Alexandria lies in the southern bank of the Red River. It is the central city in the Alexandria Metropolitan area, which has a population of 153924 and includes Grant and Rapides parishes. Pineville bounds Alexandria. The city had a population of 47724, according to the 2010 census, a decrease of 3 percent from the previous 2000 census. It serves as the crossroads area for most roads in the state. The city provides the easiest route to access Shreveport and Monroe through the southern part of the city. Similarly, to get to the northern parts of Cajun, roads crossing in Alexandria are preferable.