Franklin is a city in
Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Milwaukee County () is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 939,489, down from 947,735 in 2010. It is both the most populous and most densely ...
, United States. The population was 36,816 at the
2020 census. A suburb of
Milwaukee
Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
, it is part of the
Milwaukee metropolitan area
The Milwaukee metropolitan area (also known as Metro Milwaukee or Greater Milwaukee) is a major metropolitan area located in Southeastern Wisconsin, consisting of the city of Milwaukee and some of the surrounding area. There are several defini ...
.
History
On December 20, 1839, the south portion of the
Town of Kinnikinick was split off to form the town of Franklin. The town consisted of a 36-square-mile area that was originally covered with heavy timber, which was mostly hardwoods such as hickory, walnut, and butternut. Most of the town's drainage was delivered by the
Root River and there was an abundance of wildlife including bears, deer, and wolves. As of the 1840
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 ...
, the population of the Town of Franklin was 248. The name "Franklin" was given in homage to
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 ...
.
By the 1950s, Franklin was known as a "City of Homes" for its growing residential areas, which served as a suburb of the city of
Milwaukee
Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
. In 1956, town officials were concerned by the possibility that the city of Milwaukee might attempt to annex portions of Franklin. In response, the town was incorporated as a fourth-class city on August 15, 1956.
Geography

Franklin is located at (42.899166, −88.002204).
It is bounded by the city of
Oak Creek to the east, the villages of
Greendale and
Hales Corners and the city of
Greenfield to the north, the county of
Racine to the south, and the county of
Waukesha to the west.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.
The Root River runs south through Franklin, bisecting the city.
Climate
Demographics
2010 census
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 2010, there were 35,451 people, 13,642 households, and 9,351 families living in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 14,356 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 87.1%
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 ...
, 4.9%
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 ...
, 0.4%
Native American, 5.4%
Asian, 0.8% from
other races, and 1.5% from two or more races.
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 were 4.5% of the population. The House of Correction members are counted in this demographic.
There were 13,642 households, of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% 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, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.5% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.99.
The median age in the city was 41.5 years. 21.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.9% were from 25 to 44; 31.4% were from 45 to 64; and 13.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.1% male and 48.9% female.
2000 census
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 29,494 people, 10,602 households, and 7,697 families living in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 10,936 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 98.78%
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 ...
, 0.15%
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 ...
, 0.036%
Native American, 2.10%
Asian, 0.03%
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 ...
, 0.67% from
other races, and 0.91% from two or more races.
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 were 2.64% of the population.
There were 10,602 households, out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.2% 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, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58, and the average family size was 3.06.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.4% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was US$75,315, and the median income for a family was $95,532. Males had a median income of $61,827 versus $54,737 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 city was $33,474. About 0.4% of families and 0.7% 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 2.7% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
According to Franklin's 2012 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city were:
Government

Franklin government consists of a mayor (executive branch), a common council (legislative branch), and a municipal judge (judicial branch). The Common Council's primary purpose is the passage of laws, ordinances and policies, establishment of pay ranges for city employees and management of the city's financial affairs; its budget, its revenues, and the raising of funds for the operation of the city. The Common Council is composed of the mayor and six members representing the six aldermanic districts, serving three-year overlapping terms. One alderman is elected and serves as common council president.
The mayor of the city, elected for a three-year term of office, is the chief executive officer of the city. The mayor is responsible for ensuring that city ordinances and state laws are observed and enforced, and that city officers, boards and commissions properly discharge their duties. The mayor oversees the police and fire departments; nominates the appointment of certain city employees, board and commission members to the council; and is chairman of the Plan Commission and the Community Development Authority. The mayor presides at meetings of the Common Council, voting only in cases if tie votes. City ordinances designate eight cabinet officers, as well as other unclassified positions within city government, that are appointed by the mayor subject to the confirmation by a majority of all members of the common council. Mayor Steve Olson was re-elected in April, 2020 for a third three-year term. In April, 2023, Franklin Alderman John Nelson was elected mayor for his first three-year term as mayor.
Franklin is in Milwaukee County. It shares parts of the 9th, 11th and 17th Milwaukee County Supervisor districts, which are the only three districts that fall within the city. Most of Franklin lies in the
28th State Senate District and the
82nd State Assembly District, the remainder lies in the
7th State Senate District and the
21st State Assembly District. Franklin is represented in the United States Senate by Senators
Ron Johnson
Ronald Harold Johnson (born April 8, 1955) is an American businessman and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from Wisconsin, a seat he has held since 2011. A Rep ...
(R) and
Tammy Baldwin
Tammy Suzanne Green Baldwin (born February 11, 1962) is an American politician and lawyer serving since 2013 as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States senator from Wisconsin. A member of the Democratic Party (United Stat ...
(D). The city falls within
Wisconsin's 1st congressional district, which is represented by
Bryan Steil
Bryan George Steil ( ; born March 3, 1981) is an American attorney, businessman, and Republican politician from Janesville, Wisconsin. He is a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Wisconsin's 1st congressiona ...
(R).
Education
The majority of Franklin primary and secondary students attend schools in the
Franklin Public School District, which was formed in 1962 as a K–12 common school district. Franklin has five elementary schools, one middle school and one
high school
A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...
. The Franklin Recreation Department is also operated by the school district. The district is governed by an annual meeting of electors and a seven-member school board elected every three years with overlapping terms and election held every year in April. City government exercises no fiscal control over the school district.
The
Oak Creek-Franklin School District serves residents of the far eastern side of Franklin, along 27th street. The district also serves all of the city of Oak Creek. The
Whitnall School District, which serves primarily the neighboring village of Hales Corners and parts of the city of Greenfield, serves Franklin residents residing on the city's far northwest side.
Franklin's private schools include St. Pauls Lutheran K4–8, founded in 1865 by a group of German Lutherans, and Indian Community School of Milwaukee K4–8, serving Indian children and youth.
Transportation
Franklin is from
Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport
Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport is a civil–military airport south of downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States., effective April 17, 2025. It is included in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated ...
and close to
Interstate 94
Interstate 94 (I-94) is an east–west Interstate Highway connecting the Great Lakes and northern Great Plains regions of the United States. Its western terminus is just east of Billings, Montana, at a junction with I-90; its eastern ter ...
. Running through the city are
U.S. Highway 45, and
WIS 36
State Trunk Highway 36 (often called Highway 36, STH-36 or WIS 36) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It runs in a diagonal southwest–northeast direction across southeastern Wisconsin from Springfield which is north of La ...
,
WIS 100, and
WIS 241.
The St. Martins Junction in Franklin served two interurban lines. One went south to Burlington. Another went west to East Troy.
Environmental concerns

Franklin is home to one of the
Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental Protection Agency may refer to the following government organizations:
* Environmental Protection Agency (Queensland), Australia
* Environmental Protection Agency (Ghana)
* Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland)
* Environmenta ...
's
Superfund
Superfund is a United States federal environmental remediation program established by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). The program is administered by the United States Environmental Pro ...
sites. Referred to as the "Fadrowski Drum Disposal Site", or FDDS, the site located at 6865 South 27th Street was found to be contaminated with high amounts 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 ...
and
chromium
Chromium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in Group 6 element, group 6. It is a steely-grey, Luster (mineralogy), lustrous, hard, and brittle transition metal.
Chromium ...
. Trace amounts of
arsenic
Arsenic is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol As and atomic number 33. It is a metalloid and one of the pnictogens, and therefore shares many properties with its group 15 neighbors phosphorus and antimony. Arsenic is not ...
and
DDT
Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, is a colorless, tasteless, and almost odorless crystalline chemical compound, an organochloride. Originally developed as an insecticide, it became infamous for its environmental impacts. ...
were also found. The site also contains levels of
mercury above Wisconsin enforcement standards. The site once included a human-made pond with elevated
cyanide
In chemistry, cyanide () is an inorganic chemical compound that contains a functional group. This group, known as the cyano group, consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom.
Ionic cyanides contain the cyanide anion . This a ...
levels. The site was placed on the
National Priorities List
The National Priorities List (NPL) is the priority list of hazardous waste sites in the United States eligible for long-term remedial investigation and remedial action (cleanup) financed under the federal Superfund program. Environmental Protec ...
in 1986, with remedial action (RA) completed in 1994. The site was deleted from the National Priorities List in 2003. The site remedies included restricting access to the site, restricting use of land at the site, limited excavation of the waste (some drums), removal of hazardous soil, monitoring ground water, monitoring surface water, and installing a landfill cap. The site has been largely remediated via landfill and limited excavation, however waste material above health-based levels was left on site.
The site is currently under a monitoring status, with the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reviewing the site every five years. The site is now encircled by development. It is bordered on the north by a
Hobby Lobby
Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., formerly Hobby Lobby Creative Centers, is an American retail company. It owns a chain of arts and crafts stores with a volume of over $5 billion in 2018. The chain has 1,001 stores in 48 U.S. states. The Green family fo ...
, a
tributary
A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...
that flows into the
Root River, and South 27th Street. The southern boundary of the site is lined with a
Goodwill Industries
Goodwill Industries International Inc., or simply Goodwill, is an American business that provides job training, employment placement services and other community-based programs for people who face barriers in their employment.
Goodwill Indust ...
retail store. Residential properties are just west of the site and to the south. A
Walmart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...
is just north of the site. The site itself is prohibited from ever being used for
potable water
Drinking water or potable water is water that is safe for ingestion, either when drunk directly in liquid form or consumed indirectly through food preparation. It is often (but not always) supplied through taps, in which case it is also calle ...
, residential development, or any development that would disturb the landfill cap. As of March 2021, a portion of the site is being considered for development as a dog park.
Notable people
*
Eric Bugenhagen, Professional wrestler with World Wrestling Entertainment
*
Peter Doyle, Wisconsin Secretary of State
*
Michael Egan, state senator and representative
*
Sam Mayer, racing driver
*
Scott Mayer, racing driver
*
Ted Musgrave
Theodore David Musgrave Sr. (born December 18, 1955) is an American former stock car racing driver.
Pre-NASCAR
Musgrave's father, Elmer, was a famous short-track racer in the Midwest who raced for over 25 years at Soldier Field, O'Hare, Waukega ...
,
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
driver
*
Bill Prietzel, racing driver nicknamed the "Franklin Flyer"
*
Janet Protasiewicz, Justice of the
Wisconsin Supreme Court
The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the Supreme court, highest and final court of appeals in the state judicial system of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. In addition to hearing appeals of lower Wisconsin court decisions, the Wisconsin Supreme Court also ...
*
Jessie Rodriguez, advocate and politician
*
Ken Skowronski, Wisconsin State Representative
References
External links
City of Franklin
{{authority control
Cities in Wisconsin
Cities in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Populated places established in 1841
1841 establishments in Wisconsin Territory