[13][14] The Lafayette metropolitan area covers approximately 3,408.5 square miles (8,828 km2) in the region of Acadiana in Louisiana.

Located along the Gulf Coast of the United States, it borders the Lake Charles metropolitan area, and is located south of the Alexandria metropolitan area, and west of Greater New Orleans and Greater Baton Rouge.

[3][18] In 2019, the Lafayette metropolitan area's population began a period of stagnation and slight decline.

Having been or currently economically established by Albertsons, Amazon,[21][22] Brookshire Grocery Company,[23] CGI,[24] First Horizon Bank, JP Morgan Chase, LUSFiber, the Ochsner Health System,[25] Petroleum Helicopters International, Perficient, and Rouses Markets, the area is also stimulated by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and South Louisiana Community College.

Lafayette Regional Airport—located on U.S. Highway 90 (future Interstate 49), on the southeast side of the city of Lafayette with daily scheduled passenger airline services nonstop to Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston and effective April 2, 2021 to Charlotte—is the primary airport for the metropolitan area and Acadiana.

Greyhound also operates a station downtown on Lee Avenue with destinations east and west on I-10, north on I-49 and southeast on U.S. Hwy 90.