Russell

Formed January 2, 1786 (65^th county)

Russell County (25,786), Lebanon (3,151)

The 1874 Classical Revival building was remodeled in 1891 and 1905.  It is sited on Main Street at Church Avenue.  Main Street is Virginia State Highway 19 in this part of the town.  Burnett, Dixon, Burnett designed the building.  The building was enlarged in 1891, 1905, 1922, and 1958.  It features columns and a tower.  Construction is occurring next door in 2022.  The county was founded on January 2, 1786 from Washington County as the 65^th county.  Castlewood was the first county seat until 1818 when Lebanon assumed the seat.  Russell County is named for settler Colonel William Russell.  The county seat was named for the Biblical location. 

Russell County government consists of a sheriff and 7 Supervisors.  Four Circuit Court Judges and Four District Court Judges serve Russell, Buchanan, Dickenson, and Tazewell counties and Fifty-three Magistrate Court Judges serve Russell, Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Lee, Montgomery, Pulaski, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe counties and Bristol, Galax, Norton, and Radford cities.  Russell County is in the western part of Virginia.  Knoxville, Tennessee is southwest and Charleston, West Virginia is northwest of the county.  The county center is 10.4 miles North of Lebanon nearer Cleveland.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Buchanan, Tazewell, Smyth, Washington, Scott, Wise, and Dickenson counties. 

The area of the county is 475 square miles.  It is 31 out of 133 in the state.  It ranks 67 out of 133 in population in the state.  It has a density of 54.3 persons per square mile making it 98 out of 133 in the state.  Russell County has 18.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 19 comes in from the northeast, Tazewell County, and goes to the south, Washington County.  United States Highway 58 Alternate originates and heads west into Wise County.  The county is an overall rectangle tilting down on the southwest corner.  Lebanon is located in the western third of the county.  Lebanon is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 12.2% of the county population.

St Paul