Livingston became the parish seat in 1941 when the courthouse was moved there from Centerville (Springville). The town is situated approximately in the north central part of the parish, about 25 miles east of Baton Rouge on U.S. Highway 190.

Livingston is located in the heart of the heavily forested area of the parish. Although numerous other trees are common in and around Livingston, particularly hardwoods in the low area, it was the pine, then as now, that attracted the lumber companies to Livingston.