Franklin County, Arkansas | |
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      Clockwise from top: The Ozark Bridge over theArkansas River,Franklin County Courthouse in Ozark, theWiederkehr Wine Cellar nearAltus, Sunset from Reed Mountain overlooking theArkansas River Valley, Overlook at White Rock Mountain in theOzark National Forest,Franklin County Courthouse inCharleston | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state ofArkansas | |
 Arkansas's location within theU.S. | |
| Coordinates:35°31′15″N93°52′33″W / 35.520833333333°N 93.875833333333°W /35.520833333333; -93.875833333333 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Arkansas |
| Founded | December 19, 1837 |
| Named after | Benjamin Franklin |
| Seat | Ozark (northern district); Charleston (southern district) |
| Largest city | Ozark |
| Area | |
• Total | 620 sq mi (1,600 km2) |
| • Land | 609 sq mi (1,580 km2) |
| • Water | 11 sq mi (28 km2) 1.7% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 17,097 |
• Estimate (2024) | 17,586 |
| • Density | 28.1/sq mi (10.8/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 4th |
| Website | https://www.arcounties.org/counties/franklin/ |
Franklin County is acounty inArkansas. As of the2020 census, the population was 17,097.[1] The county has twocounty seats,Charleston andOzark.[2] The county was formed on December 19, 1837, and named forBenjamin Franklin,[3] American statesman. Franklin County is a damp county, with alcohol sales allowed except in Prairie & Alix townships, and limits on liquor sales in the city ofBranch.[4]
Franklin County was carved out of Crawford County in December 1837. At that time, Franklin was significantly larger than it is at present, encompassing part of present-dayLogan County which was formed in 1871.
Initially, the county had a single courthouse at Ozark. To promote economic growth in the county, federal land grants were made in 1853 to incentivize the construction and operation of theLittle Rock and Fort Smith Railroad. From receivership in 1875 after a railroad debt crisis, it was reorganized as theLittle Rock and Fort Smith Railway.[5] A number of towns were established in the 1890s on the north bank of the river along its right of way. Many farmers purchased land that had been owned by the railway. After complaints about how difficult it was to cross the river at times, a second courthouse was established at Charleston for citizens in the settlements south of the river, sometime in the 1890s, probably after 1892 since "Charleston" did not appear in an 1893 railroad map in all capital letters as "OZARK" did.[5] In 1906 the railway was acquired by theSt. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway. In 1917 the line became a backbone of theMoPac, which merged into theUnion Pacific Railroad in 1982.
The reality television show,The Simple Life, starringNicole Richie andParis Hilton was filmed inAltus in 2003.
As of February 2024 animal rights activists have voted Franklin County, AR most likely to support animal abusers as in the case of James Williams and Williams Plumbing with their attempts at killing a female dog and her puppies.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 620 square miles (1,600 km2), of which 609 square miles (1,580 km2) is land and 11 square miles (28 km2) (1.7%) is water.[6]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1840 | 2,665 | — | |
| 1850 | 3,972 | 49.0% | |
| 1860 | 7,298 | 83.7% | |
| 1870 | 9,627 | 31.9% | |
| 1880 | 14,951 | 55.3% | |
| 1890 | 19,934 | 33.3% | |
| 1900 | 17,395 | −12.7% | |
| 1910 | 20,638 | 18.6% | |
| 1920 | 19,364 | −6.2% | |
| 1930 | 15,762 | −18.6% | |
| 1940 | 15,683 | −0.5% | |
| 1950 | 12,358 | −21.2% | |
| 1960 | 10,213 | −17.4% | |
| 1970 | 11,301 | 10.7% | |
| 1980 | 14,705 | 30.1% | |
| 1990 | 14,897 | 1.3% | |
| 2000 | 17,771 | 19.3% | |
| 2010 | 18,125 | 2.0% | |
| 2020 | 17,097 | −5.7% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 17,586 | [7] | 2.9% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[8] 1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[10] 1990–2000[11] 2010[12] | |||
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 15,201 | 88.91% |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 78 | 0.46% |
| Native American | 199 | 1.16% |
| Asian | 162 | 0.95% |
| Pacific Islander | 10 | 0.06% |
| Other/Mixed | 956 | 5.59% |
| Hispanic orLatino | 491 | 2.87% |
As of the2020 United States census, there were 17,097 people, 6,723 households, and 4,537 families residing in the county.
As of the2000 census,[15] there were 17,771 people, 6,882 households, and 4,961 families residing in the county. The population density was 29 inhabitants per square mile (11/km2). There were 7,673 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5.0/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.17%White, 0.62%Black orAfrican American, 0.80%Native American, 0.26%Asian, 0.06%Pacific Islander, 0.74% fromother races, and 1.35% from two or more races. 1.74% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race.
There were 6,882 households, out of which 32.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.20% weremarried couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.90% were non-families. 24.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.80% under the age of 18, 8.50% from 18 to 24, 26.70% from 25 to 44, 23.20% from 45 to 64, and 15.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.80 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $30,848, and the median income for a family was $36,189. Males had a median income of $27,907 versus $18,822 for females. Theper capita income for the county was $14,616. About 10.60% of families and 15.20% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 16.20% of those under age 18 and 15.70% of those age 65 or over.
The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by theConstitution of Arkansas and theArkansas Code. The quorum court is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are calledjustices of the peace and are elected from county districts every even-numbered year. The number of districts in a county vary from nine to fifteen, and district boundaries are drawn by the county election commission. The Franklin County Quorum Court has nine members. Presiding over quorum court meetings is thecounty judge, who serves as thechief operating officer of the county. The county judge is elected at-large and does not vote in quorum court business, although capable of vetoing quorum court decisions.[16][17]
| Position | Officeholder | Party |
|---|---|---|
| County Judge | Rickey Bowman | Republican |
| County Clerk | Tammy Sisson | Republican |
| Circuit Clerk | Janice King | Republican |
| Sheriff | Johnny Crocker | Republican |
| Treasurer | Shelly Wilson | Democratic |
| Collector | Margaret Hamilton | Republican |
| Assessor | Rose McKinnon | Republican |
| Coroner | Casey White | Democratic |
The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 6 Republicans, 1 Democrat, and 1 Independent. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:[20]
Additionally, the townships of Franklin County are entitled to elect their own respective constables, as set forth by theConstitution of Arkansas. Constables are largely of historical significance as they were used to keep the peace in rural areas when travel was more difficult.[21] The township constables as of the 2024 elections are:[20]
Over the past few election cycles, Franklin County has trended heavily towards the GOP. The last Democrat (as of 2024) to carry this county was Arkansas native Bill Clinton in 1996.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1896 | 424 | 18.99% | 1,746 | 78.19% | 63 | 2.82% |
| 1900 | 485 | 25.74% | 1,367 | 72.56% | 32 | 1.70% |
| 1904 | 593 | 34.94% | 968 | 57.04% | 136 | 8.01% |
| 1908 | 565 | 27.40% | 1,311 | 63.58% | 186 | 9.02% |
| 1912 | 258 | 14.75% | 1,113 | 63.64% | 378 | 21.61% |
| 1916 | 582 | 25.74% | 1,679 | 74.26% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1920 | 769 | 32.15% | 1,502 | 62.79% | 121 | 5.06% |
| 1924 | 422 | 23.05% | 1,188 | 64.88% | 221 | 12.07% |
| 1928 | 774 | 36.53% | 1,329 | 62.72% | 16 | 0.76% |
| 1932 | 275 | 12.30% | 1,896 | 84.83% | 64 | 2.86% |
| 1936 | 345 | 15.35% | 1,890 | 84.11% | 12 | 0.53% |
| 1940 | 319 | 16.60% | 1,601 | 83.30% | 2 | 0.10% |
| 1944 | 457 | 27.75% | 1,188 | 72.13% | 2 | 0.12% |
| 1948 | 391 | 18.69% | 1,591 | 76.05% | 110 | 5.26% |
| 1952 | 1,215 | 40.74% | 1,762 | 59.09% | 5 | 0.17% |
| 1956 | 1,137 | 41.03% | 1,614 | 58.25% | 20 | 0.72% |
| 1960 | 1,631 | 43.48% | 2,025 | 53.99% | 95 | 2.53% |
| 1964 | 1,580 | 36.76% | 2,685 | 62.47% | 33 | 0.77% |
| 1968 | 1,333 | 29.02% | 1,149 | 25.02% | 2,111 | 45.96% |
| 1972 | 3,678 | 74.60% | 1,252 | 25.40% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1976 | 1,973 | 34.76% | 3,703 | 65.24% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1980 | 3,448 | 53.66% | 2,716 | 42.27% | 262 | 4.08% |
| 1984 | 4,382 | 64.04% | 2,399 | 35.06% | 62 | 0.91% |
| 1988 | 3,588 | 58.93% | 2,458 | 40.37% | 43 | 0.71% |
| 1992 | 2,495 | 37.04% | 3,217 | 47.76% | 1,024 | 15.20% |
| 1996 | 2,246 | 36.30% | 3,269 | 52.83% | 673 | 10.88% |
| 2000 | 3,277 | 53.37% | 2,674 | 43.55% | 189 | 3.08% |
| 2004 | 4,181 | 57.36% | 3,008 | 41.27% | 100 | 1.37% |
| 2008 | 4,411 | 68.12% | 1,869 | 28.86% | 195 | 3.01% |
| 2012 | 4,631 | 70.81% | 1,726 | 26.39% | 183 | 2.80% |
| 2016 | 5,039 | 74.43% | 1,376 | 20.32% | 355 | 5.24% |
| 2020 | 5,677 | 79.63% | 1,300 | 18.24% | 152 | 2.13% |
| 2024 | 5,582 | 80.07% | 1,232 | 17.67% | 157 | 2.25% |
Townships in Arkansas are the divisions of a county. Each township includes unincorporated areas; some may have incorporated cities or towns within part of their boundaries. Arkansas townships have limited purposes in modern times. However, theUnited States census does list Arkansas population based on townships (sometimes referred to as "county subdivisions" or "minor civil divisions"). Townships are also of value for historical purposes in terms of genealogical research. Each town or city is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps and publications. The townships of Franklin County are listed below; listed in parentheses are the cities, towns, and/orcensus-designated places that are fully or partially inside the township.[23][24][25]
School districts include:[26]
Places adjacent to Franklin County, Arkansas | ||||||||||||||||
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Municipalities and communities ofFranklin County, Arkansas,United States | ||
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| Other unincorporated communities | ||
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35°31′15″N93°52′33″W / 35.52083°N 93.87583°W /35.52083; -93.87583
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