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Franklin County, Iowa facts for kids

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Not to be confused with Franklin, Iowa.
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Franklin County
U.S. county
Franklin County Courthouse in Hampton
Map of Iowa highlighting Franklin County
Location within the U.S. state of Iowa
Map of the United States highlighting Iowa
Iowa's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Iowa
Founded 1851
Named for Benjamin Franklin
Seat Hampton
Largest city Hampton
Area
 • Total 583 sq mi (1,510 km2)
 • Land 582 sq mi (1,510 km2)
 • Water 0.6 sq mi (2 km2)  0.09%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 10,019
 • Estimate 
()
 9,875 Decrease
 • Density 17.185/sq mi (6.635/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district 4th

Franklin County is a special area in the state of Iowa, USA. It's like a big neighborhood with its own local government. In 2020, about 10,019 people lived here. The main town, or county seat, is Hampton. Franklin County was created on January 15, 1851. It was named after Benjamin Franklin, a very famous American inventor and statesman.

Geography of Franklin County

Franklin County covers a total area of about 583 square miles. Most of this area, about 582 square miles, is land. Only a tiny part, about 0.6 square miles, is water.

Main Roads in Franklin County

You can travel through Franklin County using these important roads:

  • I-35.svg Interstate 35
  • US 65.svg U.S. Highway 65
  • Circle sign 3.svg Iowa Highway 3
  • Elongated circle 57.svg Iowa Highway 57

Neighboring Counties

Franklin County shares its borders with several other counties:

People of Franklin County

The number of people living in Franklin County has changed over many years. Here's a look at how the population has grown and changed since 1860:

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1860 1,309 —
1870 4,738 262.0%
1880 10,249 116.3%
1890 12,871 25.6%
1900 14,996 16.5%
1910 14,780 −1.4%
1920 15,807 6.9%
1930 16,382 3.6%
1940 16,379 0.0%
1950 16,268 −0.7%
1960 15,472 −4.9%
1970 13,255 −14.3%
1980 13,036 −1.7%
1990 11,364 −12.8%
2000 10,704 −5.8%
2010 10,680 −0.2%
2020 10,019 −6.2%
2023 (est.) 9,875 −7.5%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2018
FranklinCountyIowaPop2020
How the population of Franklin County has changed over time, based on US census data.

What the 2020 Census Shows

In 2020, the census counted 10,019 people in Franklin County. This means there were about 17 people living in each square mile. Most people (about 92.62%) identified as being of one race. There were 4,656 homes in the county, and 4,141 of them were lived in.

FranklinCountyIA2022PopPyr
This chart, called a population pyramid, shows the age groups of people living in Franklin County in 2022.

Franklin County Fair Fun

Franklin County is famous for its annual Franklin County Fair! This exciting event happens for five days in mid-July. It takes place on the fairgrounds in Hampton.

The fair usually kicks off with a rodeo on Wednesday. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, you can enjoy concerts with popular performers. In 2007, artists like Terri Clark and the Marshall Tucker Band performed. The fair ends on Sunday with thrilling Figure 8 Races.

Besides the main events, the fair also has free entertainment and a fun carnival with rides and games. You can also visit the Franklin County Historical Museum on the fairgrounds. There's also Pleasant Hill, a village that shows what life was like a long time ago. You can see old stores, crafters, and even old West shows. Don't forget Grandpa's Farm, where you can see how farming was done in the past with old machines and animals.

Schools in Franklin County

Franklin County has four high schools. They are part of different school districts that serve various towns.

  • The Hampton-Dumont Community School District is in Hampton. It serves students from kindergarten through 12th grade. This district includes Hampton, Dumont, Aredale, and Hansell. About 1,194 students attend schools here.
  • The West Fork Community Schools work together with Rockwell-Swaledale schools. They serve students from Sheffield, Chapin, Meservey, Thornton, Rockwell, and Swaledale. About 764 students are in these combined districts.
  • The AGWSR Community School District serves Ackley, Geneva, Wellsburg, and Steamboat Rock. It has about 654 students from kindergarten to 12th grade.
  • The CAL Community School District is near Latimer. It serves Coulter, Alexander, and Latimer. About 274 students attend schools in this district.

Towns and Areas

Franklin County has several towns and other special areas where people live.

Cities in Franklin County

Special Census Areas

These are places that are like small towns but are not officially cities:

Townships in Franklin County

Franklin County is divided into sixteen smaller areas called townships:

  • Geneva
  • Grant
  • Hamilton
  • Ingham
  • Lee
  • Marion
  • Morgan
  • Mott
  • Oakland
  • Osceola
  • Reeve
  • Richland
  • Ross
  • Scott
  • West Fork
  • Wisner

Images for kids

  • Wall display honoring local civil war veterans, Mile 161 rest stop northbound on I-35 in Iowa

    An outdoor display honoring Civil War veterans at an I-35 rest stop in Franklin County.

  • Landscape display honoring local civil war veterans, Mile 161 rest stop northbound on I-35 in Iowa

    A landscape display also honoring Civil War veterans at an I-35 rest stop in the county.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Franklin (Iowa) para niños

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Franklin County, Iowa Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.