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County · code 25011

Franklin CountyMassachusetts

Franklin County is in Massachusetts and has its county seat in Greenfield. The county was created on December 2, 1811, from Hampshire County and was named after Benjamin Franklin.

  • Founded1811
  • County seatGreenfield
  • Named forBenjamin Franklin
  • Land area699 sq mi + 25 sq mi water
  • Population71,029 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped42,007 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

HampshireWindham, VTCheshire, NHBerkshireWorcester Greenfield Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Franklin on the map of Massachusetts

Massachusetts has 14 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Barnstable CountyBerkshire CountyBristol CountyDukes CountyEssex CountyHampden CountyHampshire CountyMiddlesex CountyNantucket CountyNorfolk CountyPlymouth CountySuffolk CountyWorcester CountyFranklin County Franklin
Counties of Massachusetts · Franklin highlighted

History

Formed in 1811 from Hampshire County

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

Franklin County was formed from Hampshire County in 1811. Through the 19th century, Franklin County exchanged territory with neighboring counties—gaining and losing areas to Worcester, Berkshire, and Hampshire—as towns were created, adjusted, and reorganized. In 1938, Franklin County gained area from Hampshire County when the towns of Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott were disincorporated to make way for the Quabbin Reservoir in the Swift River Valley.

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

  1. 1811
    Franklin County created Franklin created from Hampshire.
    from Hampshire
    · Mass. Acts 1811, ch. 61/p. 467
  2. 1822
    Lost territory Franklin lost to Hampshire when town of Prescott (extinct) was created from towns of Pelham and New Salem.
    to Hampshire
    · Mass. Acts 1822, ch. 34, sec. 1/p. 614
  3. 1822
    Gained territory Franklin gained from Berkshire when town of Monroe was created from town of Rowe and non-town area called the Gore.
    from Berkshire
    · Mass. Acts 1822, ch. 93, sec. 1/p. 707
  4. 1837
    Lost territory Franklin lost to Worcester when town of Athol gained from town of New Salem.
    to Worcester
    · Mass. Acts 1837, ch. 80, sec. 1/p. 70
  5. 1838
    Gained territory Franklin gained from Berkshire when towns of Charlemont and Rowe gained from town of Zoar.
    from Berkshire
    · Mass. Acts 1838, ch. 56, sec. 1/p. 344 and ch. 57, sec. 1/p. 345
Show all 10 changes (5 more, mostly small adjustments)
  1. 1811
    Franklin County created Franklin created from Hampshire.
    from Hampshire
    · Mass. Acts 1811, ch. 61/p. 467
  2. 1816
    Lost territory Franklin lost small area to Worcester when town of Athol gained from town of Orange.
    to Worcester
    · Mass. Acts 1816, ch. 62/p. 71
  3. 1822
    Lost territory Franklin lost to Hampshire when town of Prescott (extinct) was created from towns of Pelham and New Salem.
    to Hampshire
    · Mass. Acts 1822, ch. 34, sec. 1/p. 614
  4. 1822
    Gained territory Franklin gained from Berkshire when town of Monroe was created from town of Rowe and non-town area called the Gore.
    from Berkshire
    · Mass. Acts 1822, ch. 93, sec. 1/p. 707
  5. 1830
    Lost territory Franklin lost small area to Worcester when town of Athol gained from town of New Salem.
    to Worcester
    · Mass. Acts 1830, ch. 33/p. 300
  6. 1837
    Lost territory Franklin lost to Worcester when town of Athol gained from town of New Salem.
    to Worcester
    · Mass. Acts 1837, ch. 80, sec. 1/p. 70
  7. 1838
    Gained territory Franklin gained from Berkshire when towns of Charlemont and Rowe gained from town of Zoar.
    from Berkshire
    · Mass. Acts 1838, ch. 56, sec. 1/p. 344 and ch. 57, sec. 1/p. 345
  8. 1849
    Boundary clarified Boundary between Franklin and Hampshire was clarified when line between towns of Williamsburg and Whately was clarified (no change).
    with Hampshireno change
    · Mass. Acts 1849, ch. 3/p. 198
  9. 1911
    Boundary clarified Boundary between Franklin and Worcester was redefined in part when line between towns of New Salem and Prescott (extinct) was redefined (no change).
    with Worcesterno change
    · Mass. Acts 1911, ch. 340, sec. 1/p. 310
  10. 1938
    Gained territory Franklin gained from Hampshire when town of New Salem gained from towns of Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott. Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott were disincorporated when Quabbin Reservoir was created in the Swift River Valley.
    from Hampshire
    · Mass. Acts 1927, ch. 321, sec. 1/p. 384; Mass. Acts 1938, ch. 240, sec. 1/p. 188; Mass. Sec. Comm., 48

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
71,029 2020 Census count
Housing units
34,345 2020 Census count
Land area
699 square miles
Water area
25 square miles
People per sq mi
102 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.

In Massachusetts, permits, zoning and assessing are handled by each city or town, not the county, and deeds are recorded at the county's registry of deeds (search the registries).

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 1811, formed from Hampshire County, and named after Benjamin Franklin.
What is the county seat of Franklin County?
The county seat of Franklin County is Greenfield.
Is there an online parcel map for Franklin County?
Yes. MassGIS (Bureau of Geographic Information), Commonwealth of Massachusetts publishes a parcel map of 42,007 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 1811 from Hampshire County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 7 later changes, chiefly involving Worcester County, Berkshire County and Hampshire 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