Russell County | |
|---|---|
 Russell County courthouse in Jamestown | |
 Location within the U.S. state of Kentucky | |
 Kentucky's location within the U.S. | |
| Coordinates: 36°59′N 85°04′W / 36.99°N 85.06°W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Kentucky |
| Founded | December 14, 1825 |
| Named for | William Russell |
| Seat | Jamestown |
| Largest city | Russell Springs |
| Area | |
| • Total | 283 sq mi (730 km2) |
| • Land | 254 sq mi (660 km2) |
| • Water | 29 sq mi (80 km2) 10% |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 17,991 |
| • Estimate (2023) | 18,279  |
| • Density | 64/sq mi (25/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 1st |
| Website | www |
Russell County is a county located in the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,991.[1] Its county seat is Jamestown and its largest city is Russell Springs.[2] The county was formed on December 14, 1825, from portions of Adair, Cumberland and Wayne Counties and is named for William Russell.[3]
In 2015, the cities of Jamestown and Russell Springs became two of the first gigabit Internet communities in Kentucky with the completion of a state-of-the-art optical fiber network by the local telephone cooperative.[4]
Wolf Creek Dam is located in southern Russell County. The dam impounds Cumberland River to form Lake Cumberland, a major tourism attraction for the county. Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery is also located in Russell County just below the dam.
Until relatively recently Russell County was a dry county, meaning that the sale of alcohol was prohibited. It voted to go "wet" in a referendum held on January 19, 2016, by a margin of 3,833 to 3,423 votes.[5][6]
- ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "Russell County". The Kentucky Encyclopedia. 2000. Retrieved August 23, 2014.
- ^ "DUO Broadband".
- ^ The Register of the Kentucky State Historical Society, Volume 1. Kentucky State Historical Society. 1903. p. 36.
- ^ "Home".