Franklin County is a county in Indiana, United States, on the state’s border with Ohio. It had a population of 22,785 at the 2020 census and covers 391.05 square miles (1,012.8 km2) centred near 39°25′N 85°04′W.
Brookville is the county seat, and its postal code is 47012. Five towns hold their own municipal government — Brookville, Cedar Grove, Laurel, Mount Carmel and Oldenburg — plus the city of Batesville, most of which lies across the line in Ripley County, and roughly forty unincorporated communities and crossroads. Franklin County observes Eastern time.
Towns & Villages in Franklin County
Franklin County has five incorporated towns, one shared city, and dozens of unincorporated communities and crossroads scattered along the Whitewater River and its tributaries. Metamora, a well-known historic canal town, is unincorporated. CDP = census-designated place; Unincorp. = unincorporated community.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brookville | Town · seat | Brookville | — | 47012 |
| Batesville | City (partial) | — | — | — |
| Cedar Grove | Town | Whitewater | — | 47016 |
| Laurel | Town | Laurel | — | 47024 |
| Mount Carmel | Town | Whitewater | — | — |
| Oldenburg | Town | — | — | 47036 |
| Metamora | Unincorp. | Metamora | — | 47030 |
| Andersonville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Bath | Unincorp. | Bath | — | 47010 |
| Old Bath | Unincorp. | Bath | — | — |
| Blooming Grove | Unincorp. | Blooming Grove | — | — |
| Buena Vista | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Drewersburg | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Enochsburg | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Fairfield | Unincorp. | Fairfield | — | — |
| New Fairfield | Unincorp. | Fairfield | — | — |
| Hamburg | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Highland Center | Unincorp. | Highland | — | — |
| Huntersville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Klemmes Corner | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Lake Santee | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Lake View | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Midway | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Millville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Mixersville | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Mound Haven | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Mount Auburn | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| New Trenton | Unincorp. | — | — | 47035 |
| Oak Forest | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Oak Tree Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Palestine | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Peoria | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Peppertown | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Pinhook | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Raymond | Unincorp. | Ray | — | — |
| Rockdale | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Saint Marys | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Saint Peter | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Scipio | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Sharptown | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| South Gate | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Stavetown | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Whitcomb | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Yellow Bank | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Youngs Corner | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
Batesville straddles the Franklin–Ripley county line; the bulk of the city and its municipal government sit in Ripley County, with only a fringe of the built-up area reaching into Franklin. Bath and Old Bath are two separate, closely spaced places in Bath Township, not a single duplicated entry.
Townships
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Bath | — | Bath, Old Bath |
| Blooming Grove | — | Blooming Grove |
| Brookville | — | Brookville |
| Butler | — | — |
| Fairfield | — | Fairfield, New Fairfield |
| Highland | — | Highland Center |
| Laurel | — | Laurel |
| Metamora | — | Metamora |
| Posey | — | — |
| Ray | — | Raymond |
| Salt Creek | — | — |
| Springfield | — | — |
| Whitewater | — | Cedar Grove, Mount Carmel |
ZIP Codes
- 47012 — Brookville (also serves the county seat and surrounding Brookville Township)
- 47010 — Bath
- 47016 — Cedar Grove
- 47024 — Laurel
- 47030 — Metamora
- 47035 — New Trenton
- 47036 — Oldenburg
Seven ZIP codes cover Franklin County; smaller communities such as Andersonville, Mount Carmel and the many crossroads hamlets are served by the nearest of these post offices rather than having a ZIP of their own.
Geography
Franklin County lies in southeastern Indiana on rolling, hilly terrain cut by the Whitewater River, which flows south through the county toward the Ohio River. Of the county’s 391.05 square miles, 384.43 square miles are land and 6.62 square miles are water. The Whitewater’s east and west forks converge near Brookville, and the old Whitewater Canal, now preserved at the Metamora State Historic Site, once ran the length of the valley.
Franklin County borders Fayette County to the north, Union County to the northeast, Butler County, Ohio, and Hamilton County, Ohio, to the east, Ripley County to the southwest, Decatur County to the west, and Rush County to the northwest. Its southern neighbor is Dearborn County.
Demographics
Franklin County had 22,785 residents at the 2020 census. Its two largest communities are Brookville, the county seat, and Batesville, whose built-up area is shared with neighboring Ripley County. Median household income in the county runs below the Indiana median of $69,477, typical of the state’s rural southeastern counties. With 384.43 square miles of land, the county’s overall population density is about 59 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture, light manufacturing, and proximity to the Cincinnati metro area anchor the local economy. Batesville’s manufacturing and casket-industry employers (based across the line in Ripley County) draw commuters from Franklin County, and Brookville State Recreation Area and Brookville Lake support tourism and seasonal recreation along the Whitewater valley. Metamora’s restored 1800s canal town, with its working canal boat and craft shops, is the county’s best-known visitor destination and draws crowds for its annual fall festivals.
History
Franklin County was authorized on February 1, 1811, and organized soon after as one of Indiana’s earliest counties, formed from Clark and Dearborn counties before Indiana achieved statehood. It was named for statesman and Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. Brookville, at the forks of the Whitewater River, served briefly in the 1810s–20s as an important early Indiana settlement and printing center; the Whitewater Canal, built through the county in the 1830s–40s, opened the valley to river trade before railroads made it obsolete, and its restored remnant at Metamora is now a state historic site.
Getting There
Interstate 74 crosses the northeastern part of the county, and US Route 52 and State Roads 1, 46, 101, 121, 229, 244 and 252 provide the main local links.
- Cincinnati, Ohio — about 40 miles east
- Indianapolis — about 65 miles west
- Batesville — on the county’s southwestern edge
- Connersville — about 20 miles north
The nearest commercial airport is Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), roughly 45 miles to the southeast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Franklin County, Indiana?
It is in southeastern Indiana, on the Ohio border, centred near 39°25′N 85°04′W.
What is the population of Franklin County?
22,785 at the 2020 census.
How big is Franklin County?
391.05 square miles (1,012.8 km2), of which 384.43 square miles is land.
What is the county seat of Franklin County?
Brookville is the county seat.
How many towns are in Franklin County?
Five incorporated towns — Brookville, Cedar Grove, Laurel, Mount Carmel and Oldenburg — plus the shared city of Batesville and dozens of unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Franklin County?
Seven ZIP codes serve the county, led by 47012 (Brookville), 47024 (Laurel), 47030 (Metamora) and 47036 (Oldenburg).
What is Metamora known for?
A restored 1800s Whitewater Canal town with a working canal boat, gristmill, and craft shops, now preserved as a state historic site.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Indiana.