Franklin

Formed January 2, 1818 (13^th county)

Franklin County (37,798), Benton (6,717), West Frankfort (7,276)

The red brick French Norman style courthouse is located in a city square on Main Street.  Illinois State Highway 37 goes around the courthouse as North and South Main Street.  This building was built in 1874, had additions in 1960, and restored in 2005.  John J. Saint Clair was the building architect.  A new courthouse is planned for 2020.  Franklin County was created on January 2, 1818 out of Gallatin and White counties as the 13^th county.  Shawneetown (1818), Frankfort (1821), and Benton (1841) have all served as the county seat.  The county is named for American Statesman Benjamin Franklin.  Benton is named for Missouri Senator Thomas Benton. 

Franklin County government consists of a sheriff, an attorney, a coroner, a clerk, a treasurer, and an assessor (executive).  It has 15 Board Members (legislative.)  Twenty-one Circuit Court Judges serve Franklin, Crawford, Edwards, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jefferson, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, Wayne, and White counties and a court clerk serves Franklin County (judicial.) The county is in southern Illinois southeast of Saint Louis, Missouri and west of Evansville, Indiana.  The county center is 3 miles Southwest of Benton.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Jefferson, Hamilton, Saline, Williamson, Jackson, and Perry counties. 

The area of the county is 408 square miles.  It is 72 out of 102 in the state.  It ranks 35 out of 102 in population in the state.  It has a density of 92.6 persons per square mile making it 24 out of 102 in the state.  Franklin County has 65.7% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 57 crosses north to south in the county from Jefferson to Williamson counties.  The county is rectangular except for the wandering northwest border.  Benton is located in the center of the county.  West Frankfort is located near the southern border.  Benton is the county seat and West Frankfort is the largest city.  Benton is 17.8% of the county population while West Frankfort is 19.3% of the county population.

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