Franklin County, Ohio

Franklin County
The Franklin County Government Center
Flag of Franklin County
Coat of arms of Franklin County
Etymology: Benjamin Franklin
Map of Ohio highlighting Franklin County
Map of Ohio highlighting Franklin County
Coordinates: 39°58′N 83°00′W / 39.967°N 83.000°W / 39.967; -83.000
CountryUnited States
StateOhio
RegionCentral Ohio
CityColumbus
FoundedApril 30, 1803[1]
County seatColumbus
Area
 • Total
543.624 sq mi (1,407.977 km2)
 • Land532.422 sq mi (1,378.966 km2)
 • Water11.202 sq mi (29.013 km2)
Elevation
1,132 ft (345 m)
Population
 • Total
1,323,807
 • Estimate 
(2023)
1,326,063 Increase
 • Density2,400/sq mi (940/km2)
Gross Domestic Product
 • TotalUS$106.988 billion (2022)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Area codes614 and 380
Congressional districts3rd
15th
FIPS code39-049
Websitefranklincountyohio.gov
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Franklin County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,323,807,[3] making it the most populous county in Ohio. Most of its land area is taken up by its county seat, Columbus,[4] the state capital and most populous city in Ohio. The county was established on April 30, 1803, less than two months after Ohio became a state, and was named after Benjamin Franklin.[5] Originally, Franklin County extended north to Lake Erie before it was subdivided into smaller counties. Franklin County is the central county of the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Franklin County, particularly Columbus, has been a centerpiece for presidential and congressional politics, most notably the 2000 presidential election, the 2004 presidential election, and the 2006 midterm elections. Franklin County is home to one of the largest universities in the United States, Ohio State University, which has about 60,000 students on its main Columbus campus.[6]

It shares a name with Franklin County in Kentucky, where Frankfort is located. This makes it one of two pairs of capital cities in counties of the same name, along with Marion Counties in Indiana and Oregon.

  1. ^ "Ohio County Profiles: Franklin County" (PDF). Ohio Department of Development. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 21, 2007. Retrieved April 28, 2007.
  2. ^ "Gross Domestic Product by County and Metropolitan Area, 2022" (PDF). www.bea.gov. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
  3. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  4. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  5. ^ "Franklin County data". Ohio State University Extension Data Center. Archived from the original on December 3, 2007. Retrieved April 28, 2007.
  6. ^ "Statistical Summary". osu.edu. Retrieved February 21, 2018.