largest, Bayou Cane, is an urbanized area commonly referred to by locals as being part of Houma, but it is not included in the city's census counts, and is a separate census-designated place.

If the populations of the urbanized census-designated places were included with that of the city of Houma, the total would exceed 60,000 residents.

The city was named after the historic Native American tribe of Houma people, believed to be related to the Choctaw.

Land claimed for the Houma Indians by the Spanish was not recognized by the United States after the Louisiana Purchase.

[13] In late August 2021, Houma was struck by the intense eye wall of category 4 Hurricane Ida, causing widespread damage.

Houma and the surrounding communities are steeped in the French, Native, Cajun, African and Creole history of the region.

As the French, Spanish, Acadians and Native American people mixed over the decades, a unique Cajun culture was born.

It offers a downtown walking tour and attractions such as the Bayou Terrebonne Waterlife Museum, the Folklife Culture Center, the Regional Military Museum, Southdown Plantation, the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, monuments to local armed forces, and local eateries.

[27] Although Houma is quickly changing, many residents in the surrounding communities continue to make their living from the Gulf as their ancestors did.

They harvest shrimp, oyster, crab, fish, and engage in trapping, although more have shifted to work in occupations of the oil industry and shipbuilding.

According to the United States Government Patent and Trademark Office, Houma, Louisiana was the site of the deepest oil well in Terrebonne Parish.

[citation needed] Tab Benoit's Voice of the Wetlands Music Festival, established in 2005, takes place in Houma, annually in October.

[28] The local newspaper is The Courier, founded in 1878 as Le Courrier de Houma by the French-born Lafayette Bernard Filhucan Bazet.

Debuted in 2007, LCN-TV continues to produce Louisiana TV shows for the U.S.[citation needed] The following radio stations are located in the Houma-Thibodaux metropolitan area: Houma is served by Houma-Terrebonne Airport, located 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of the central business district.

[32] It has five major routes and serves the surrounding suburban areas, including the small bayou communities and the city of Thibodaux.