Russell

History

Russell was incorporated as a city on April 25, 1887. The town was originally settled by German and Irish settlers in the 1850s. By the early 1860s the town of Russell had been made into a farming community and provided a source of food for surrounding communities. After being incorporated, a railway and railroad grain-tower were constructed along the town's edge allowing excess produce to be travelled elsewhere on the frontier. In 1935, the town suffered a fire on the town square that burned down the eastern side and killed 3 people.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  495
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  464
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  456
• White-breasted Nuthatch

  Sitta carolinensis Latham, 1790 · Aves
  448
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  425
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  423
• Hairy Woodpecker

  Leuconotopicus villosus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  319
• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  297

Largest nearby schools

• Chariton High School
  High · Chariton · 392 students · 14.5:1 ratio
• Chariton Middle School
  Middle · Chariton · 285 students · 12.4:1 ratio
• Columbus Elementary School
  Elementary · Chariton · 284 students · 14.2:1 ratio
• Van Allen Elementary School
  Elementary · Chariton · 254 students · 13.4:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2025-06-25
  10 km WNW of Marysville, Iowa
• M 3 — 2025-06-25
  5 km S of Knoxville, Iowa
• M 3.3 — 2025-06-25
  8 km SE of Knoxville, Iowa