Franklin County is located in the U.S. state of Missouri. At the 2020 census, the population was 104,682. Its county seat is Union. The county was organized in 1818 and is named after Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. Franklin County is part of the St. Louis, MO-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area and contains some of the city's exurbs. It is located along the south side of the Missouri River. The county has wineries that are included in the Hermann AVA (American Viticultural Area) and is part of the region known as the Missouri Rhineland, which extends on both sides of the Missouri River.
History
Occupied by succeeding cultures of indigenous peoples, this area was populated by the historic Osage tribe at the time of European encounter. The region was first settled by Europeans during the rule of the Spanish Empire. The Spanish log fort San Juan del Misuri (1796–1803) was built in present-day Washington. After the American Revolutionary War, migrants from the new United States started moving West. Among them were the family and followers of Daniel Boone, an explorer from Kentucky who settled the area starting in 1799. For the next two decades, most settlers came from the Upper South, especially Kentucky and Virginia, bringing their slaves with them to work the land.
In 1833 substantial numbers of German immigrant families began settling in the area, and soon they outnumbered the slave owners in the county. The German newcomers were opposed to slavery, and their sons would become Union supporters during the U.S. Civil War. Former governor and then Confederate General Sterling Price led his cavalry through the county during his Missouri raid of 1864.
Before the war Franklin County had been served by steamboats that moved freight and passenger traffic on the Missouri River. Afterwards, it became a railroad transportation center. Manufacturing industries were established at the end of the Civil War and successive ones have continued.
Bias Vineyard, near the small city of Berger, is located within the Hermann American Viticultural Area (AVA), designated in 1983. Röbller Vineyard and Winery near New Haven is also in the Hermann AVA. Wineries along both sides of the Missouri River are part of the Missouri Rhineland, whose vineyards were started by German immigrants in the mid-19th century. Before Prohibition, Missouri was the second-largest wine-producing state in the nation. Everything was closed down except for limited production of wine allowed for religious purposes. The state's wine industry had to be completely rebuilt, which has been taking place since the 1960s.
The rural county has had severe problems with local production, distribution and consumption of methamphetamine. The struggles of the county with adverse effects of the drug, was explored in a 2005 A&E documentary entitled Meth: A County in Crisis.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.9%) is water. It is the fourth-largest county in Missouri by land area and third-largest by total area.
The center of the Missouri River forms the nominal northern border of the county, although the river has changed its course since boundaries were first established: a portion of St. Charles County near St. Albans is now south of the river, while a portion of Franklin County near Augusta is north of the river.
The Bourbeuse River flows for 107 miles through the county. It cuts a deep, narrow valley and is very crooked. It empties into the Meramec River near Union. This river is mostly undeveloped, with limited access and few bridges over it. During low water, a number of fords allow crossing.
The county is located in the Ozarks region, with steep hills and deep valleys, caves, springs, and sinkholes characteristic of karst areas. The underlying rock is typically carbonate, including limestone and dolomite. Mining activity in the county included ores of lead, copper, zinc, and deposits of refractory clay. The soils in most of the county tend to be thin, rocky red clay, and are poor for most agriculture, while the soil near the Missouri River is dark, rich, and thick, and used primarily for row crops such as corn, wheat, and soybeans. Much of the county is covered with thick forests, reestablished since the 1920s.
Urbanization is increasing in the county, especially surrounding Washington and Union, and along Interstate 44. St. Albans is now a continuation of the suburban region of St. Louis County while the majority of the county retains a rural character and includes extensive wilderness areas, typical of exurban areas.
Adjacent counties Warren County (north) St. Charles County (northeast) St. Louis County (northeast) Jefferson County (east) Washington County (southeast) Crawford County (southwest) Gasconade County (west)
Major highways
Demographics
2020 census +Franklin County, Missouri – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010 Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020White alone (NH)69,86279,06990,99397,39095,68098.08%98.10%97.00%95.96%91.40%Black or African American alone (NH)6967378808478800.98%0.91%0.94%0.83%0.84%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)1221452122902910.17%0.18%0.23%0.29%0.28%Asian alone (NH)1191892434105320.17%0.23%0.26%0.40%0.51%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)x included in the Asian category in the 1980 Censusx included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census163031xx0.02%0.03%0.03%Other race alone (NH)342238632830.05%0.03%0.04%0.06%0.27%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)x not an option in the 1980 Censusx not an option in the 1990 Census7471,0654,780xx0.80%1.05%4.57%Hispanic or Latino (any race)4004416781,3972,2050.56%0.55%0.72%1.38%2.11%Total71,23380,60393,807101,492104,682 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 104,682. The median age was 41.7 years. 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 97.0 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 92.1% White, 0.9% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.8% from some other race, and 5.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.1% of the population.
45.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 55.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 41,476 households in the county, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 22.8% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 45,275 housing units, of which 8.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 73.6% were owner-occupied and 26.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.6%.
2000 census As of the census of 2000, there were 93,807 people, 34,945 households, and 25,684 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 38,295 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.47% White, 0.94% Black or African American, 0.27% Asian, 0.24% Native American, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.20% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Approximately 0.72% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 44.9% were of German, 13.0% American, 10.7% Irish and 7.7% English ancestry.
There were 34,945 households, out of which 36.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.40% were married couples living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.50% were non-families. 22.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.40% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 30.00% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 12.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $54,392, and the median income for a family was $62,969. Males had a median income of $35,849 versus $23,344 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,529. About 4.50% of families and 7.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.90% of those under age 18 and 8.80% of those age 65 or over. Economy The unemployment rate in Franklin County is 2.9% as of December 2018, below state and national averages.
Manufacturing accounts for the most (23.8%) employment in Franklin County, primarily in the cities of Washington and Union, followed by trade, transportation and utilities (18.8%), education and health care (17.7%), and construction (11.3%).
The biggest employers in Franklin County are the manufacturing firms of Magnet LLC, Cardinal Brands Hazel Division, GDX Automotive, Sporlan Valve Company, Esselte, Silgan, Buddeez, and Meramec Group Inc. as well as the Meramec Valley R-III School District in the public education sector and Schatz Underground Cable Inc. in the construction industry. Small farms and wineries also greatly contribute to the economy in Franklin County.
Education The highest educational attainment in Franklin County consists of the following: High School Graduates: 59.1% Associate Degree: 10.6% Bachelor's Degree: 10.9% Graduate Degree: 7.5%
School districts School districts in the county: - Text list K-12
Crawford County R-I School District Gasconade County R-I School District Gasconade County R-II School District Meramec Valley School District New Haven School District St. Clair R-XIII School District Sullivan C-2 School District Union R-XI School District Washington School District
Elementary:
Franklin County R-II School District Lonedell R-XIV School District Richwoods R-VII School District Spring Bluff R-XV School District Strain-Japan R-XVI School District
Public schools New Haven Public School District - New Haven New Haven Elementary School (K–6) New Haven Middle School (7–8) New Haven High School (9–12) Meramec Valley School District – Pacific Meramec Valley Community School (Pre-K) – Pacific Meramec Valley Early Childhood Center (Pre-K) – Pacific Truman Elementary School (K–5) – Pacific Robertsville Elementary School (K–5) – Robertsville Zitzman Elementary School (K–5) – Pacific Nike Elementary School (K–5) – Catawissa Coleman Elementary School (K–5) – Villa Ridge Riverbend School (8) – Pacific Meramec Valley Middle School (6–7) – Pacific Pacific High School (9–12) – Pacific St. Clair R-XIII School District – St. Clair St. Clair Elementary School (K–2) Edgar Murray Elementary School (3–5) St. Clair Jr. High School (6–8) St. Clair High School (9–12) – Spring Bluff School District–Spring Bluff Spring Bluff R-XV (k-8) Sullivan School District – Sullivan Sullivan Primary School (Pre-K–1) Sullivan Elementary School (2–5) Sullivan Middle School (6–8) Sullivan High School (9–12) Union R-XI School District – Union Beaufort Elementary School (K–6) – Beaufort Central Elementary School (K–3) – Union Clark-Vitt Elementary School (4–6) – Union Union Middle School (7–8) – Union Union High School (9–12) – Union School District of Washington – Washington Family Resource Center (Pre-K) – Washington Washington West Elementary School (Pre-K–6) – Washington South Point Elementary School (K–6) – Washington Marthasville Elementary School (K–6) – Marthasville Labadie Elementary School (K–6) – Labadie Clearview Elementary School (Pre-K–6) – Union