Franklin County is located in the U.S. state of

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

. At the 2020 census, the population was 104,682. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Union. The county was organized in 1818 and is named after Founding Father

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin (April 17, 1790) was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and Political philosophy, political philosopher.#britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Wood, 2021 Among the m ...

. Franklin County is part of the St. Louis, MO- IL Metropolitan Statistical Area and contains some of the city's

exurb An exurb (or alternately: exurban area) is an area outside the typically denser inner suburbs, suburban area, at the edge of a metropolitan area, which has some economic and commuting connection to the metro area, low housing-density, and rela ...

s. It is located along the south side of the

Missouri River The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...

. The county has wineries that are included in the Hermann AVA (

American Viticultural Area An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States, providing an official appellation for the mutual benefit of winery, wineries and consumers. Winemakers frequently want their consumers to know abo ...

) and is part of the region known as the Missouri Rhineland, which extends on both sides of the Missouri River.

History

Occupied by succeeding cultures of

indigenous people There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...

s, this area was populated by the historic Osage tribe at the time of European encounter. The region was first settled by Europeans during the rule of the

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire, sometimes referred to as the Hispanic Monarchy (political entity), Hispanic Monarchy or the Catholic Monarchy, was a colonial empire that existed between 1492 and 1976. In conjunction with the Portuguese Empire, it ushered ...

. The Spanish log fort ''San Juan del Misuri'' (1796–1803) was built in present-day Washington. After the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, migrants from the new United States started moving West. Among them were the family and followers of

Daniel Boone Daniel Boone (, 1734September 26, 1820) was an American pioneer and frontiersman whose exploits made him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. He became famous for his exploration and settlement of Kentucky, which was then beyo ...

, an explorer from Kentucky who settled the area starting in 1799. For the next two decades, most settlers came from the

Upper South The Upland South and Upper South are two overlapping cultural and geographic subregions in the inland part of the Southern United States. They differ from the Deep South and Atlantic coastal plain by terrain, history, economics, demographics, ...

, especially Kentucky and Virginia, bringing their

slaves Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

with them to work the land. In 1833 substantial numbers of German immigrant families began settling in the area, and soon they outnumbered the slave owners in the county. The German newcomers were opposed to slavery, and their sons would become Union supporters during the U.S. Civil War. Former governor and then Confederate General Sterling Price led his cavalry through the county during his Missouri raid of 1864. Before the war Franklin County had been served by

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels worki ...

s that moved freight and passenger traffic on the Missouri River. Afterwards, it became a

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...

transportation center. Manufacturing industries were established at the end of the Civil War and successive ones have continued. Bias Vineyard, near the small city of

Berger Berger is a surname in both German language, German and French language, French, although there is no etymological connection between the names in the two languages. The French surname is an occupational name for a shepherd, from Old French ''bergi ...

, is located within the Hermann

(AVA), designated in 1983. Röbller Vineyard and Winery near

New Haven New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is the third largest city in Co ...

is also in the Hermann AVA. Wineries along both sides of the

are part of the Missouri Rhineland, whose vineyards were started by German immigrants in the mid-19th century. Before

Prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...

, Missouri was the second-largest wine-producing state in the nation. Everything was closed down except for limited production of wine allowed for religious purposes. The state's wine industry had to be completely rebuilt, which has been taking place since the 1960s. The rural county has had severe problems with local production, distribution and consumption of

methamphetamine Methamphetamine (contracted from ) is a potent central nervous system (CNS) stimulant that is mainly used as a recreational drug use, recreational or Performance-enhancing substance, performance-enhancing drug and less commonly as a secon ...

. The struggles of the county with adverse effects of the drug, was explored in a 2005 A&E documentary entitled ''Meth: A County in Crisis''.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.9%) is water. It is the fourth-largest county in Missouri by land area and third-largest by total area. The center of the

forms the nominal northern border of the county, although the river has changed its course since boundaries were first established: a portion of St. Charles County near St. Albans is now south of the river, while a portion of Franklin County near Augusta is north of the river. The Bourbeuse River flows for 107 miles through the county. It cuts a deep, narrow valley and is very crooked. It empties into the Meramec River near Union. This river is mostly undeveloped, with limited access and few bridges over it. During low water, a number of fords allow crossing. The county is located in the

Ozarks The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, as well as a small area in the southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover ...

region, with steep hills and deep valleys,

caves Caves or caverns are natural voids under the Earth's surface. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. Exogene caves are smaller openings that extend a relatively short distance underground (such as rock ...

, springs, and sinkholes characteristic of

karst Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and Dolomite (rock), dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. Ther ...

areas. The underlying rock is typically

carbonate A carbonate is a salt of carbonic acid, (), characterized by the presence of the carbonate ion, a polyatomic ion with the formula . The word "carbonate" may also refer to a carbonate ester, an organic compound containing the carbonate group ...

, including

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

and dolomite. Mining activity in the county included ores of

lead Lead () is a chemical element; it has Chemical symbol, symbol Pb (from Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a Heavy metal (elements), heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale, soft and Ductility, malleabl ...

copper Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...

zinc Zinc is a chemical element; it has symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodic tabl ...

, and deposits of

refractory In materials science, a refractory (or refractory material) is a material that is resistant to decomposition by heat or chemical attack and that retains its strength and rigidity at high temperatures. They are inorganic, non-metallic compound ...

clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...

. The soils in most of the county tend to be thin, rocky red clay, and are poor for most agriculture, while the soil near the Missouri River is dark, rich, and thick, and used primarily for row crops such as

corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...

wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...

, and

soybean The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean. Soy is a staple crop, the world's most grown legume, and an important animal feed. Soy is a key source o ...

s. Much of the county is covered with thick

forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...

s, reestablished since the 1920s. Urbanization is increasing in the county, especially surrounding Washington and Union, and along

Interstate 44 Interstate 44 (I-44) is an Interstate Highway in the central United States. Although it is nominally an east–west road as it is even-numbered, it follows a more southwest–northeast alignment. Its western terminus is in Wichita Falls, T ...

. St. Albans is now a continuation of the suburban region of St. Louis County while the majority of the county retains a rural character and includes extensive wilderness areas, typical of exurban areas.

Adjacent counties

* Warren County (north) * St. Charles County (northeast) * St. Louis County (northeast) * Jefferson County (east) * Washington County (southeast) * Crawford County (southwest) * Gasconade County (west)

Major highways

* ** * * * * *

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 93,807 people, 34,945 households, and 25,684 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 38,295 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 97.47%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.94%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.27% Asian, 0.24% Native American, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.20% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Approximately 0.72% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. 44.9% were of German, 13.0% American, 10.7% Irish and 7.7% English ancestry. There were 34,945 households, out of which 36.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.40% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 9.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.50% were non-families. 22.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.11. In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.40% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 30.00% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 12.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.80 males. The median income for a household in the county was $54,392, and the median income for a family was $62,969. Males had a median income of $35,849 versus $23,344 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the county was $24,529. About 4.50% of families and 7.00% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 7.90% of those under age 18 and 8.80% of those age 65 or over.

2020 Census

Economy

The

unemployment rate Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is the proportion of people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work d ...

in Franklin County is 2.9% as of December 2018, below state and national averages. Manufacturing accounts for the most (23.8%) employment in Franklin County, primarily in the cities of Washington and Union, followed by trade, transportation and utilities (18.8%), education and health care (17.7%), and construction (11.3%). The biggest employers in Franklin County are the manufacturing firms of Magnet LLC, Cardinal Brands Hazel Division, GDX Automotive, Sporlan Valve Company, Esselte, Silgan, Buddeez, and Meramec Group Inc. as well as the Meramec Valley R-III School District in the public education sector and Schatz Underground Cable Inc. in the construction industry. Small farms and wineries also greatly contribute to the economy in Franklin County.

Education

The highest educational attainment in Franklin County consists of the following: * High School Graduates: 59.1% * Associate Degree: 10.6% * Bachelor's Degree: 10.9% * Graduate Degree: 7.5%

School districts

School districts in the county: ; K-12: * Crawford County R-I School District * Gasconade County R-I School District * Gasconade County R-II School District * Meramec Valley R-III School District * New Haven School District * St. Clair R-XIII School District * Sullivan C-2 School District * Union R-XI School District * Washington School District Elementary: * Franklin County R-II School District * Lonedell R-XIV School District * Richwoods R-VII School District * Spring Bluff R-XV School District * Strain-Japan R-XVI School District

Public schools

* New Haven Public School District -

** New Haven Elementary School (K–6) ** New Haven Middle School (7–8) ** New Haven High School (9–12) * Meramec Valley R-III School District –

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...

** Meramec Valley Community School (Pre-K) – Pacific ** Meramec Valley Early Childhood Center (Pre-K) – Pacific ** Truman Elementary School (K–5) – Pacific ** Robertsville Elementary School (K–5) – Robertsville ** Zitzman Elementary School (K–5) – Pacific ** Nike Elementary School (K–5) – Catawissa ** Coleman Elementary School (K–5) – Villa Ridge ** Riverbend School (8) – Pacific ** Meramec Valley Middle School (6–7) – Pacific ** Pacific High School (9–12) – Pacific * St. Clair R-XIII School District – St. Clair ** St. Clair Elementary School (K–2) ** Edgar Murray Elementary School (3–5) ** St. Clair Jr. High School (6–8) ** St. Clair High School (9–12) * – Spring Bluff ** Spring Bluff R-XV (k-8) * Sullivan School District – Sullivan ** Sullivan Primary School (Pre-K–1) ** Sullivan Elementary School (2–5) ** Sullivan Middle School (6–8) ** Sullivan High School (9–12) * Union R-XI School District – Union ** Beaufort Elementary School (K–6) – Beaufort ** Central Elementary School (K–3) – Union ** Clark-Vitt Elementary School (4–6) – Union ** Union Middle School (7–8) – Union ** Union High School (9–12) – Union * Washington School District – Washington ** Family Resource Center (Pre-K) – Washington ** Washington West Elementary School (Pre-K–6) – Washington ** South Point Elementary School (K–6) – Washington ** Marthasville Elementary School (K–6) – Marthasville ** Labadie Elementary School (K–6) – Labadie ** Clearview Elementary School (Pre-K–6) – Union ** Campbellton Elementary School (K–6) – New Haven ** Augusta Elementary School (Pre-K–06) – Augusta ** Washington Middle School (7–8) – Washington ** Washington High School (9–12) – Washington * Franklin County R-II School District – New Haven ** Franklin County Elementary School (K–8) – New Haven * Lonedell R-XIV School District – Lonedell ** Lonedell Elementary School (K–8) – Lonedell * Owensville R-II School District –

Gerald Gerald is a masculine given name derived from the Germanic languages prefix ''ger-'' ("spear") and suffix ''-wald'' ("rule"). Gerald is a Norman French variant of the Germanic name. An Old English equivalent name was Garweald, the likely original ...

** Gerald Elementary School (K–5) – Gerald * Strain-Japan R-XVI School District - Sullivan ** Strain-Japan Elementary School (K-08) - Sullivan

Private schools

* Cornerstone Christian Academy – St. Clair – (1–12) – Other Affiliation * Crosspoint Christian School – Villa Ridge – (K–12) – Nondenominational Christianity * Immanuel Lutheran School – Washington – (K–8) – Lutheran * St. Francis Borgia Regional High School – Washington – (9–12) –

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

* St. John the Baptist School – Villa Ridge – (Pre-K–8) –

* St. Gertrude School – Kraków – (K–8) –

* St. Francis Borgia Grade School – Washington – (Pre-K–8) –

* Our Lady of Lourdes – Washington – (Pre-K–8) –

* St. Clare Catholic Grade School – St. Clair – (Pre-K–8) –

* St. Bridget of Kildare School – Pacific – (Pre-K–8) –

Alternative schools

* Autumn Hill State School (K–12) – Union – Handicapped/Special needs * Franklin County Special Education Cooperative (Pre-K–12) – St. Clair – Special Education * Four Rivers Career Center (9–12) – Washington – Vocational/Technical

Colleges/universities

* East Central College – Union

Public libraries

*Gerald Area Library * Scenic Regional Library *Sullivan Public Library * Washington Public Library

Crime

Rural Franklin County has had problems with the local production and consumption of

and was featured in an A&E documentary entitled ''Meth: A County in Crisis'' (2005).

Politics

As of July 2022, according to the new congressional map based on the 2020 U.S. Census passed by the

Missouri General Assembly The Missouri General Assembly is the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bicameral General Assembly is composed of a 34-member Missouri Senate, Senate and a 163-member Missouri House of Represen ...

and signed into law by Governor

Mike Parson Michael Lynn Parson (born September 17, 1955) is an American politician and former law enforcement officer who served as the 57th List of governors of Missouri, governor of Missouri, from 2018 to 2025. A member of the Republican Party (United S ...

, all of Franklin County will be moved from Missouri's 3rd Congressional District to Missouri's 2nd Congressional District, with the new district boundaries taking effect on January 3, 2023, from the results of the November 2022 general elections.

Local

The Republican Party predominantly controls politics at the local level in Franklin County. Republicans currently hold all but one of the elected positions in the county.

State

Franklin County is divided into four legislative districts in the

Missouri House of Representatives The Missouri House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 163 members, representing districts with an average size of 37,000 residents. House members are elected for two-year terms during general elections ...

, all of which are held by Republicans. * District 61 — Aaron Griesheimer (R- Washington). Consists of Berger, Gerald, Leslie, New Haven, and part of Washington. * District 109 — John Simmons (R- Washington). Consists of Gray Summit, Union, Villa Ridge, and part of Washington. * District 110 — Dottie Bailey (R- Eureka). Consists of the city of Pacific. * District 119 — Nate Tate (R- St. Clair). Consists of Oak Grove Village, Parkway, St. Clair, and Sullivan. All of Franklin County is a part of Missouri's 26th District in the

Missouri Senate The Missouri Senate is the upper chamber of the Missouri General Assembly. It has 34 members, representing districts with an average population of 181,000. Its members serve four-year terms, with half the seats being up for election every two yea ...

and is represented b
Dave Schatz
(R- Sullivan).

Federal

All of Franklin is included in the 3rd Congressional District, represented by Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-St. Elizabeth) in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Political culture

At the presidential level, Franklin County is fairly independent-leaning, but, like many exurban and mostly rural counties, its voters often favor Republican and conservative issues. While southerner

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

narrowly carried the county both times in 1992 and 1996,

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

strongly carried Franklin County in 2000 and 2004. Like many of the rural counties in Missouri, Franklin County favored

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

over

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

in 2008. Like most predominantly rural areas, voters in Franklin County generally strongly support socially and culturally

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

principles and therefore tend to support Republican candidates. In 2004, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union between a man and a woman; the measure overwhelmingly passed Franklin County with 76.89 percent of the vote. The initiative passed the state with 71 percent of support from voters as Missouri became the first state to ban

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same legal Legal sex and gender, sex. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 38 countries, with a total population of 1.5 ...

. In 2006, Missourians voted on a constitutional amendment to fund and legalize embryonic stem cell research in the state; it failed in Franklin County with 56.13 percent voting against the measure. The initiative narrowly passed the state with 51 percent of support from voters as Missouri became one of the first states in the nation to approve embryonic stem cell research. Despite Franklin County's longstanding tradition of supporting socially conservative platforms, voters have advanced some populist causes such as increasing the

minimum wage A minimum wage is the lowest remuneration that employers can legally pay their employees—the price floor below which employees may not sell their labor. List of countries by minimum wage, Most countries had introduced minimum wage legislation b ...

. In 2006, Missourians voted on a proposition (Proposition B) to increase the minimum wage in the state to $6.50 an hour; it passed Franklin County with 77.61 percent of the vote. The proposition strongly passed every single county in Missouri with 75.94 percent voting in favor as the minimum wage was increased to $6.50 an hour in the state. During the same election, voters in five other states also strongly approved increases in the minimum wage. 2020 Missouri Presidential primary Republican President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

won Franklin County with 97.35 percent of the vote; all other Republican candidates received less than 1 percent of the vote. Democratic Forty-seventh Vice President

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

won Franklin County with 59 percent of the vote; U.S. Senator

Bernie Sanders Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...

(I-Vermont) came in second with 35.03 percent.

2016 Missouri Presidential primary

;Republican

won Franklin County with 44.49 percent of the vote; U.S. Senator

Ted Cruz Rafael Edward Cruz (; born December 22, 1970) is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States senator from Texas since 2013. A member of the Republican Party, Cruz was the solicitor general of Texas from 2003 ...

(R-Texas) came in second with 39.77 percent, Governor John Kasich (R-Ohio) came in distant third with 7.65 percent, and U.S. Senator

Marco Rubio Marco Antonio Rubio (; born May 28, 1971) is an American politician, lawyer, and diplomat serving since 2025 as the 72nd United States Secretary of State, United States secretary of state. A member of the Republican Party (United States) , Rep ...

(R-Florida) came in fourth with 5.63 percent. ;Democratic U.S. Senator

(I-Vermont) won Franklin County with 55.41 percent of the vote while former Secretary of State

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

came in second with 42.89 percent.

2012 Missouri Presidential primary

;Republican Former U.S. Senator

Rick Santorum Richard John Santorum Sr. ( ; born May 10, 1958) is an American politician, attorney, author, and political commentator who represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate from 1995 to 2007. He was the Senate's Chairman of the United Sta ...

(R-Pennsylvania) won Franklin County with 60.12 percent of the vote. Former Governor

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...

(R-Massachusetts) came in a distant second place with 21.1 percent, and former U.S. Representative

Ron Paul Ronald Ernest Paul (born August 20, 1935) is an American author, activist, and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1976 to 1977, and again from 1979 to 1985, as well as for Texas' ...

(R-Texas) came in third with 12.36 percent. ;Democratic With no serious contest for incumbent President

, only 1,080 Franklin County voters chose to participate in the Democratic primary, and Obama won 81.11 percent.

2008 Missouri Presidential primary

;Republican U.S. Senator

(R-

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

) won Franklin County with 35.68 percent of the vote. Former

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

(R-

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

) came in a close second place with 30.51 percent while former

Mike Huckabee Michael Dale Huckabee (, born August 24, 1955) is an American diplomat, political commentator, Baptist minister, and politician serving as the 29th United States Ambassador to Israel, United States ambassador to Israel since 2025. A member of ...

(R-

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

) finished third with 27.70 percent.

Libertarian Libertarianism (from ; or from ) is a political philosophy that holds freedom, personal sovereignty, and liberty as primary values. Many libertarians believe that the concept of freedom is in accord with the Non-Aggression Principle, according ...

-leaning U.S. Representative

(R-

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

) finished a distant fourth with 4.07 percent. ;Democratic Then- U.S. Senator

(D- New York) carried Franklin County with 55.83 percent of the vote. Then- U.S. Senator

(D-

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

) received 40.28 percent of the vote from Franklin County Democrats, one of his more impressive showings in a predominantly rural albeit exurban county. Although he withdrew from the race, former U.S. Senator John Edwards (D-

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

) still received 2.96 percent of the vote in Franklin County. * Despite being a strongly Republican county, Hillary Rodham Clinton received more votes, a total of 7,177, than any candidate from either party in Franklin County during the 2008 presidential primary. Barack Obama received 5,179 in the Missouri Democratic Primary. Both Democratic candidates each received more votes than John McCain in the Republican Primary in Franklin County, who received 4,032 votes. COVID-19 controversy During the 2020

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, Angie Hittson, the director of the Franklin County Public Health Department described being driven to resign from her position by residents who made "daily verbal assaults, threats of violence, and even death threats" against her and her family due to the public-health orders made in response to the pandemic.

Communities

Cities

* St. Clair *

(small part in St. Louis County) * Sullivan (partial) * Union (county seat) * Washington

Villages

* Charmwood * Leslie * Miramiguoa Park * Oak Grove Village *

Parkway A parkway is a landscaped thoroughfare. The term is particularly used for a roadway in a park or connecting to a park from which trucks and other heavy vehicles are excluded. Over the years, many different types of roads have been labeled p ...

Census-designated places

* Gray Summit * Lake St. Clair * Stanton * Villa Ridge

Unincorporated communities

* Anaconda * Beaufort * Beemont * Boles * Campbellton * Catawissa * Champion City * Clover Bottom * Dissen *

Dundee Dundee (; ; or , ) is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, fourth-largest city in Scotland. The mid-year population estimate for the locality was . It lies within the eastern central Lowlands on the north bank of the Firt ...

* Elmont * Etlah * Fourmile Corner *

Greenstreet GreenStreet, formerly known as Houston Pavilions, is a commercial development in Downtown Houston, Downtown Houston, Texas, United States. The ''Houston Chronicle'' reported that the Pavilions will provide around 1,800 to 2,000 full- and part ...

* Gildehouse * Hemker * Huff * Jaegers Shop *

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

* Jeffriesburg *

Kiel Kiel ( ; ) is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein. With a population of around 250,000, it is Germany's largest city on the Baltic Sea. It is located on the Kieler Förde inlet of the Ba ...

* Kohl City * Krakow * Labadie * Lonedell * Luebbering *

Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

* Maupin *

Monday Monday is the day of the week that takes place between Sunday and Tuesday. According to the International Organization for Standardization's ISO 8601 standard, it is the first day of the week. Names The names of the day of the week were co ...

Moselle The Moselle ( , ; ; ) is a river that rises in the Vosges mountains and flows through north-eastern France and Luxembourg to western Germany. It is a bank (geography), left bank tributary of the Rhine, which it joins at Koblenz. A sm ...

* Mount Hope * Neier * Noser Mill * Oetters * Port Hudson * Robertsville * Spring Bluff * St. Albans * Strain

Townships

* Boeuf Township * Boles Township * Boone Township * Calvey Township * Central Township * Lyon Township * Meramec Township * New Haven Township * Prairie Township * St. Johns Township * Union Township * Washington Township

References

External links

Franklin County Government's Website

from

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou or MU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Univers ...

Division of Special Collections, Archives, and Rare Books {{authority control Missouri Rhineland 1818 establishments in Missouri Territory Populated places established in 1818 Missouri counties on the Missouri River Regions of Greater St. Louis