Russell County, Kentucky

Russell County is a county in Kentucky, United States, about 90 miles south of Lexington on the
shore of Lake Cumberland. It had a population of 17,991 at the 2020 census, an estimated 18,608
by 2025, and covers 254 square miles (660 km2) of land centred near 36°59′N 85°04′W.

Jamestown is the county seat; its postal code is 42629. Russell Springs is the county’s
largest city, with its own postal code, 42642. The county holds 2 incorporated cities and about
20 unincorporated communities, and it runs on Central Time. Its FIPS code is 21207.

Towns & Villages in Russell County

Russell County has 22 named places on record: 2 incorporated cities and roughly 20
unincorporated communities and crossroads with no local government of their own. Kentucky has no
civil townships, so this list has no Township column. Unincorp. covers hamlets, crossroads and
rural communities with no formal boundary.

Creelsboro, on the Cumberland River in the county’s southwest corner, is a ghost town today
— once a river landing and shipping point, it emptied out after Wolf Creek Dam raised the
water level downstream. Crocus, another old community sometimes listed for Russell County, sits
mostly across the line in Adair County and is not included here.

ZIP Codes

• 42629 — Jamestown (county seat)
• 42642 — Russell Springs (also covers Lake Cumberland’s Wolf Creek Dam area)

The county’s roughly 20 unincorporated communities have no ZIP code of their own; mail there
is delivered under the Jamestown or Russell Springs code depending on which is closer.

Geography

Russell County sits in south-central Kentucky, in the rolling hill country on the western edge
of the Cumberland Plateau. Of its 283 square miles, 254 are land and 29 are water, close to 10
percent — unusually high for an inland Kentucky county, because Wolf Creek Dam backs the
Cumberland River up into Lake Cumberland along the county’s eastern and southern shoreline. Lake
Cumberland, one of the largest reservoirs by volume east of the Mississippi, draws boaters and
anglers from across the region and forms much of the county’s tourism economy.

Casey County lies to the north, Pulaski County to the northeast, Wayne County to the southeast, Clinton County to the south, Cumberland County to the southwest, and Adair County to the west. All six counties border Russell County directly.

Demographics

Russell County had a population of 17,991 at the 2020 census, and the latest estimate puts the
county near 18,608 residents. Russell Springs and Jamestown are the two largest communities,
though together they hold only about a quarter of the county’s population — most residents
live outside the two incorporated cities, in the unincorporated communities and rural stretches
around Lake Cumberland. Median household income runs well below Kentucky’s statewide figure of
$61,118 (2023 ACS), reflecting the county’s mostly rural, tourism- and service-based economy. The
population is close to entirely rural by Census Bureau classification.

Economy & Local Life

Tourism tied to Lake Cumberland drives much of Russell County’s economy — marinas,
houseboat rentals, campgrounds and lakeside restaurants cluster around Jamestown and Russell
Springs, especially through the summer boating season. Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery, on the
Cumberland River below the dam, raises trout for stocking Kentucky’s coldwater streams and is a
regional fishing draw in its own right. Russell County Hospital, in Jamestown, is the county’s
main health care employer. Jamestown and Russell Springs both became early gigabit-internet
communities in Kentucky in 2015, a point of local civic pride. Russell County was a dry county
until a January 2016 referendum allowed alcohol sales, a change tied directly to the tourism
trade around the lake.

History

The Kentucky General Assembly formed Russell County on 14 December 1825, carving it from parts
of Adair, Cumberland and Wayne counties. It was named for William Russell, a Kentucky soldier and
politician. Jamestown was laid out the following year as the county seat on land donated by James
Wooldridge, and was briefly called Jacksonville before taking its lasting name.

The county’s modern geography changed sharply in the mid-20th century: the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers completed Wolf Creek Dam on the Cumberland River in 1951, flooding much of the river
valley to create Lake Cumberland and reshaping the county’s eastern and southern boundary along
the new shoreline.

Getting There

No interstate crosses Russell County. U.S. Route 127 runs north–south through Jamestown,
the Cumberland Parkway (Route 80) crosses the county east–west through Russell Springs, and
Kentucky Route 90 connects the two.

• Somerset — about 25 miles northeast
• Columbia — about 20 miles west
• Monticello — about 20 miles southeast
• Lexington — about 90 miles north

Lake Cumberland Regional Airport, in Somerset, is the nearest general-aviation field with a
paved runway. Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, roughly 90 miles north, is the nearest major
commercial airport. Russell County has no Amtrak service; the nearest station is in Maysville or
Louisville, both well over 100 miles away.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Russell County located?
It sits in south-central Kentucky on Lake Cumberland, about 90 miles south of Lexington, bordered
by Casey, Pulaski, Wayne, Clinton, Cumberland and Adair counties.

What is the population of Russell County?
17,991 at the 2020 census, with a 2025 estimate near 18,608.

How big is Russell County?
283 square miles total, of which 254 square miles are land and 29 square miles are Lake
Cumberland and other water.

What is the county seat of Russell County?
Jamestown, laid out in 1826, is the county seat; Russell Springs is the county’s largest city.

How many towns are in Russell County?
Two incorporated cities — Russell Springs and Jamestown — plus about 20
unincorporated communities including the ghost town of Creelsboro.

What ZIP codes does Russell County use?
42629 for Jamestown and the surrounding area, and 42642 for Russell Springs and the Wolf
Creek Dam area.

What is Russell County known for?
Lake Cumberland and Wolf Creek Dam, the county’s tourism engine, plus Wolf Creek National Fish
Hatchery below the dam.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Kentucky.