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County · code 21073

Franklin CountyKentucky

Franklin County is a county in Kentucky with its seat in Frankfort, formed on May 10, 1795.

  • Founded1795
  • County seatFrankfort
  • Named forBenjamin Franklin
  • Land area208 sq mi + 4.2 sq mi water
  • Population51,541 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped23,408 checked 15 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Franklin County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

WoodfordAndersonOwenScottShelbyHenry Frankfort Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Franklin on the map of Kentucky

Kentucky has 120 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Adair CountyAllen CountyAnderson CountyBallard CountyBarren CountyBath CountyBell CountyBoone CountyBourbon CountyBoyd CountyBoyle CountyBracken CountyBreathitt CountyBreckinridge CountyBullitt CountyButler CountyCaldwell CountyCalloway CountyCampbell CountyCarlisle CountyCarroll CountyCarter CountyCasey CountyChristian CountyClark CountyClay CountyClinton CountyCrittenden CountyCumberland CountyDaviess CountyEdmonson CountyElliott CountyEstill CountyFayette CountyFleming CountyFloyd CountyFulton CountyGallatin CountyGarrard CountyGrant CountyGraves CountyGrayson CountyGreen CountyGreenup CountyHancock CountyHardin CountyHarlan CountyHarrison CountyHart CountyHenderson CountyHenry CountyHickman CountyHopkins CountyJackson CountyJefferson CountyJessamine CountyJohnson CountyKenton CountyKnott CountyKnox CountyLarue CountyLaurel CountyLawrence CountyLee CountyLeslie CountyLetcher CountyLewis CountyLincoln CountyLivingston CountyLogan CountyLyon CountyMcCracken CountyMcCreary CountyMcLean CountyMadison CountyMagoffin CountyMarion CountyMarshall CountyMartin CountyMason CountyMeade CountyMenifee CountyMercer CountyMetcalfe CountyMonroe CountyMontgomery CountyMorgan CountyMuhlenberg CountyNelson CountyNicholas CountyOhio CountyOldham CountyOwen CountyOwsley CountyPendleton CountyPerry CountyPike CountyPowell CountyPulaski CountyRobertson CountyRockcastle CountyRowan CountyRussell CountyScott CountyShelby CountySimpson CountySpencer CountyTaylor CountyTodd CountyTrigg CountyTrimble CountyUnion CountyWarren CountyWashington CountyWayne CountyWebster CountyWhitley CountyWolfe CountyWoodford CountyFranklin County Franklin
Counties of Kentucky · Franklin highlighted

History

Formed in 1795 from Mercer County, Shelby County and Woodford County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Franklin County was formed in 1795 from Mercer County, Shelby County and Woodford County, and named after Benjamin Franklin. Frankfort is the county seat.

Deeds and plats from before 1795 for land now in Franklin County may have been recorded in Mercer County, Shelby County and Woodford County.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

  1. 1795
    Franklin County created Franklin created from Mercer, Shelby, and Woodford.
    from Mercerfrom Shelbyfrom Woodford
    · Ky. Acts 1794, 3d assy., ch. 13, sec. 1/pp. 19-21
  2. 1799
    Lost territory Franklin lost to creation of Gallatin.
    to Gallatin
    · Ky. Acts 1798-1799, 7th assy., ch. 58, sec. 1/pp. 79-81
  3. 1819
    Lost territory Franklin lost to creation of Owen.
    to Owen
    · Ky. Acts 1818-1819, 27th assy., ch. 387, sec. 1/pp. 702-705
  4. 1820
    Gained territory Franklin gained from Shelby.
    from Shelby
    · Ky. Acts 1819-1820, 28th assy., ch. 477, secs. 1-2/pp. 839-841
  5. 1820
    Gained territory Franklin gained from Owen.
    from Owen
    · Ky. Acts 1820, 29th assy., ch. 23/p. 31
Show all 11 changes (6 more, mostly small adjustments)
  1. 1795
    Franklin County created Franklin created from Mercer, Shelby, and Woodford.
    from Mercerfrom Shelbyfrom Woodford
    · Ky. Acts 1794, 3d assy., ch. 13, sec. 1/pp. 19-21
  2. 1799
    Lost territory Franklin lost to creation of Gallatin.
    to Gallatin
    · Ky. Acts 1798-1799, 7th assy., ch. 58, sec. 1/pp. 79-81
  3. 1819
    Lost territory Franklin lost to creation of Owen.
    to Owen
    · Ky. Acts 1818-1819, 27th assy., ch. 387, sec. 1/pp. 702-705
  4. 1820
    Gained territory Franklin gained from Shelby.
    from Shelby
    · Ky. Acts 1819-1820, 28th assy., ch. 477, secs. 1-2/pp. 839-841
  5. 1820
    Gained territory Franklin gained from Owen.
    from Owen
    · Ky. Acts 1820, 29th assy., ch. 23/p. 31
  6. 1827
    Gained territory Franklin gained from Henry.
    from Henry
    · Ky. Acts 1826-1827, 35th assy., ch. 25/p. 34, and ch. 158/p. 187
  7. 1827
    Lost territory Franklin lost to creation of Anderson.
    to Anderson
    · Ky. Acts 1826-1827, 35th assy., ch. 35, sec. 1/pp. 44-47, and ch. 46, sec. 1/p. 55
  8. 1845
    Lost territory Franklin lost small area to Scott to accommodate local property owner.
    to Scott
    · Ky. Acts 1844-1845, ch. 266, sec. 4/p. 202
  9. 1846
    Lost territory Franklin lost small area to Anderson to accommodate local property owner.
    to Anderson
    · Ky. Acts 1845-1846, ch. 176/pp. 10-11
  10. 1854
    Lost territory Franklin lost small area to Anderson to accommodate local property owner.
    to Anderson
    · Ky. Acts 1853-1854, vol. 1, ch. 93/p. 6
  11. 1869
    Lost territory Franklin lost small area to Scott to accommodate local property owner.
    to Scott
    · Ky. Acts 1869, Jan. adj. sess., ch. 1744, sec. 1/p. 1

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Franklin

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Official
from the office that keeps the record
Good enough
a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback
a guide only; check the official record
Missing
nothing public found yet

People and land

Franklin by the Census

Population
51,541 2020 Census count
Housing units
24,000 2020 Census count
Land area
208 square miles
Water area
4.2 square miles
People per sq mi
248 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Franklin County's official site

We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.

County government

See your own lot on these maps

Open Franklin County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

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Questions

Common questions about Franklin County

When was Franklin County founded?
Franklin County was founded in 1795, formed from Mercer County, Shelby County and Woodford County, and named after Benjamin Franklin.
What is the county seat of Franklin County?
The county seat of Franklin County is Frankfort.
Is there an online parcel map for Franklin County?
Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 23,408 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Franklin County's boundary or name changed?
Franklin County was created in 1795 from Mercer County, Shelby County and Woodford County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 10 later changes, chiefly involving Anderson County, Owen County and Scott County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Franklin County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door