Russell is a city in Lucas County, Iowa, home to about 613 people across 1.0 square miles. Its ZIP code is 50238.
Homes sold for a median of $68 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Russell. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
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| Nearest major airport | Des Moines International Airport (DSM)48 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Kansas City, MO145 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL291 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Russell; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Russell had 472 residents in the 2020 census, down 16% since 2000.
It’s the 423rd largest of 1,019 towns in Iowa by population.
Lucas County grew from 16,126 residents in 1900 to 8,634 in 2020.
Lucas County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 85°F in summer, and winter lows average 11°F. About 37.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 24 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Chariton 1 E, IA weather station (7 miles away).
4,663 jobs at 187 businesses in Lucas County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
Nearest hospitals
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.