Franklin County is a county in Kansas, United States, along Interstate 35 in the northeastern part of the state. It had a population of 25,996 at the 2020 census and covers 577 square miles (1,490 km2) centred near 38°35′N 95°17′W.
Ottawa is the county seat, and its postal code is 66067. Franklin County has eight incorporated cities and about a dozen smaller unincorporated communities, and it lies in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Franklin County
Franklin County has 21 named places on record: eight incorporated cities and thirteen unincorporated communities, several of them small rail sidings or manufactured-home parks rather than settlements with their own government. Places marked “Unincorp.” have no city government and no separately reported census population.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa | City · seat | — | 66067 |
| Wellsville | City | — | 66092 |
| Pomona | City | — | 66076 |
| Williamsburg | City | — | 66095 |
| Princeton | City | — | 66078 |
| Richmond | City | — | 66080 |
| Rantoul | City | — | 66079 |
| Lane | City | — | 66042 |
| Centropolis | Unincorp. | — | 66067 |
| Homewood | Unincorp. | — | 66080 |
| Le Loup | Unincorp. | — | 66067 |
| Norwood | Unincorp. | — | 66067 |
| Peoria | Unincorp. | — | 66067 |
| Silkville | Unincorp. | — | 66079 |
| Ransomville | Unincorp. | — | 66067 |
| Richter | Unincorp. | — | 66067 |
| Imes | Unincorp. | — | 66067 |
| B N Junction | Unincorp. | — | 66067 |
| Ottawa Junction | Unincorp. | — | 66067 |
| Acres MH Estate Park | Unincorp. | — | 66067 |
| Cherrywoods MH Park | Unincorp. | — | 66067 |
| Princeton MH Park | Unincorp. | — | 66078 |
The old page listed “Centropolis” twice; the duplicate has been removed. B N Junction and Ottawa Junction are rail sidings rather than settlements, and the three “MH Park” entries are manufactured-home communities — all are carried over from the county gazetteer because each corresponds to a real, named place.
ZIP Codes
- 66067 — Ottawa (also serves Centropolis, Le Loup, Norwood, Peoria, Ransomville, Richter, Imes, B N Junction, Ottawa Junction, Acres MH Estate Park, Cherrywoods MH Park)
- 66092 — Wellsville
- 66076 — Pomona
- 66080 — Richmond (also serves Homewood)
- 66042 — Lane
- 66078 — Princeton (also serves Princeton MH Park)
- 66079 — Rantoul (also serves Silkville)
- 66095 — Williamsburg
Unincorporated communities without a post office of their own use the ZIP code of the nearest incorporated city.
Geography
Franklin County sits on the Osage Cuestas, a belt of gently rolling prairie and low limestone ridges in the eastern Flint Hills transition zone. The Marais des Cygnes River crosses the county through Ottawa, and Pomona Lake, a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir on 110 Mile Creek near the city of Pomona, provides flood control, water supply, and recreation. Land use is a mix of row-crop farmland, pasture, and, near Ottawa, suburban and light-industrial development.
Franklin County borders Douglas County to the north, Johnson County to the northeast, Miami County to the east, Linn County to the southeast, Anderson County to the south, Coffey County to the southwest, and Osage County to the west.
Demographics
Franklin County had 25,996 residents at the 2020 census. Ottawa, the county seat, is by far the largest community, followed by Wellsville. Franklin County’s median household income runs below the Kansas median of $70,333, reflecting the county’s largely rural, agricultural economic base outside the Ottawa metro fringe. With 572 square miles of land, the county’s overall population density is roughly 45 people per square mile, though most residents live in or near Ottawa and the smaller incorporated cities along US-59 and I-35.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture — corn, soybeans, wheat, and cattle — remains the backbone of the rural county, while Ottawa anchors the local economy with retail, health care, and light manufacturing. Ottawa University, a private university founded in Ottawa in 1865, is one of the county’s largest employers and a fixture of the city’s identity. Franklin County State Fishing Lake and Pomona Lake draw fishing, boating, and camping traffic from the wider Kansas City and Topeka areas, especially in summer.
History
Franklin County was organized on August 25, 1855, and named for Benjamin Franklin. Before white settlement, the federal government had relocated the Ottawa tribe from Ohio to a reservation covering part of the future county in the 1830s; an 1862 treaty with the tribe helped fund the founding of Ottawa University in 1865, and most of the Ottawa people were removed to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) in 1867. Ottawa, the city, takes its name from the tribe. The county has voted Republican in nearly every presidential election since 1964.
Getting There
Interstate 35 runs diagonally through the county past Ottawa, and US-50, US-59, K-33, and K-68 provide the other main routes. Ottawa Municipal Airport handles general aviation; the nearest commercial airport is Kansas City International (MCI), roughly 60 miles northeast.
- Lawrence, Kansas — about 25 miles north via US-59
- Kansas City, Kansas — about 55 miles northeast via I-35
- Topeka, Kansas — about 35 miles northwest via US-59 and I-70
- Emporia, Kansas — about 45 miles southwest via I-35
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Franklin County, Kansas?
It is in the northeastern part of Kansas, along Interstate 35 between Kansas City and Emporia.
What is the population of Franklin County?
25,996 people, per the 2020 census.
How big is Franklin County?
577 square miles (1,490 km2), of which 572 square miles are land.
What is the county seat of Franklin County?
Ottawa is the county seat.
How many towns are in Franklin County?
Eight incorporated cities — Ottawa, Wellsville, Pomona, Williamsburg, Princeton, Richmond, Rantoul, and Lane — plus about a dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Franklin County?
66067, 66092, 66076, 66080, 66042, 66078, 66079, and 66095.
What river runs through Franklin County?
The Marais des Cygnes River, which flows through Ottawa.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Kansas.