Relations between the United States and Russia have been mostly frosty over the last century. Even so, almost 1.7 million people claim Russian ancestry, mostly deep in the America’s Great Plains. The ancestry is the legacy of two great migratory waves that occurred between 1870 and 1920, when millions of Russians fled their homeland to escape religious persecution.
Among the top 25 counties for Russian ancestry, 18 were located in the Dakotas. In Logan County, N.D., and neighboring McIntosh County, N.D., a majority of residents claim Russian ancestors. A pair of counties in Texas and three in Kansas claim a significant number of Russian ancestors. Alaska, which was managed by the czars until 1867, also has two counties with a significant percentage of residents with Russian ancestors.To see the percentage of Russian ancestors in your county, use Social Explorer’s online mapping tools.
Population with Russian Ancestry.