Frankfort, Indiana Facts for Kids

Frankfort is a city located in Clinton County, Indiana, United States. In 2020, about 16,715 people lived there. Frankfort is also the county seat of Clinton County. This means it is the main city where the county government offices are located.

History of Frankfort
Geography
Population and People
- Life in Frankfort (2010 Census)
Transportation
Notable People from Frankfort
Education
See also

History of Frankfort

Founding the City

Frankfort was founded in 1830 by three brothers: John, William, and Nicholas Pence. They came from Warren County, Ohio. In 1829, they settled on the land where Frankfort is now.

In 1830, the brothers gave 60 acres (about 240,000 square meters) of their land to the county. This gift helped make Frankfort the county seat. The city was named Frankfort to honor their German great-grandparents' home, Frankfurt am Main.

Building the Courthouse

The town of Frankfort was officially planned on June 8, 1830. The first plan had 64 lots in eight blocks. These blocks were around a public square where the courthouse stands today.

The first courthouse was a small, temporary building made of logs. It cost $20 to build! A new, larger courthouse was built in 1837-1838 for $12,000. It was used for 45 years.

The third and current courthouse was designed in 1881. It is 165 feet (about 50 meters) tall and made of Indiana limestone. It cost around $200,000 to build. Its first stone was placed on September 2, 1882.

Old Stoney and Other Historic Places

In January 1922, Robert Keene became the youngest mayor of Frankfort at just 21 years old. A month later, a fire happened at the Old Stoney building. At that time, Old Stoney was the high school. Today, this historic building is used as City Hall.

Many other places in Frankfort are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites. Some of these include:

Christian Ridge Historic District
Clinton County Courthouse
Charles H. and Emma Condon House
Frankfort Commercial Historic District
South Frankfort Historic District

Geography

Frankfort covers an area of about 6.31 square miles (16.34 square kilometers). All of this area is land.

Population and People

Frankfort has grown a lot since it was founded. Here's how its population has changed over the years:

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1850	582	—
1860	773	32.8%
1870	1,300	68.2%
1880	2,803	115.6%
1890	5,919	111.2%
1900	7,100	20.0%
1910	8,634	21.6%
1920	11,585	34.2%
1930	12,196	5.3%
1940	13,706	12.4%
1950	15,028	9.6%
1960	15,302	1.8%
1970	14,956	−2.3%
1980	15,168	1.4%
1990	14,754	−2.7%
2000	16,662	12.9%
2010	16,422	−1.4%
2020	16,715	1.8%
Source: US Census Bureau

Life in Frankfort (2010 Census)

In 2010, there were 16,422 people living in Frankfort. There were 5,835 households, which are groups of people living together. About 3,972 of these were families.

The city had about 2,602 people per square mile (1,005 people per square kilometer). Many different people live in Frankfort. About 27% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino background.

Many households (38.2%) had children under 18 living with them. The average age of people in Frankfort was 33.5 years old.

Transportation

Airport

Frankfort has its own airport called the Frankfort Municipal Airport.

Highways

Several major roads meet in Frankfort. These include U.S. 421 and Indiana state routes 28, 39, and 75. Interstate 65 is also close by, just west of the city.

Railroad Lines

Frankfort is a hub for several train lines. In the past, passenger trains like the Hoosier and the South Wind traveled through the city. Today, companies like CSX and Norfolk Southern use these tracks for freight trains.

Notable People from Frankfort

Many interesting people have come from Frankfort, including:

Charles Aidman, a film and television actor.
Anthony Caruso, another film and television actor.
Everett Case, a famous school basketball coach.
Kyle Cook, a band member of Matchbox Twenty.
Will Geer, a film and stage actor.
Rana Foroohar, a financial reporter for Time magazine.
Mahlon D. Manson, a brigadier general in the Union Army during the Civil War.
Linley E. Pearson, who was the 37th Indiana Attorney General.
Talitha Washington, a mathematician at Howard University.

Education

Public Schools

The public schools in Frankfort are part of the Community Schools of Frankfort.

Higher Education

In 2013, Ivy Tech opened a campus in Frankfort. This college offers many different programs. It is located where the local newspaper, The Frankfort Times, used to be.

Library

The city also has a free lending library called the Frankfort Community Public Library.

Frankfort, Indiana facts for kids

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