Editing Franklin County, Washington

{{Short description|County in Washington, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
| county = Franklin County
| state = Washington
| type = [[List of counties in Washington|County]]
| founded year = 1883
| founded date = November 28
| seat wl = Pasco
| largest city wl = Pasco
| area_total_sq_mi = 1265
| area_land_sq_mi = 1242
| area_water_sq_mi = 23
| area percentage = 1.8%
| population_as_of = 2020
| population_total = 96749
| pop_est_as_of = 2024
| population_est = 101238 {{increase}}
| density_sq_mi = auto
| time zone = Pacific
| web = www.co.franklin.wa.us
| ex image = Franklin County Courthouse in Pasco, Washington.JPG
| ex image cap = Franklin County Courthouse in Pasco
| district = 4th
| district2 = 5th
| named for = [[Benjamin Franklin]]
| flag = 
}}

'''Franklin County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the [[U.S. state]] of [[Washington (state)|Washington]]. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], its population was 96,749.<ref name="QF">{{Cite web |title=State & County QuickFacts |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/franklincountywashington/PST045223 |access-date=November 9, 2024 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> The [[county seat]] and most populous city is [[Pasco, Washington|Pasco]].<ref name="GR6">{{Cite web |title=Find a County |url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 |access-date=June 7, 2011 |publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> The county was formed out of [[Whitman County, Washington|Whitman County]] on November 28, 1883,<ref name="historylink">{{Cite web |date=March 6, 2003 |title=Milestones for Washington State History &mdash; Part 2: 1851 to 1900 |url=http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=5380 |publisher=[[HistoryLink.org]]}}</ref> and is named for [[Benjamin Franklin]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gannett, Henry |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ |title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States |publisher=Govt. Print. Off. |year=1905 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n120 131]}}</ref>

Franklin County is included in the [[Tri-Cities metropolitan area]]. Together, Kennewick, Richland and Pasco comprise Washington's [[Tri-Cities, Washington|Tri-Cities]].

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|1265|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|1242|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|23|sqmi}} (1.8%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{Cite web |date=August 22, 2012 |title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files |url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_53.txt |access-date=July 5, 2015 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>

===Geographic features===
*[[Columbia River]]
*[[Hanford Site|Hanford Nuclear Reservation]]
*[[Juniper Dunes Wilderness]]
*[[Snake River]]

===Major highways===
*[[File:WA-260.svg|20px]] [[Washington State Route 260|SR 260]]
*[[File:I-182.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 182]]
*[[File:US 12.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 12 in Washington|U.S. 12]]
*[[File:US 395.svg|23px]] [[U.S. Route 395 in Washington|U.S. 395]]

===Adjacent counties===
*[[Adams County, Washington|Adams County]] - north
*[[Whitman County, Washington|Whitman County]] - east
*[[Walla Walla County, Washington|Walla Walla County]] - southeast
*[[Columbia County, Washington|Columbia County]] - southeast
*[[Benton County, Washington|Benton County]] - southwest
*[[Grant County, Washington|Grant County]] - northwest

===National protected areas===
* [[Hanford Reach National Monument]] (part)
* [[Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuge]] (part)

==Demographics==
===Census-designated places===
*[[Basin City, Washington|Basin City]]
*[[West Pasco, Washington|West Pasco]]

===Census findings===
{{US Census population
|1890= 696
|1900= 486
|1910= 5153
|1920= 5877
|1930= 6137
|1940= 6307
|1950= 13563
|1960= 23342
|1970= 25816
|1980= 35025
|1990= 37473
|2000= 49347
|2010= 78163
|2020= 96749
|estyear=2024
|estimate=101238
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2024">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-total.html|title=County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 17, 2025}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Decennial Census |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |access-date=January 7, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref><br />1790–1960<ref>{{Cite web |title=Historical Census Browser |url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu |access-date=January 7, 2014 |publisher=University of Virginia Library}}</ref> 1900–1990<ref>{{Cite web |title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/wa190090.txt |access-date=January 7, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref><br />1990–2000<ref>{{Cite web |title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000 |url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150226035610/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=February 26, 2015 |access-date=January 7, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> 2010–2020<ref name="QF" />
}}
Franklin County, along with [[Adams County, Washington|Adams County]], have the highest per capita percentage of Latino residents in the state.<ref name="DataUSA">{{Cite web |title=Franklin County, WA |url=https://datausa.io/profile/geo/franklin-county-wa |website=DataUSA |quote=In 2017, there were 1.28 times more Hispanic or Latino residents (46.8k people) in Franklin County, WA than any other race or ethnicity}}</ref>

===2020 census===
As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], there were 96,749 people, 28,748 households, and 22,355 families residing in the county.<ref>{{Cite web |title=US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=Franklin%20County,%20Washington%20p16&y=2020 |access-date=November 9, 2024 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>{{cn|date=January 2024}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States census|2010 census]], there were 78,163 people, 23,245 households, and 18,163 families residing in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">{{Cite web |title=DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US53021 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213020738/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US53021 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |access-date=March 1, 2016 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> The population density was {{convert|62.9|PD/sqmi}}. There were 24,423 housing units at an average density of {{convert|19.7|/sqmi}}.<ref name="census-density">{{Cite web |title=Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US53021 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213191750/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US53021 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |access-date=March 1, 2016 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 60.5% white, 1.9% black or African American, 1.8% Asian, 0.7% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 31.8% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 51.2% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1" /> In terms of ancestry, 13.1% were [[Germans|German]], 6.8% were [[English people|English]], 6.5% were [[Irish people|Irish]], and 3.3% were [[Americans|American]].<ref name="census-dp2">{{Cite web |title=DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US53021 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213034000/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US53021 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |access-date=March 1, 2016 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>

Of the 23,245 households, 49.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.9% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 21.9% were non-families, and 16.4% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 3.28 and the average family size was 3.68. The median age was 28.4 years.<ref name="census-dp1" />

The median income for a household in the county was $47,749 and the median income for a family was $52,218. Males had a median income of $40,604 versus $29,517 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,660. About 16.5% of families and 19.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 25.6% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="census-dp3">{{Cite web |title=DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US53021 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213033834/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US53021 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |access-date=March 1, 2016 |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>

The 2019 county population is estimated to be 95,222, a 21.8% increase since 2010. This far outpaces Washington State's overall growth of 13.2% over the same time interval, and puts Franklin County among the fastest-growing counties in the nation.

In 2018 the county contained 28,647 housing units.

==Communities==

===Cities===
*[[Connell, Washington|Connell]]
*[[Kahlotus, Washington|Kahlotus]]
*[[Mesa, Washington|Mesa]]
*[[Pasco, Washington|Pasco]] (county seat)

===Unincorporated communities===
*[[Eltopia, Washington|Eltopia]]
*[[Farrington, Washington|Farrington]]
*[[Harder, Washington|Harder]]

===Former communities===
*[[Sperry, Washington|Sperry]]

==Government==
Franklin County has a [[County commission|Board of County Commissioners]] which is the governmental authority of the county. The board consists of three commissioners; they are elected by the voters and serve four-year terms.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Franklin County Commissioner's Office |url=https://www.co.franklin.wa.us/commissioners/ |access-date=April 25, 2020 |website=Franklin County, Washington}}</ref> Other elected county officials include [[Tax assessment|Assessor]], [[County auditor|Auditor]], [[Municipal clerk|Clerk]], [[Coroner]], [[Prosecutor|Prosecuting Attorney]], [[Sheriff]], and [[Treasurer]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Franklin County Elections Department |url=https://www.co.franklin.wa.us/auditor/elections/ |access-date=April 25, 2020 |website=Franklin County, Washington}}</ref>

==Politics==
{{PresHead|place=Franklin County, Washington|whig=no|source1=<ref>{{Cite web |last=Leip |first=David |title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections |url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS |access-date=April 6, 2018 |website=uselectionatlas.org}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP/Whig vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|19,086|11,884|927|Washington (state)}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|18,039|13,340|1,025|Washington (state)}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|13,206|8,886|2,522|Washington (state)}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|13,748|8,398|618|Washington (state)}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|12,037|7,361|397|Washington (state)}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|10,757|5,188|214|Washington (state)}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|8,594|4,653|367|Washington (state)}}
{{PresRow|1996|Republican|5,946|4,961|1,189|Washington (state)}}
{{PresRow|1992|Republican|4,486|3,743|2,708|Washington (state)}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|6,488|4,772|192|Washington (state)}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|7,724|4,328|216|Washington (state)}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|7,327|3,719|915|Washington (state)}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|5,671|4,369|363|Washington (state)}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|5,972|3,867|684|Washington (state)}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|4,234|4,038|1,303|Washington (state)}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|3,615|6,375|68|Washington (state)}}
{{PresRow|1960|Democratic|4,201|5,156|52|Washington (state)}}
{{PresRow|1956|Democratic|3,763|4,322|5|Washington}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|3,291|2,798|18|Washington}}
{{PresRow|1948|Democratic|1,541|2,525|64|Washington}}
{{PresRow|1944|Democratic|1,381|1,974|16|Washington}}
{{PresRow|1940|Democratic|1,084|1,868|31|Washington}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|622|1,784|188|Washington}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|838|1,540|95|Washington}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|1,339|799|23|Washington}}
{{PresRow|1924|Progressive|709|237|1,330|Washington}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|839|571|477|Washington}}
{{PresRow|1916|Democratic|671|1,110|135|Washington}}
{{PresRow|1912|Democratic|293|612|880|Washington}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|643|485|86|Washington}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|572|223|31|Washington}}
{{PresRow|1900|Democratic|52|81|6|Washington}}
{{PresRow|1896|Democratic|38|113|2|Washington}}
{{PresFoot|1892|Democratic|28|54|37|Washington}}
Franklin is a strongly Republican county in Presidential elections. No Democratic presidential candidate has carried Franklin County since [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]’s 1964 landslide, and the last Democratic gubernatorial candidate it backed was [[Dixy Lee Ray]] in [[1976 Washington gubernatorial election|1976]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dave Leip |title=Gubernatorial General Election Map Comparison – Washington |url=https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/comparemaps.php?year=2016&fips=53&f=1&off=5&elect=0 |publisher=Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Franklin County, Washington]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{Cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedhisto01stee |title=An illustrated history of the Big Bend country : embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams, and Franklin counties, state of Washington |publisher=Western Historical Pub. Co. |year=1904}}
*[http://www.secstate.wa.gov/history/publications_detail.aspx?p=36 Available online through the Washington State Library's Classics in Washington History collection]

==External links==
*[https://www.historylink.org/File/7452 Franklin County, Washington] at [[HistoryLink.org]]
*[http://www.tricityregionalchamber.com/ Tri-City Regional Chamber of Commerce]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Franklin County, Washington
|North     = [[Adams County, Washington|Adams County]]
|Northeast = 
|East      = [[Whitman County, Washington|Whitman County]]
|Southeast = [[Walla Walla County, Washington|Walla Walla County]]
|South     = 
|Southwest = [[Benton County, Washington|Benton County]]
|West      = 
|Northwest = [[Grant County, Washington|Grant County]]
}}

{{Franklin County, Washington}}
{{Washington}}
{{coord|46.54|-118.90|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-WA_source:UScensus1990}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Franklin County, Washington| ]]
[[Category:1883 establishments in Washington Territory]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1883]]
[[Category:Tri-Cities, Washington]]
[[Category:Eastern Washington]]