Franklin County, Pennsylvania

Franklin County is a place in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It had a population of 155,932 people as of the 2020 census. The main city, called the county seat, is Chambersburg.

The county is part of an area known as the Chambersburg–Waynesboro, PA metropolitan statistical area. This area is also included in a larger group called the Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area. Franklin County sits in the South Central part of Pennsylvania.

History

Franklin County started as part of Lancaster County in 1729. Later, it became part of York County in 1749, and then Cumberland County in 1750. Finally, on September 9, 1784, just after the American Revolutionary War ended, Franklin County became its own area. It was named after Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Franklin County has a total area of 773 square miles (2,000 km²), with most of it being land and a tiny part being water.

Franklin County is part of the area that drains into the Chesapeake Bay. Most of the water flows into the Potomac River, while some areas send water to the Susquehanna River through smaller creeks. The county has a climate where summers are warm and winters are cold, with average temperatures ranging from about 30 °F in January to around 75 °F in July.

Adjacent counties

• Juniata County (north)
• Perry County (northeast)
• Cumberland County (northeast)
• Adams County (east)
• Frederick County, Maryland (southeast)
• Washington County, Maryland (south)
• Fulton County (west)
• Huntingdon County (northwest)

Major highways

• I-76 / Penna Turnpike
• I-81
• US 11
• US 30
• PA 16
• PA 75
• PA 163
• PA 316
• PA 433
• PA 997
• PA 233
• PA 274
• PA 416
• PA 456
• PA 533
• PA 641
• PA 696
• PA 995

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Franklin County had a population of 155,932 people. The median age was 42.2 years, with 22.4% of residents being under 18 and 20.6% being 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 95.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.2 males in that age group.

The racial makeup of the county was 86.3% White, 3.4% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9% Asian, and smaller percentages of other groups. About 55.5% of residents lived in urban areas, while 44.5% lived in rural areas.

There were 62,067 households, with 28.7% having children under 18. Most households, 52.7%, were married couples, while 16.2% had a male householder without a spouse or partner, and 23.7% had a female householder without a spouse or partner. About 26.1% of households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.

There were 66,368 housing units, with 6.5% being vacant. Of the occupied units, 71.9% were owned by the residents and 28.1% were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3%, and the rental vacancy rate was 5.7%.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 129,313 people living in Franklin County. The population density was 168 people per square mile. The racial makeup was 95.33% White, 2.33% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.55% Asian, and smaller percentages of other groups. About 1.75% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Most households, 60%, were married couples living together, while 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present. The average household size was 2.49, and the average family size was 2.94. The population was spread out, with 24% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 16% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.

Government

Franklin County has a group of leaders called county commissioners who help make important decisions. Right now, the commissioners are Dean Horst, John Flannery, and Robert Ziobrowski. There are also many other important jobs in the county, like the Clerk of Courts, Controller, Coroner, and more.

Some people from Franklin County also help make laws for the whole state of Pennsylvania. These leaders are part of the State House of Representatives and the State Senate. For example, Jesse Topper, Adam Harris, Rob W. Kauffman, and Paul Schemel are in the State House, and Judy Ward and Doug Mastriano are in the State Senate. Additionally, John Joyce represents Franklin County in the United States House of Representatives.

Politics

Franklin County has mostly voted for Republican Party candidates in presidential elections. Only three Democratic Party candidates have ever won the county. The last Democrat to win was Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.

As of February 5, 2024, there are 99,471 registered voters in the county. Most are registered Republicans, followed by Democrats, voters with no party affiliation, and voters registered to other parties.

United States Senate

• John Fetterman, Democrat
• Dave McCormick, Republican

Education

Franklin County has several places for learning, including colleges, technology schools, and public and private schools.

The county has two colleges: Wilson College and Penn State Mont Alto. There is also a technology school called the Franklin County Career and Technology Center, along with other schools like Chambersburg Area Career Magnet School and Triangle Tech.

The Lincoln Intermediate Unit helps schools in Adams County, Franklin County, and York County. It offers many services such as special education, technology help, and programs for gifted students. It also has a GED program for adults who want to earn a high school diploma.

Public school districts in the county include Chambersburg Area School District, Fannett-Metal School District, Greencastle-Antrim School District, Shippensburg Area School District, Tuscarora School District, and Waynesboro Area School District.

There are also many private schools, such as Anchor Christian Day School, Antrim Mennonite School, and Mercersburg Academy, among others.

The Franklin County Library system has five branches and also supports the Alexander Hamilton Memorial Library in Waynesboro. The system operates two bookmobiles.

Recreation

Franklin County has four beautiful state parks for fun and nature adventures.

• Caledonia State Park sits on the border between Franklin County and Adams County along U.S. Route 30 between Chambersburg and Gettysburg.
• Buchanan's Birthplace State Park marks where the 15th President of the United States, James Buchanan, was born.
• Mont Alto State Park is Pennsylvania's oldest state park.
• Cowans Gap State Park lies within Buchanan State Forest and stretches across the Franklin and Fulton County line.

Communities

Franklin County has many places where people live. These places are called boroughs, townships, and census-designated places.

Boroughs

Some of the boroughs in Franklin County are:

• Chambersburg (county seat)
• Greencastle
• Mercersburg
• Mont Alto
• Orrstown
• Shippensburg (mostly in Cumberland County)
• Waynesboro

Townships

Townships are larger areas that also have people living in them. Some townships in Franklin County include:

• Antrim Township
• Fannett Township
• Greene Township
• Guilford Township
• Hamilton Township
• Letterkenny Township
• Lurgan Township
• Metal Township
• Montgomery Township
• Peters Township
• Quincy Township
• Southampton Township
• St. Thomas Township
• Warren Township
• Washington Township

Census-designated places

These are places that the U.S. Census Bureau uses for counting people, but they are not official towns or cities. Some of these places in Franklin County are:

• Blue Ridge Summit
• Fayetteville
• Fort Loudon
• Guilford
• Marion
• Pen Mar
• Rouzerville
• Scotland
• State Line
• Wayne Heights