Rusk, Texas
Rusk is a city in Cherokee County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,551 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Cherokee County.
History
The town was established by an act of the Texas legislature on April 11, 1846. It was named after Thomas Jefferson Rusk, signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. By 1850, Rusk reportedly had 355 residents. A post office was authorized on March 8, 1847.
The city of Rusk is no longer dry; a beer and wine local option election passed on May 9, 2009.
Geography
Rusk is located near the center of Cherokee County at 31°47′54″N 95°09′00″W / 31.798254°N 95.149865°W / 31.798254; -95.149865. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.3 square miles (18.8 km2), of which 0.03 square miles (0.07 km2), or 0.37%, is water.
Rusk is crossed by U.S. Routes 69 and 84. US 69 leads northwest 14 miles (23 km) to Jacksonville, the largest city in Cherokee County, and southeast 43 miles (69 km) to Lufkin, while US 84 leads east 30 miles (48 km) to Mount Enterprise and west the same distance to Palestine. Rusk is about 160 miles (260 km) north of Houston, 125 miles (201 km) southeast of Dallas, and 40 miles (64 km) south of Tyler.
