Abandoned Towns

Ghost town record · Alameda County, California

Russell City

Former settlement in California, United States.

Record

About Russell City

Russell City was an unincorporated community in Alameda County, California, United States, approximately 10 miles (16 km) south of Oakland in present-day Hayward. The land is at an elevation of 16 feet (5 m).

This is a site record: what public sources say about Russell City, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.

Map

Where Russell City is

USGS topographic map around Russell City
USGS topographic map, The National Map (public domain). The pin marks the coordinates in the record; old townsites are often a little off.

Historic maps

20 historic USGS maps cover Russell City

Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.

Showing the first 16.

Directions

Getting there

Google Maps directionsApple MapsOpenStreetMap

Before you go

  • Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
  • Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
  • Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.

Nearby

Other sites near Russell City

Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our California index.

Sources

Sources

  1. Wikipedia, "Russell City, California": coordinates and summary.
  2. Wikidata Q7381418.
  3. USGS GNIS 1659560.
  4. USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
  5. USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).