Ruston is a small city and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States.

It is the largest city in the Eastern Ark-La-Tex region. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 21,859, reflecting an increase of 6.4 percent from the count of 20,546 counted in the 2000 Census. Ruston is near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex region and is the home of Louisiana Tech University. Its economy is therefore based on its college population. Ruston hosts the annual Peach Festival. Ruston is the principal city of the Ruston Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Lincoln parish.

Infrastructure

The 527th Engineer Battalion (Triple Alpha) ("Anything, Anytime, Anywhere") is headquartered in Ruston. This battalion is part of the 225th Engineer Brigade of the Louisiana National Guard.

Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods included Barnet Springs, Bocage Place, Downtown, Marcus Pointe, Melrose, Savannah Trace, French Quarter, Tanglewood, Wood Stone, and Roberts Extension.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.2 square miles (47 km2), of which 18.1 square miles (47 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (0.44%) is water.

Peach Festival

Each June, Ruston hosts its annual Peach Festival, sponsored by the Squire Creek Country Club. Until the 1940s, most area peach farming had been done on a small-scale family basis. In 1947, area peach growers organized the Louisiana Fruit Growers Association and held the first festival four years later on June 27–28, 1951. On that occasion, Justin Wilson, the popular south Louisiana chef and Cajun humorist entertained the audience at Howard Auditorium on the Louisiana Tech campus. Then State Senator Dudley J. LeBlanc of Abbeville in Vermilion Parish, the promoter of the patent medicine known as Hadacol, was invited to crown the first Peach Festival Queen, Ann Colvin of Bernice in Union Parish.

The festival sponsors races of 5K and 1M and a tennis tournament played on the Louisiana Tech courts.

Railroad Fest

Railroad Fest is an annual makers, music, and culture festival held in Downtown Ruston each April since 2017.[28] The Makers Fair is held at the Historic Ruston Fire Station, and live music is performed at the amphitheater at Railroad Park.