Franklin, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Franklin, Wisconsin
City
Location of Franklin in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.
County	Milwaukee
Founded	1841
Incorporated	1956
Area
• Total	34.68 sq mi (89.82 km2)
• Land	34.58 sq mi (89.55 km2)
• Water	0.10 sq mi (0.27 km2)
Elevation	790 ft (241 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	36,816
• Estimate  (2021)	36,624
• Density	1,035.75/sq mi (399.91/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (Central)
ZIP Code	53132
Area code(s)	414
FIPS code	55-27300
GNIS feature ID	1583234

Franklin is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. It is a suburb of Milwaukee with a population of 36,816 as of the 2020 census.

History

On December 20, 1839, the south portion of the Town of Kinnikinick was split off to form the town of Franklin. The town consisted of a 36-square-mile area that was originally covered with heavy timber, which was mostly hardwoods such as hickory, walnut, and butternut. Most of the town's drainage was delivered by the Root River and there was an abundance of wildlife including bears, deer, and wolves. As of the 1840 census, the population of the Town of Franklin was 248. The name "Franklin" was given in homage to Benjamin Franklin.

By the 1950s, Franklin was known as a "City of Homes" for its growing residential areas, which served as a suburb of the city of Milwaukee. In 1956, town officials were concerned by the possibility that the city of Milwaukee might attempt to annex portions of Franklin. In response, the town was incorporated as a fourth-class city on August 15, 1956.

Geography

Franklin is located at 42°53′57″N 88°00′08″W / 42.899166°N 88.002204°W / 42.899166; -88.002204 (42.899166, −88.002204). It is bounded by the city of Oak Creek to the east, the villages of Greendale and Hales Corners and the city of Greenfield to the north, the county of Racine to the south, and the county of Waukesha to the west.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 34.69 square miles (89.85 km²), of which, 34.58 square miles (89.56 km²) is land and 0.11 square miles (0.28 km²) is water.

The Root River runs south through Franklin, bisecting the city.

Root River Valley

Climate

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 35,451 people, 13,642 households, and 9,351 families living in the city. The population density was 1,025.2 inhabitants per square mile (395.8/km²). There were 14,356 housing units at an average density of 415.2 units per square mile (160.3 units/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.1% White, 4.9% African American, 0.4% Native American, 5.4% Asian, 0.8% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.5% of the population. The House of Correction members are counted in this demographic.

There were 13,642 households, of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.5% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.99.

The median age in the city was 41.5 years. 21.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.9% were from 25 to 44; 31.4% were from 45 to 64; and 13.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.1% male and 48.9% female.

Transportation

Franklin is four miles (6.4 km) from Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport and close to Interstate 94. Running through the city are U.S. Highway 45, and WIS 36, WIS 100, and WIS 241. The St. Martins Junction in Franklin served two interurban lines. One went south to Burlington. Another went west to East Troy.

Education

Public

The majority of Franklin primary and secondary students attend schools in the Franklin Public School District, which was formed in 1962 as a K–12 common school district. Franklin has five elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. The Franklin Recreation Department is also operated by the school district. The district is governed by an annual meeting of electors and a seven-member school board elected every three years with overlapping terms and election held every year in April. City government exercises no fiscal control over the school district.

The Oak Creek-Franklin School District serves residents of the far eastern side of Franklin, along 27th street. The district also serves all of the city of Oak Creek.

The Whitnall School District, which serves primarily the neighboring village of Hales Corners and parts of the city of Greenfield, serves Franklin residents residing on the city's far northwest side.

Private

Franklin's private schools include:

• St. Pauls Lutheran K4–8, founded in 1865 by a group of German Lutherans
• Indian Community School of Milwaukee K4–8, serving Indian children and youth.

Economy

Top employers

According to Franklin's 2012 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city were:

Environmental concerns

Fadrowski Drum Disposal EPA Superfund Site with Dental Associates facility in background

Franklin is home to one of the Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund sites. Referred to as the "Fadrowski Drum Disposal Site", or FDDS, the 40-acre (160,000 m²) site located at 42°55′14″N 87°57′10″W / 42.920587°N 87.9528584°W / 42.920587; -87.9528584 6865 South 27th Street was found to be contaminated with high amounts of lead and chromium. Trace amounts of arsenic and DDT were also found. The site also contains levels of mercury above Wisconsin enforcement standards. The site once included a human-made pond with elevated cyanide levels. The site was placed on the National Priorities List in 1986, with remedial action (RA) completed in 1994. The site was deleted from the National Priorities List in 2003. The site remedies included restricting access to the site, restricting use of land at the site, limited excavation of the waste (some drums), removal of hazardous soil, monitoring ground water, monitoring surface water, and installing a landfill cap. The site has been largely remediated via landfill and limited excavation, however waste material above health-based levels was left on site.

The site is currently under a monitoring status, with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reviewing the site every five years. The site is now encircled by development. It is bordered on the north by a Hobby Lobby, a tributary that flows into the Root River, and South 27th Street. The southern boundary of the site is lined with a Goodwill Industries retail store. Residential properties are just 1,000 feet (300 m) west of the site and 600 feet (180 m) to the south. A Walmart is just 600 feet (180 m) north of the site. The site itself is prohibited from ever being used for potable water, residential development, or any development that would disturb the landfill cap. As of March 2021, a portion of the site is being considered for development as a dog park.

Rankings

In July 2007, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Franklin the 90th best place to live in the United States.

Notable people

• Eric Bugenhagen, Professional wrestler with World Wrestling Entertainment
• Peter Doyle, Wisconsin Secretary of State
• Michael Egan, state senator and representative
• Sam Mayer, racing driver
• Scott Mayer, racing driver
• Ted Musgrave, NASCAR driver
• Bill Prietzel, racing driver nicknamed the "Franklin Flyer"
• Janet Protasiewicz, Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court
• Jessie Rodriguez, advocate and politician
• Ken Skowronski, Wisconsin State Representative

See also

In Spanish: Franklin (ciudad) para niños