Franklin County is a county in Iowa, United States, about 20 miles south of Mason City. It had a population of 10,019 at the 2020 census, an estimated 9,868 by 2025, and covers 582 square miles (1,510 km2) of land centred near 42°43′51″N 93°16′03″W.
Hampton is the county seat; its postal code is 50441. The county holds 10 incorporated cities, 2 census-designated places and several unincorporated communities across 16 townships, and it runs on Central Time. Its FIPS code is 19069.
Towns & Villages in Franklin County
Franklin County has 12 named places on the map: 10 incorporated cities and 2 census-designated places (Bradford and Chapin), plus a handful of unincorporated communities with no town government of their own. Type labels below use City · seat for Hampton, City for the other nine incorporated places, CDP for the two census-designated places, and Unincorp. for the rest.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampton | City · seat | — | 4,337 | 50441 |
| Ackley | City | — | 1,599 | 50601 |
| Sheffield | City | — | 1,130 | 50475 |
| Dows | City | — | 521 | 50071 |
| Latimer | City | — | 477 | 50452 |
| Coulter | City | — | 219 | 50431 |
| Alexander | City | — | 163 | 50420 |
| Geneva | City | Geneva | 136 | 50633 |
| Hansell | City | — | 82 | — |
| Bradford | CDP | — | 84 | 50041 |
| Chapin | CDP | — | 71 | 50427 |
| Popejoy | City | — | 77 | 50227 |
| Burdette | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Faulkner | Unincorp. | — | — | — |
| Oakland | Unincorp. | Oakland | — | — |
Two cities straddle a county line and their populations above are the whole-city totals, not just the Franklin County share: Ackley sits mostly in Hardin County, and Dows sits mostly in Wright County. Popejoy, on the county’s western edge, has no post office of its own and shares its ZIP with the town over the Wright County line.
Townships
Franklin County is divided into 16 civil townships: Geneva, Grant, Hamilton, Ingham, Lee, Marion, Morgan, Mott, Oakland, Osceola, Reeve, Richland, Ross, Scott, West Fork and Wisner. Geneva Township holds the city of Geneva and Oakland Township holds the unincorporated community of Oakland; reliable population figures broken out by township were not available at publication, so they are omitted below rather than estimated.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Geneva | — | Geneva |
| Grant | — | — |
| Hamilton | — | — |
| Ingham | — | — |
| Lee | — | — |
| Marion | — | — |
| Morgan | — | — |
| Mott | — | — |
| Oakland | — | Oakland |
| Osceola | — | — |
| Reeve | — | — |
| Richland | — | — |
| Ross | — | — |
| Scott | — | — |
| West Fork | — | — |
| Wisner | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 50441 — Hampton (also serves the surrounding rural townships)
- 50601 — Ackley (post office town for the Franklin County side of the city)
- 50475 — Sheffield
- 50071 — Dows (post office town for the Franklin County side of the city)
- 50452 — Latimer
- 50431 — Coulter
- 50420 — Alexander
- 50633 — Geneva
- 50041 — Bradford
- 50427 — Chapin
- 50227 — Popejoy
Hansell, Burdette, Faulkner and Oakland have no ZIP code of their own; mail there is delivered under a neighboring town’s code.
Geography
Franklin County sits on the Iowan Surface, a gently rolling till plain with almost no natural lakes; its land area is 582 square miles against just 0.6 square miles of water. The largest body of water is Beeds Lake, a man-made reservoir on Lake Creek just outside Hampton, now the centerpiece of a state park carrying the same name. The county borders Cerro Gordo County to the north, Butler County to the east, Hardin County to the south, Wright County to the west, and Grundy County to the southeast.
Demographics
Franklin County had a population of 10,019 at the 2020 census, and the Census Bureau’s latest estimate puts it at 9,868, a slow decline typical of rural Iowa counties. Hampton and Ackley are the two largest communities, together holding more than half the county’s residents. Median household income was $59,894 as of the most recent American Community Survey figures, below Iowa’s statewide median of $75,059. Spread across 582 square miles of land, the county’s population density works out to roughly 17 people per square mile.
Economy & Local Life
Manufacturing is the county’s largest employment sector, with about 1,021 workers, followed by health care and social assistance (508 workers) and retail trade (506 workers). Hampton is home to Franklin General Hospital and was long the site of Winnebago Industries’ fiberglass division before that operation relocated in 2008. The Buffalo Creek Wind Farm, a 200-megawatt project that began operating in 2007, sits in the county’s rural townships. The Franklin County Fair, held every July in Hampton, is the county’s biggest annual event, with grandstand entertainment including rodeos, concerts and Figure 8 races.
History
Franklin County was formed on January 15, 1851, and organized on March 3, 1856. It is named after Benjamin Franklin, one of five Iowa counties named for the Founding Father. Hampton was platted in 1856 and named after Hampton, New Hampshire, and became the county seat soon after. The Franklin County Soldiers Memorial Hall, an octagonal building in Hampton dating to 1890, commemorates the county’s Civil War veterans and remains the most visible historical landmark in the county seat.
Getting There
Interstate 35 runs north-south through the eastern part of the county, with U.S. Highway 65 and Iowa Highways 3 and 57 providing the main east-west and secondary routes.
- Mason City — 20 miles north
- Waterloo — 45 miles southeast
- Fort Dodge — 45 miles west
- Des Moines — 90 miles south
The nearest commercial airport is Mason City Municipal Airport, about 25 miles north of Hampton. The nearest Amtrak station is in Osceola or Fort Madison; there is no passenger rail service anywhere near Franklin County.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Franklin County, Iowa?
It’s in north-central Iowa, about 20 miles south of Mason City, bordered by Cerro Gordo, Butler, Hardin, Wright and Grundy counties.
What is the population of Franklin County?
10,019 at the 2020 census, with a more recent estimate of 9,868.
How big is Franklin County?
582 square miles of land (1,510 km2), plus 0.6 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Franklin County?
Hampton, population 4,337, ZIP code 50441.
How many towns are in Franklin County?
10 incorporated cities and 2 census-designated places, plus a few unincorporated communities, across 16 townships.
What ZIP codes serve Franklin County?
11 ZIP codes, from 50441 (Hampton) down to small-town codes like 50227 (Popejoy) and 50420 (Alexander); a few tiny communities share a neighboring town’s code.
Do any Franklin County towns sit in more than one county?
Yes. Ackley straddles the Hardin County line and Dows straddles the Wright County line; both cities’ full populations include residents on the other side.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Iowa.