Franklin County, Ohio
|Franklin County, Ohio|
Location in the state of Ohio
Ohio's location in the U.S.
|Founded||April 30, 1803|
|Named for||Benjamin Franklin|
543.51 sq mi (1,408 km²)
532.19 sq mi (1,378 km²)
11.32 sq mi (29 km²), 2.08%
2,186/sq mi (844/km²)
|Time zone||Eastern: UTC-5/-4|
Franklin County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 1,163,414, which is an increase of 8.8% from 1,068,978 in 2000. It is the second largest county in Ohio (after Cuyahoga County) and the 34th largest county in population in the United States. Franklin County is also the largest in the eight-county Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area. Its county seat is Columbus, which is located in the middle of the county. Columbus is the capital and largest city in Ohio, as well as the 15th largest city in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2005 Population Estimates. Columbus makes up about 66.56% of the population of the county, the rest being provided by various suburbs and townships, and Franklin County itself makes up about 9.42% of the state population as of 2000.
Franklin County, particularly Columbus, has been a centerpiece for presidential and congressional politics, most notably the 2000 presidential election, the 2004 presidential election, and the 2006 midterm elections. Franklin County is home to the largest university in the United States, The Ohio State University, which as of fall 2011 has an enrollment of 56,867 students on its main Columbus campus.
The county was established on April 30, 1803, less than two months after Ohio became a state, and was named after Benjamin Franklin. Franklin County originally extended all the way north to Lake Erie before Ohio subdivided further into more counties.
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 543.51 square miles (1,407.7 km2), of which 532.19 square miles (1,378.4 km2) (or 97.92%) is land and 11.32 square miles (29.3 km2) (or 2.08%) is water. The county is located in the Till Plains and the Appalachian Plateau land regions.
The county is drained by the Olentangy River and the Scioto River. Major creeks in the county include Big Darby Creek, Big Walnut Creek, and Alum Creek. There are two large reservoirs in the county, Hoover Reservoir and Griggs Reservoir.
Adjacent counties 
- Delaware County (north)
- Licking County (east)
- Fairfield County (southeast)
- Pickaway County (south)
- Madison County (west)
- Union County (northwest)
Major highways 
At the time of the 2010 census, there were 1,163,414 people, 477,235 households and 278,030 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,186 per square mile (844/km²). There were 527,186 housing units at an average density of 872 per square mile (337/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 69.2% White, 21.2% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 3.9% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 2.3% from other races, and 3% from two or more races. 4.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 22.8% were of German, 14.9% Irish, 8.4% English, 5.8% Italian, 2.7% Mexican, and 2.7% Polish ancestries according to 2010 census. 88.1% spoke English and 4% Spanish as their first language.
There were 477,235 households of which 28% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% were married couples living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.7% were non-families. 31.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.05.
25.10% of the population were under the age of 18, 11.70% from 18 to 24, 33.30% from 25 to 44, 20.10% from 45 to 64, and 9.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 94.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.50 males.
The median household income was $49,087 and the median family income was $60,158. The per capita income for the county was $26,909. About 8.20% of families and 11.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.20% of those under age 18 and 8.60% of those age 65 or over.
On March 30, 1803, the Ohio government authorized the creation of Franklin County. The county originally was part of Ross County. Residents named the county in honor of Benjamin Franklin. In 1816, Franklin County’s Columbus became Ohio’s state capital. Surveyors laid out the city in 1812, and officials incorporated it in 1816. Columbus was not Ohio’s original capital, but the state legislature chose to move the state government there after its location for a short time at Chillicothe and at Zanesville. Columbus was chosen as the site for the new capital because of its central location within the state and access by way of major transportation routes (primarily rivers) at that time. The legislature chose it as Ohio’s capital over a number of other competitors, including Franklinton, Dublin, Worthington, and Delaware.
Prior to the state legislature’s decision in 1812, Columbus did not exist. The city was designed from the first as the state’s capital, preparing itself for its role in Ohio’s political, economic, and social life. In the years between first ground-breaking and the actual movement of the capital in 1816, Columbus and Franklin County grew significantly. By 1813, workers had built a penitentiary, and by the following year, residents had established the first church, school, and newspaper in Columbus. Workers completed the Ohio Statehouse in 1814. Columbus and Franklin County grew quickly in population, with the city having 700 people by 1815. Columbus officially became the county seat in 1824. By 1834, the population of Columbus was 4,000 people, officially elevating it to "city" status.
Franklin County is currently made up of 16 cities, 9 villages, and 17 townships.
Census-designated places 
Other communities 
See also 
- "Ohio County Profiles: Franklin County" (PDF). Ohio Department of Development. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
- "Franklin County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-02-16.
- "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
- "Statistical Summary". The Ohio State University. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
- "Franklin County data". Ohio State University Extension Data Center. Archived from the original on 2007-12-03. Retrieved 2007-04-28.
- "Census 2010 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties". United States Census. Retrieved 2011-11-05.
- Query of Geographic Names Information System
- "U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
- "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2012". Retrieved March 17, 2013.
- http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_10_1YR_DP02&prodType=table 9.6% foreign born (64% of which weren't US citizens)
Further reading 
- Henry Howe, History of Franklin County, Ohio, 1803-1889. Knightstown, IN: Bookmark, 1977.
- William T. Martin, History of Franklin County: A Collection of Reminiscences of the Early Settlement of the County: With Biographical Sketches and a Complete History of the County to the Present Time. Columbus, OH: Follett, Forster & Co., 1858.
- Opha Moore, History of Franklin County, Ohio. In Two Volumes. Topeka: Historical Publishing Company, 1930.
- William Alexander Taylor, Centennial History of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1909.
- A Centennial Biographical History of the City of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio... Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1901.