Independent city · code 51620
Franklin cityVirginia
Franklin city is an independent city in southeastern Virginia, founded as part of Southampton in 1876 and separated into its own city in 1961.
- Founded1876
- Named forBenjamin Franklin
- Land area8.3 sq mi
- Population8,180 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped5,058 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Franklin on the map of Virginia
Virginia has 133 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Founded in 1876
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Franklin was established in Southampton in 1876 and named after Benjamin Franklin. The city separated from Southampton and became a second-class independent city on December 22, 1961, and later gained territory from Southampton in 1986 and 1996.
- 1961Independent city separated Franklin made an independent city, 2d class, from Southampton. · Va. Sec. Rpt., 521
- 1986Gained territory Independent city of Franklin gained from Southampton. · Franklin Office of the City Attorney, correspondence, October 2002; Circuit Court of Southampton County, Book 27, Page 16, 20 December 1985
- 1996Gained territory Independent city of Franklin gained from Southampton. · Franklin Office of the City Attorney, correspondence, October 2002; Circuit Court of Southampton County, Book 27, Page 19, 20 December 1985
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Franklin
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
-
Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 5,058 parcels from Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), Virginia Department of Emergency Management. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Official
One point per address, 4,682 in all from Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), Virginia Dept of Emergency Management (VDEM; VGIN moved from VITA to VDEM).
checked 14 October 2026 -
Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- 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
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Franklin city's official site
We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.
County government
- County government
The official website of Franklin city.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Franklin city 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.
Questions
Common questions about Franklin city
- When was Franklin city founded?
- Franklin city was founded in 1876, and named after Benjamin Franklin.
- Is there an online parcel map for Franklin city?
- Yes. Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), Virginia Department of Emergency Management publishes a parcel map of 5,058 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Franklin city's boundary or name changed?
- Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 changes for Franklin city. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 later changes, chiefly involving Southampton County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Franklin city yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby