Russellville, Arkansas
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| Russellville, Arkansas | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Arkansas |
| County | Pope |
| Area | |
| - Total | 25.9 sq mi (67.3 km²) |
| - Land | 25.9 sq mi (67.2 km²) |
| - Water | 0 sq mi (0.1 km²) |
| Elevation | 348 ft (106 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 23,682 |
| - Density | 914.4/sq mi (351.9/km²) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| - Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Area code(s) | 479 |
| FIPS code | 05-61670 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0079154 |
Russellville is a city in Pope County, Arkansas, United States. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 25,520, ranking it as the state's 16th largest city, behind Benton. (Sherwood unofficially displaced this ranking in late April 2008, upon its annexation of neighboring Gravel Ridge.)[1] The ZIP codes are 72802 and 72801. The city is the county seat of Pope County.[2] It has a four year college (Arkansas Tech University) and Arkansas Nuclear One, Arkansas's only nuclear power plant. Russellville borders Lake Dardanelle as well as the Arkansas River. The town was named after Dr. Thomas Russell. The town was almost named Shinnville after a prominent business owner whose last name was Shinn. The Shinn family currently owns a local funeral home.
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[edit] Geography
Russellville is located at (35.278429, -93.136820)[3].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 26.0 square miles (67.2 km²), of which, 25.9 square miles (67.2 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.08%) is water. It is located on the Arkansas River.
[edit] Demographics
As of the 2000 census[4], there were 23,682 people, 9,241 households, and 6,006 families residing in the city. The population density was 913.2 people per square mile (352.6/km²). There were 10,234 housing units at an average density of 394.6/sq mi (152.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.73% White, 5.20% Black or African American, 0.72% Native American, 1.18% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.70% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races. 3.26% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 9,241 households out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.7% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.95.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 16.6% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,772, and the median income for a family was $40,242. Males had a median income of $30,133 versus $19,906 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,315. About 10.9% of families and 15.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.3% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] The Dover massacre
On December 22, 1987, Ronald Gene Simmons, of Dover, Arkansas, killed all fourteen members of his family during a Christmas reunion in Dover. Two days later, he walked into downtown Russellville and started shooting at people, killing two and wounding another two. It is assumed that Simmons was attempting to "go after" people he thought had mistreated him, as he went after previous employers and co-workers, not just random people. Simmons was arrested without resistance and was sentenced to death on December 10, 1989, and was executed on June 25, 1990, the quickest sentence-to-execution time in the United States since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.
[edit] Notable Residents
- NBA player Corliss Williamson is a 1992 graduate of Russellville High School.
- Elizabeth Ward, crowned Miss America in 1982, is a 1979 graduate of Russellville High School.
- American composer Scott Bradley, most known for his works in Tom and Jerry (MGM) cartoons, was from Russellville.[1][2]
- Natalie Canerday, actress (Sling Blade, October Sky, Walk the Line), graduated from Russellville High School.
- College All-American and NFL punter Greg Horne graduated from Russellville High in 1983.
- American Writer, Poet, and Musician Kurtis Krow was born in Russellville
[edit] External links
- Russellville, Arkansas is at coordinates Coordinates:
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