Franklin County, Ohio
Franklin County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,323,807, making it the most populous county in Ohio. Most of its land area is taken up by its county seat, Columbus, the state capital and most populous city in Ohio. The county was established on April 30, 1803, less than two months after Ohio became a state, and was named after Benjamin Franklin. Originally, Franklin County extended north to Lake Erie before it was subdivided into smaller counties. Franklin County is the central county of the Columbus, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Franklin County | |
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County | |
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Flag Coat of arms | |
| Etymology: Benjamin Franklin | |
Map of Ohio highlighting Franklin County | |
| Coordinates: 39°58′N 83°00′W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Ohio |
| Region | Central Ohio |
| Founded | April 30, 1803 |
| County seat | Columbus |
| Area | |
| • Total | 544 sq mi (1,410 km2) |
| • Land | 532 sq mi (1,380 km2) |
| • Water | 11 sq mi (30 km2) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 1,323,807 |
| • Estimate (2022) | 1,321,820 |
| • Density | 2,400/sq mi (940/km2) |
| Gross Domestic Product | |
| • Total | US$106.988 billion (2022) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (North American EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Area codes | 614, 380 |
| Website | franklincountyohio |
Franklin County, particularly Columbus, has been a centerpiece for presidential and congressional politics, most notably the 2000 presidential election, the 2004 presidential election, and the 2006 midterm elections. Franklin County is home to one of the largest universities in the United States, Ohio State University, which has about 60,000 students on its main Columbus campus.
It shares a name with Franklin County in Kentucky, where Frankfort is located. This makes it one of two pairs of capital cities in counties of the same name, along with Marion Counties in Indiana and Oregon.