Formed November 28, 1883 (32nd county)
Franklin County (96,746), Pasco (77,119)
The domed Classical Revival structure was erected in 1912. The facility is on 5th Avenue at Margaret Street. United States Highway 395 is 12 blocks to the north of the site. C. Lewis Willson & Company provided the brown brick and concrete structure. The building was enlarged in 1971 and renovated in 2006. The building is surrounded by a rot iron fence and has an eagle on top. The county was created in November 28, 1883 from Whitman County as the 32nd county. Franklin County is named for American Statesman Benjamin Franklin. The county seat was named for Cerro de Pasco, Peru. Ainsworth was the first county seat until 1887 when Pasco assumed the role.
Franklin County government consists of a sheriff, an attorney, a clerk, a treasurer, an auditor, and an assessor (executive). It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.) Seven Superior Court Judges serve Franklin and Benton counties and One District Court Judge serves Franklin County (judicial.) Franklin County is in the southeast part of Washington. Spokane, Washington is northeast and Seattle, Washington is northwest of the county. The Columbia River forms its western border. The county center is 25.2 miles Northeast of Pasco nearer Eltopia. The county is surrounded clockwise by Adams, Whitman, Columbia, Walla Walla, Benton, and Grant counties.
The area of the county is 1242 square miles. It is 27 out of 39 in the state. It ranks 14 out of 39 in population in the state. It has a density of 77.9 persons per square mile making it 13 out of 39 in the state. Franklin County has 85.9% of its population in its incorporated areas. Interstate Highway 182 originates and heads west into Benton County. United States Highway 395 enters from the north, Adams County, and exits to the southwest, Benton County. The county looks like a wide bag of marbles. Pasco is located on the southwest border of the county. Pasco is the county seat and the largest city. It is 79.7% of the county population. The county seat is pronounced PAS-KOE. This county is in the Kennewick-Pasco-Richland Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Connell
Kahlotus
Mesa
