Russell County, Kentucky

Russell County Education, Geography, and History

Russell County is a county located in the US Commonwealth of Kentucky. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 17,565. The county was formed on December 14, 1825. The county seat is Jamestown.  Russell county is named for Colonel William Russell.

Etymology - Origin of Russell County Name

Colonel  William Russell (1758-1825), Revolutionary War officer, Indian fighter, commander of American forces on the frontier, and Kentucky legislator.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

RussellCounty History

Russell county was formed in 1826. The county is located in the Pennyrile region of the state.  In 2000 the county population was 16,315 in a land area of 253.53 square miles, an average of 64.4 people per square mile. The county seat is Jamestown. This county is a prohibition or dry county, meaning that the sale of alcohol is restricted or prohibited.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 283 square miles (730 km²), of which 254 square miles (660 km²) is land and 29 square miles (75 km²) (10%) is water. The elevation in the county ranges from 530 to 1140 feet above sea level. The highest point is 1,140 feet (350 m) atop Dickerson Ridge in the extreme northern part of the county and the lowest point is 530 feet (160 m) along the Cumberland River.

Russell county is located close to the center of Kentucky. Wolf Creek Dam is located in this county. The dam includes Cumberland River to form Lake Cumberland. Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery is also located in Russell County just below the dam. The Lake, formed by the Cumberland River and Wolf Creek Dam, has over 1200 miles of shoreline and is the third largest lake east of the Mississippi.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Northeast: Casey County; Pulaski County
• Southeast: Wayne County
• South: Clinton County
• Southwest: Cumberland County
• Northwest: Adair County
  

Education

Compare More Colleges and Universities

Find more schools to match to your needs.

Start Now