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Ruston, LA Road Trips

Plan drives from Ruston, LA with practical route pages for distance, drive time, fuel cost, road character, and places to stop along the way.

small city and parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Trip Routes

2

Longest Drive

302.3 mi

Gretna, LA

Quickest Drive

5h 55m

Gretna, LA

Plan Around Ruston, LA

Popular Incoming Routes

Useful if Ruston, LA is the arrival point and you want the strongest routes into the city first.

Ruston, LA by the Numbers

Recent demographic snapshot from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

Population

22,224

Median Income

$32,765

Median Home Value

$226,700

Median Age

23.8

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-year (public domain). See our methodology for details.

Ruston, LA at a Glance

Founded

1885

Elevation

335 ft

Area

0 mi²

Notable People from Ruston, LA

A sampling of people born in Ruston, LA.

Aaron Holiday

Aaron Holiday

1996

American basketball player

Gilbert Gray

1902–1981

American sailor (1902-1981)

Jeff Mangum

Jeff Mangum

1970

neofolk musician from the United States

James Graves

James Graves

1963

American sport shooter

George Ballas

1925–2011

American entrepreneur and inventor (1925-2011)

Bert Jones

1951

American football player

Kyle Williams

Kyle Williams

1983

American football player, defensive lineman

Mike Green

Mike Green

1976

American football player (born 1976)

Patrick Ramsey

Patrick Ramsey

1979

American football player (born 1979)

Landmarks & Historic Sites

Attractions and heritage-registered places located in Ruston, LA.

Dixie Center for the Arts

Dixie Center for the Arts

theater and former movie theater in Ruston, Louisiana, United States

National Register of Historic Places listed place
Downtown

Downtown

historic district and central business district in Ruston, Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States

National Register of Historic Places listed place

City data from Wikidata (Q2271328), available under CC0. Photos from Wikimedia Commons under their respective licenses. See our methodology for details.

Traveler Guide to Ruston, LA

Ruston is the fourth-largest city in Northern Louisiana, with a population of about 23,000 people, and is home to Louisiana Tech University.

Louisiana Tech Football (Joe Aillet Stadium), 1450 W Alabama Ave, ☏ +1 318-257-3631. (updated Oct 2016) Lincoln Parish Park, 211 Parish Park Rd, ☏ +1 318 251-5156. 8AM - 7PM. Rated as one of the best mountain bike trails in America, Lincoln Parish Park is a treasure for mountain bike lovers and noncyclists, too. The ten-mile trail offers a challenging and exciting course for not only the advanced rider, but beginners alike. Beach with lifeguards offered from Memorial day to Labor Day. Campground: RV (Full hookups include water, sewage, and electricity at each site) - $25.00 (tax included) per night. Primitive Camping (tents only) - $17.00 (tax included) per night. (updated Oct 2016) North Louisiana Military Museum, 201 Memorial Dr. Artillery and military equipment and other displays in homage to the men and women of uniform. +1 318-251-5099 Lincoln Parish Museum, 609 N Vienna St. Regional history, like maybe something on Jack Kerouac's mention of Ruston. +1 318-251-0018 Autrey House Museum, 8297-8201, LA-151, Dubach. Oldest dogtrot house in Lincoln Parish, built in 1848. 1 Eddie G. Robinson Museum, 126 Jones St., Grambling, ☏ +1 318-247-6337, [email protected]. Dedicated to the life and career of the late Grambling State University football coach. Opened in February 2010. (updated Aug 2018)

Squire Creek Country Club Peach Festival Louisiana Tech activities website. (updated Oct 2016) Lincoln Parish Library events. (updated Oct 2016) Lincoln Parish Calendar of Events. (updated Oct 2016) Ruston Farmer's Market, 220 E. Mississippi Ave. Every Saturday. (updated Oct 2016)

1 El Jarrito Mexican Grill, 2017 Farmerville Hwy, ☏ +1 318 255-9600. 10:30AM-10PM. (updated Apr 2015) 2 Roma Italian Bistro, 102 N Monroe St, ☏ +1 318 202-3810. Tu – Su 11AM – 10PM. (updated Oct 2016)

1 Sundown Tavern (Sundown), 111 E. Park Ave, ☏ +1 318 255-8028. M-Sa 11AM-midnight, Su 11AM-10PM. The band starts playing at 9PM. (updated Oct 2016) 2 The Revelry (Rabb's), 2647 South Service Road W, ☏ +1 318 255-1008. W-Sa 9PM - 2AM. (updated Oct 2016) 3 Starbucks, 1200 Cooktown Rd, ☏ +1 318 255-9219. 6AM-10PM. (updated Oct 2016) 4 Board and Bottle Cafe and Wine Bar, 130 W Park Ave, ☏ +1 318-202-3870. charcuterie and wine but also coffee concoctions.

1 Hampton Inn, 1315 North Trenton, ☏ +1 318-251-3090. (updated Jan 2022) 2 Super 8, 1101 Cooktown Rd, ☏ +1 318 255-0588. (updated Oct 2016)

Ruston comes on the interstate highway 20 between two bigger cities of North Louisiana. These two cities are eastbound Monroe and westbound Shreveport. Ruston is also located along US Highway 167, a good route for those coming from Alexandria, LA to the south or Little Rock, AR to the north. Monroe Regional Airport (MLU IATA) - the birthplace of Delta Air Lines - is served by Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, and United Airlines.

For all emergency services, dial 911. Law enforcement is provided by the Lincoln Parish Sheriff and the Ruston Police Department. The Louisiana State Police generally patrol areas outside of the city limits and often assist on major crimes. For all health concerns, medical assistance can be found at the Northern Louisiana Medical Center. The hospital is located on E Vaughn Ave.

Travel tips adapted from Ruston on Wikivoyage, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Content summarized; visit the source for the full article. See our methodology for how we use it.

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