Franklin Parish is a parish in Louisiana, United States, in the northeastern part of the state along the Boeuf and Tensas river basins. It had a population of 19,774 at the 2020 census and covers 635 square miles (1,645 km2), of which 625 square miles (1,619 km2) is land, centred near 32°08′N 91°40′W.
Winnsboro is the parish seat, and its postal code is 71295. The parish has two incorporated towns, two villages, and six unincorporated communities. Franklin Parish sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Franklin Parish
Ten named places make up Franklin Parish: two towns, two villages, and six unincorporated communities and landings along the Boeuf and Tensas rivers. Winnsboro is the only place with its own municipal government of any size; the rest are small villages or rural crossroads. CDP = census-designated place; Unincorp. = unincorporated community with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winnsboro | Town · seat | — | 71295 |
| Wisner | Town | — | 71378 |
| Baskin | Village | — | 71219 |
| Gilbert | Village | — | 71336 |
| Chase | Unincorp. | — | 71324 |
| Crowville | Unincorp. | — | 71230 |
| Extension | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fort Necessity | Unincorp. | — | 71243 |
| Jigger | Unincorp. | — | 71249 |
| Liddieville | Unincorp. | — | — |
Several names from older lists of the parish are river landings on the Boeuf and Ouachita rivers rather than settlements with any population — Big A Plenty, Craig, Cut Off, Dickey, Dixie, Harris, Jones, Oakley, Oakwood, Stones, Sunrise, Talbot, Waller, and Warsaw landings among them. They mark boat-launch points, not towns, so they are omitted from the table above; Baskinton, Bushes, Elam, Lamar, Longview, Lorelein, Mason, Metropolis, Oakley, and Swampers likewise have no verifiable population or civic status and are left out rather than guessed at.
ZIP Codes
- 71295 — Winnsboro (also serves the parish’s central and southern rural routes)
- 71378 — Wisner
- 71336 — Gilbert
- 71219 — Baskin
- 71243 — Fort Necessity
- 71230 — Crowville (PO Box delivery)
- 71249 — Jigger (PO Box delivery)
- 71324 — Chase (PO Box delivery)
Extension and Liddieville have no ZIP code of their own and are served by a neighboring post office.
Geography
Franklin Parish lies in the Mississippi Alluvial Plain, flat and largely agricultural, drained by the Boeuf River, the Tensas River, and Bayou Lafourche des Amites in the parish’s east. The Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge covers part of the parish’s southeastern corner, protecting bottomland hardwood forest and bayou habitat. The parish borders Richland Parish to the north, Madison Parish to the northeast, Tensas Parish to the southeast, Catahoula Parish to the south, and Caldwell Parish to the west.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 19,774 residents, a density of about 32 people per square mile of land. Winnsboro, the seat, is the largest community by a wide margin, followed by Wisner. Median household income in Franklin Parish runs well below the Louisiana median of $58,229, consistent with the parish’s rural, agriculture-based economy; about a third of parish residents identify as Black or African American and roughly two-thirds as White.
Economy & Local Life
Row-crop farming — cotton, corn, soybeans, and rice on the alluvial bottomland — and catfish aquaculture anchor the parish economy, alongside timber from the bottomland forests near the Tensas refuge. Winnsboro serves as the parish’s retail and government hub. The Franklin Parish Catfish Festival, held each June in Winnsboro, draws 15,000 to 20,000 visitors for vendor booths, live music, and a catfish-cooking contest, and is the parish’s best-known annual event.
History
Franklin Parish was established in 1843 and named for Benjamin Franklin. Its economy has long centred on cotton and, more recently, catfish farming drawing on the parish’s abundant surface water and bottomland soils. Grammy-winning country singer Lainey Wilson, born in Baskin, is the parish’s best-known modern native.
Getting There
U.S. Route 425 runs north–south through Winnsboro, and Louisiana Highway 15 crosses the parish east–west, linking it to the Interstate 20 corridor to the north.
- Monroe — 30 miles northwest
- Natchez, Mississippi — 45 miles southeast
- Alexandria — 60 miles south
- Vicksburg, Mississippi — 55 miles east
Monroe Regional Airport, about 30 miles northwest of Winnsboro, is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Franklin Parish, Louisiana?
It’s in the northeastern part of Louisiana, between the Boeuf and Tensas rivers, roughly 30 miles southeast of Monroe.
What is the population of Franklin Parish?
19,774 people at the 2020 census.
How big is Franklin Parish?
635 square miles (1,645 km2), of which 625 square miles is land.
What is the parish seat of Franklin Parish?
Winnsboro is the parish seat and largest town.
How many towns and villages are in Franklin Parish?
Two incorporated towns (Winnsboro and Wisner), two villages (Baskin and Gilbert), and several unincorporated communities including Crowville, Fort Necessity, Chase, and Jigger.
What ZIP codes are in Franklin Parish?
71295 (Winnsboro), 71378 (Wisner), 71336 (Gilbert), 71219 (Baskin), 71243 (Fort Necessity), plus PO Box codes 71230 (Crowville), 71249 (Jigger), and 71324 (Chase).
What is Franklin Parish known for?
Catfish farming and the annual Franklin Parish Catfish Festival in Winnsboro, and as the birthplace of country singer Lainey Wilson.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Louisiana.