Nestled among the rolling pine-covered hills of north Louisiana, Ruston is one of the most outstanding small cities in America.  Our citizens enjoy the  “down-home” atmosphere coupled with the educational impact of not one, but two, nationally recognized universities, as well as the state's lowest unemployment rate.  Located on Interstate 20, just 30 miles west of Monroe and 80 miles east of Shreveport, Ruston is home to some 23,000 residents. Growing numbers of families are moving to Ruston for a variety of reasons.  Among those reasons: quality healthcare, excellence in education, good jobs, affordable housing, and a great overall quality of life.

Today the original industries of farming, forestry and higher education remain, but other businesses, including some of the best retail and food chains and large industrial employers, help create a business atmosphere that offers good-paying jobs and ample opportunity for success.

But a city with just business and room for growth doesn't make a community. Ruston is home to some 50-plus churches, representing a wide variety of denominations. Area parks, including the nationally recognized Lincoln Parish Park and city recreational activities provide sporting fun for people of all ages. The area not only provides excellent recreational areas for visitors and residents; but also active arts and cultural movements that sponsor performances, exhibits and workshops.

The North Central Louisiana Arts Council recently moved to a higher level of competition for state arts grant money, fighting and winning for funding against cities as large as New Orleans. Their events often exceed the expectations of the community and the organization’s patrons. The Ruston Community Theatre performs a number of plays each season and sponsors workshops for budding actors, directors and stage technicians. Both Louisiana Tech University and Grambling State University play host to national and international performers as well as local talent, and the Ruston Civic Symphony Society sponsors several seasonal performances every year.

A number of local festivals, including the Squire Creek Louisiana Peach Festival held each June and two artist tours produced each year, round out the cultural activities available in the immediate area. Ruston is also home to a public library, two public art galleries, two museums and several privately owned pottery and artist studios.

The spirit of down-home Southern charm and style balances all of this activity and opportunity. Ruston is not just for young families. Many of the city's senior residents reside in some of the city's most beautiful older homes, or in one of the recently built retirement/assisted living communities. A choice of Health care providers that provide solutions to everything from birth to hospice care are available locally. Ruston is a city that appreciates its beautiful landscape, active downtown and friendly atmosphere. A low crime rate and a policing philosophy that is reminiscent of neighborhood cops walking a beat help provide the security that allows families to travel freely throughout the city and surrounding parish. This security also helps parents feel more at home sending their children to school at either Tech or GSU.

Ruston is more than just a stop along an interstate in northern Louisiana. It is a home, a place to visit, raise a family and live out a life. The people who call Ruston home never forget they are what makes Ruston a wonderful place, and working together, they strive every day to make it even better.