Franklin County, Georgia

Franklin County is a county in Georgia, United States, in the state’s northeast corner about
85 miles northeast of Atlanta. It had a population of 23,424 at the 2020 census, an estimated
25,948 by 2025, and covers 266 square miles (690 km2) centred near 34°22′N 83°14′W.

Carnesville is the county seat; its postal code is 30521. The county holds 5 cities, 1
incorporated town and 4 unincorporated or census-designated communities, and it runs on Eastern
Time.

Towns & Villages in Franklin County

Franklin County has 10 named places on record: 6 incorporated cities and towns, 1 census
designated place (CDP), and 3 unincorporated communities with no local government of their own.
Unincorp. covers crossroads and rural communities with no formal boundary.

Three places on this list straddle county lines. Royston’s population figure above is
citywide — most of the city sits in Franklin and Hart counties, with a small portion
reaching south into Madison County. Canon likewise sits partly in Hart County, and Martin
straddles the Franklin–Stephens county line, with its town hall on the Franklin side.

ZIP Codes

• 30521 — Carnesville
• 30553 — Lavonia
• 30662 — Royston (also serves the Franklin County portion of the city)
• 30520 — Canon
• 30639 — Franklin Springs
• 30557 — Martin

Gumlog, Ashland, Cromers and Unity have no ZIP code of their own; mail there is delivered
under the nearest incorporated city’s code, most often Lavonia’s 30553 for Gumlog on
the Lake Hartwell shore.

Geography

Franklin County sits in Georgia’s Piedmont, a belt of low rolling hills between the
Blue Ridge foothills and the coastal plain. Of its 266 square miles, 261 are land and 5.0 are
water, about 1.9 percent, most of it Lake Hartwell along the county’s northeastern edge.
The Tugaloo River, dammed to form Lake Hartwell, marks the county’s boundary with South
Carolina, and the Broad River drains the county’s southern and western reaches.

Stephens County lies to the north, Oconee County, South Carolina, to the northeast across
Lake Hartwell, Hart County to the east, Elbert County to the southeast, Madison County to the
south, and Banks County to the west. Stephens
County, Oconee County,
Hart County, Elbert County, Madison County and Banks County all border Franklin
directly.

Demographics

Franklin County had a population of 23,424 at the 2020 census, and the latest estimate puts
the county near 25,948 residents. Royston and Lavonia are the two largest incorporated cities,
though Gumlog’s 2,358 residents make it the most populous single place in the county.
Median household income runs $53,046, well below Georgia’s statewide figure of $74,632
(2023 ACS). Population density works out to roughly 90 people per square mile of land, well
under the state average, typical for a rural Piedmont county outside a metro area.

Economy & Local Life

Manufacturing employs the most workers in the county, about 1,721 people, followed by retail
trade at 1,201 and health care and social assistance at 1,074. The Franklin County School
System is the county’s largest single employer. The county’s Industrial Building
Authority recruits new industry to sites along the Interstate 85 corridor near Lavonia and
Carnesville. Franklin Springs is home to Emmanuel University, a small private college that grew
out of the Franklin Springs Institute, founded there in 1919. Royston’s Ty Cobb Museum
draws visitors year-round to the birthplace of the Hall of Fame outfielder, and Martin holds an
annual Fall Festival on the last Saturday of October.

History

The Georgia General Assembly created Franklin County on February 25, 1784, alongside
Washington County, carving both from Cherokee and Creek land ceded the previous year. The
county was named for Benjamin Franklin. It originally covered a much larger territory that later
became all or part of Banks, Barrow, Clarke, Jackson, Oconee and Stephens counties, plus
portions of Gwinnett, Hall, Hart and Madison counties, as the state repeatedly carved new
counties from Franklin’s original boundaries. Carnesville, laid out in 1805 and named for
lawyer and politician Thomas Petters Carnes, became the permanent county seat in 1806.

Royston, incorporated in 1879, is the birthplace of Ty Cobb, who grew up in Franklin County
before starting his baseball career; he is buried in Royston’s Rose Hill Cemetery. Franklin
County native Spud Chandler, born in Carnesville, won the American League MVP award in 1943.

Getting There

Interstate 85 crosses the county’s southeastern corner near Lavonia. US 29 runs
northeast–southwest through Royston and Franklin Springs, and GA 17, GA 106 and GA 145
connect the county’s other towns.

• Athens — about 30 miles southwest of Royston
• Toccoa — about 11 miles northwest of Martin
• Hartwell — about 12 miles northeast of Royston
• Greenville, South Carolina — about 53 miles northeast of Lavonia

Athens-Ben Epps Airport, roughly 35 miles southwest of Carnesville, is the nearest
commercial-service airport with regional flights; Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
Airport, about 90 miles southwest, is the nearest major hub. Franklin County has no Amtrak
station; the closest service is in Toccoa on the Southern Crescent route corridor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Franklin County located?
It sits in Georgia’s northeast Piedmont, about 85 miles northeast of Atlanta, bordered by
Stephens, Oconee (South Carolina), Hart, Elbert, Madison and Banks counties.

What is the population of Franklin County?
23,424 at the 2020 census, with a 2025 estimate near 25,948.

How big is Franklin County?
266 square miles (261 square miles of land and 5.0 square miles of water), or 676 km2.

What is the county seat of Franklin County?
Carnesville, the permanent county seat since 1806, its postal code is 30521.

How many towns and cities are in Franklin County?
Six incorporated places — Lavonia, Royston, Franklin Springs, Carnesville, Canon and
Martin — plus the Gumlog CDP and three unincorporated communities: Ashland, Cromers and
Unity.

What ZIP codes does Franklin County use?
30521 for Carnesville, 30553 for Lavonia, 30662 for Royston, 30520 for Canon, 30639 for
Franklin Springs, and 30557 for Martin.

What is Franklin County known for?
Ty Cobb’s hometown of Royston and its Ty Cobb Museum, and Emmanuel University in Franklin
Springs.

More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Georgia.