Oakdale is located southwest of Alexandria on U.S. Highway 165 in Allen Parish and has a population of about 8,000.
Nearby towns include Forest Hill, Glenmora, Oberlin, Kinder, Mamou, Ville Platte, and Turkey Creek. Well known Chicot State Park is only about 30 miles to the east, as seen on the area map below.
The World War II Camp Claiborne was nearby, about 18 miles south of Alexandria, off the intersection of US165 and present day La 112, just north of the town of Forest Hill. Today, Oakdale is home to the Oakdale Federal Correctional Complex.
