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Franklin County
County
Franklin County Courthouse in Chambersburg in October 2013
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 39°56′N 77°43′W / 39.93°N 77.72°W / 39.93; -77.72
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
Founded	September 9, 1784
Named for	Benjamin Franklin
Seat	Chambersburg
Largest borough	Chambersburg
Area
• Total	773 sq mi (2,000 km)
• Land	772 sq mi (2,000 km)
• Water	0.6 sq mi (2 km)  0.08%
Population
• Total	155,932
• Density	200/sq mi (80/km)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district	13th
Website	www.franklincountypa.gov

Franklin County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 155,932. Its county seat is Chambersburg.

Franklin County comprises the Chambersburg–Waynesboro, PA metropolitan statistical area, which is also included in the Washington–Baltimore combined statistical area. The county is part of the South Central Pennsylvania region of the state.

History

Originally part of Lancaster County in 1729, then York County in 1749, then Cumberland County in 1750, Franklin County became an independent jurisdiction on September 9, 1784, soon after the end of the American Revolutionary War. It is named in honor of Founding Father Benjamin Franklin.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 773 square miles (2,000 km), of which 772 square miles (2,000 km) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.6 km) (0.08%) is water.

Franklin County is in the watershed of the Chesapeake Bay and the overwhelming majority of it is drained by the Potomac River, but the Conodoguinet Creek and the Shermans Creek drain northeastern portions into the Susquehanna River. It has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Dfa) and its hardiness zone is 6b. Average monthly temperatures in Chambersburg range from 29.9 °F in January to 74.7 °F in July.

Adjacent counties

• Juniata County (north)
• Perry County (northeast)
• Cumberland County (northeast)
• Huntingdon County (Northwest)
• Adams County (east)
• Frederick County, Maryland (southeast)
• Washington County, Maryland (south)
• Fulton County (west)

Major highways

• I-76 / Penna Turnpike
• I-81
• US 11
• US 30
• PA 16
• PA 75
• PA 163
• PA 316
• PA 433
• PA 997
• PA 233
• PA 274
• PA 416
• PA 456
• PA 533
• PA 641
• PA 696
• PA 995

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 129,313 people, 50,633 households, and 36,405 families residing in the county. The population density was 168 people per square mile (65 people/km). There were 53,803 housing units at an average density of 70 units per square mile (27/km). The racial makeup of the county was 95.33% White, 2.33% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.74% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. 1.75% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 40.2% were of German, 19.4% American, 7.6% Irish and 6.0% English ancestry. 96.0% spoke English and 2.1% Spanish as their first language.

There were 50,633 households, out of which 30.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.00% were married couples living together, 8.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 23.70% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 2.94.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 24.00% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 23.70% from 45 to 64, and 16.00% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.90 males.

In 2001, Franklin County was featured in David Brooks' article "One Nation, Slightly Divisible" in The Atlantic as a representative Red or Republican Party county.

2020 census

Government

County commissioners

Source:

• Dean Horst, chairman, Republican
• John Flannery, Republican
• Robert Ziobrowski, Democrat

Other county offices

Source:

• Clerk of Courts, Todd Rock
• Controller, Harold Wissinger
• Coroner, Jordan Conner
• District Attorney, Ian Brink
• Prothonotary, Timothy Sponseller
• Register and Recorder, Joy Heinbaugh
• Sheriff, Benjamin Sites
• Treasurer, Melody Shuman

State House of Representatives

Source:

• Jesse Topper, Republican, Pennsylvania's 78th Representative District
• Adam Harris, Republican, Pennsylvania's 82nd Representative District
• Rob W. Kauffman, Republican, Pennsylvania's 89th Representative District
• Paul Schemel, Republican, Pennsylvania's 90th Representative District

State Senate

Source:

• Judy Ward, Republican, Pennsylvania's 30th Senatorial District
• Doug Mastriano, Republican, Pennsylvania's 33rd Senatorial District

United States House of Representatives

• John Joyce, Republican, Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district

Politics

For most of its history, Franklin County has been a Republican Party stronghold in presidential elections, with only three Democratic Party candidates having managed to win the county from 1880 to the present day. The most recent Democrat to win the county in a presidential election was Lyndon B. Johnson, who won state-wide in the Pennsylvania election and in the national election, in a 1964 landslide. As a testament to the county's status as a Republican Party stronghold, Jimmy Carter in 1976 is the lone Democrat to win forty percent of the county's votes since Johnson's 1964 win.

Voter registration

As of February 5, 2024, there are 99,471 registered voters in the county. There are 61,383 registered Republicans, 23,279 registered Democrats, 11,351 voters registered non-affiliated voters, and 3,458 voters registered to other parties.

Chart of Voter Registration

United States Senate

• John Fetterman, Democrat
• Bob Casey, Democrat

Education

Universities and colleges

• Wilson College
• Penn State Mont Alto

Technology school

• Franklin County Career and Technology Center
• Chambersburg Area Career Magnet School
• Triangle Tech

Intermediate unit

Lincoln Intermediate Unit (IU#12) region includes: Adams County, Franklin County and York County. The agency offers school districts, home-schooled students and private schools many services, including: special education services, combined purchasing, and instructional technology services. It runs Summer Academy, which offers both art and academic strands designed to meet the individual needs of gifted, talented and high achieving students. Additional services include: curriculum mapping, professional development for school employees, adult education, nonpublic school services, business services, migrant & ESL (English as a second language), instructional services, special education, management services, and technology services. It also provides a GED program to adults who want to earn a high school diploma and literacy programs. The Lincoln Intermediate Unit is governed by a 13-member board of directors, each a member of a local school board from the 25 school districts. Board members are elected by school directors of all 25 school districts for three-year terms that begin July 1. There are 29 intermediate units in Pennsylvania. They are funded by school districts, state and federal program specific funding and grants. IUs do not have the power to tax.

Public school districts

Public school districts include:

• Chambersburg Area School District
• Fannett-Metal School District (also in Perry County)
• Greencastle-Antrim School District
• Shippensburg Area School District (also in Cumberland County)
• Tuscarora School District
• Waynesboro Area School District

Private schools

• Anchor Christian Day School – Shippensburg
• Antrim Mennonite School – Greencastle
• Brook Side Amish School – Spring Run
• Calvary Mennonite School – Chambersburg
• Clearfield Parochial School – Shippensburg
• Conococheague Amish School – Spring Run
• Corpus Christi Catholic School – Chambersburg
• Cornell Abraxas Leadership Development Program
• Cornell Abraxas Youth Center – South Mountain
• Culbertson Mennonite School – Chambersburg
• Cumberland Valley Christian School – Chambersburg
• Emmanuel Christian School – Chambersburg
• Franklin Learning Center – Chambersburg
• Highfield Christian Academy – Blue Ridge Summit
• Living Word Academy – Blue Ridge Summit
• Maple Grove Amish School Dry Run
• McClays Mill Amish School – Newburg
• Meadow Brook Amish School – Spring Run
• Manito Day Treatment – Chambersburg
• Mercersburg Academy – Mercersburg
• Montessori Academy of Chambersburg
• Mountain View Amish School – Spring Run
• Mowersville Christian Academy – Newburg
• Noahs Ark Christian Church Center – Waynesboro
• Otterbein School – Shippensburg
• Path Valley Christian School – Doylesburg
• Portico River Brethren School – Chambersburg
• Providence School – Waynesboro
• St. Andrew the Apostle Catholic School – Waynesboro
• Shady Grove Mennonite School – Greencastle
• Shalom Christian Academy – Chambersburg
• South Mountain Secure Treatment Unit – South Mountain
• Stoney Creek Parochial School – Orrstown
• Sunset Amish School – Newburg
• Sweetwater Ridge School – Dry Run
• Sylvan Learning Center – Chambersburg
• Tunnel Run School – Newburg
• Visionquest-South Mountain Lodge – South Mountain
• Willow Hill Parochial School – Willow Hill

Libraries

The Franklin County Library system has five branches:

• Blue Ridge Summit Free Library – Blue Ridge Summit
• Coyle Free Library – Chambersburg
• Grove Family Library – Chambersburg
• Lilian S Besore Memorial Library – Greencastle
• St Thomas Branch Library – Saint Thomas

The system also supports the Alexander Hamilton Memorial Library in Waynesboro, PA. In addition, the system currently operates two bookmobiles.

Recreation

There are four Pennsylvania state parks in Franklin County.

• Caledonia State Park straddles the Franklin and Adams County line along U.S. Route 30 between Chambersburg and Gettysburg.
• Buchanan's Birthplace State Park is the birthplace of the 15th President of the United States, James Buchanan.
• Mont Alto State Park is the oldest state park in Pennsylvania.
• Cowans Gap State Park is largely surrounded by Buchanan State Forest and straddles the Franklin and Fulton County border.

Communities

Under Pennsylvania law, there are four types of incorporated municipalities: cities, boroughs, townships, and, in at most two cases, towns. The following boroughs and townships are located in Franklin County:

Boroughs

• Chambersburg (county seat)
• Greencastle
• Mercersburg
• Mont Alto
• Orrstown
• Shippensburg (mostly in Cumberland County)
• Waynesboro

Townships

• Antrim Township
• Fannett Township
• Greene Township
• Guilford Township
• Hamilton Township
• Letterkenny Township
• Lurgan Township
• Metal Township
• Montgomery Township
• Peters Township
• Quincy Township
• Southampton Township
• St. Thomas Township
• Warren Township
• Washington Township

Census-designated places

Census-designated places are geographical areas designated by the U.S. Census Bureau for the purposes of compiling demographic data. They are not actual jurisdictions under Pennsylvania law. Other unincorporated communities, such as villages, may be listed here as well.

• Blue Ridge Summit
• Fayetteville
• Fort Loudon
• Guilford
• Marion
• Pen Mar
• Rouzerville
• Scotland
• State Line
• Wayne Heights

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2010 census of Franklin County.

† county seat

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Franklin County, Pennsylvania
• Bloom Brothers Department Stores

References

1. Includes Lancaster, York, Berks, Dauphin, Cumberland, Franklin, Lebanon, Adams and Perry Counties

1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. Franklin County PA – default Archived August 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Co.franklin.pa.us. Retrieved on July 23, 2013.
4. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 131.
5. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
6. "PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University".
7. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
8. David Brooks (December 2001). "One Nation, Slightly Divisible". The Atlantic. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
9. "P2 HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Franklin County, Pennsylvania".
10. "Franklin County, PA". www.franklincountypa.gov. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
11. "Franklin County, PA: Franklin County Elected Officials". www.franklincountypa.gov. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
12. ^ Center, Legislativate Data Processing. "Find Your Legislator". The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
13. Pennsylvania Department of State (February 5, 2024). "Voter registration statistics by county". dos.pa.gov. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
14. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
15. https://web.archive.org/web/20051118120032/http://geoelections.free.fr/. Archived from the original on November 18, 2005. Retrieved January 13, 2021. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
16. Lincoln Intermediate Unit 12 website accessed April 2010
17. "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Franklin County, PA" (PDF). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved October 17, 2024. - Text list
18. "Locations". August 29, 2018. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
19. "2010 U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 10, 2013.

v t e Municipalities and communities of Franklin County, Pennsylvania, United States
County seat: Chambersburg
Boroughs	Chambersburg Greencastle Mercersburg Mont Alto Orrstown Shippensburg‡ Waynesboro
Townships	Antrim Fannett Greene Guilford Hamilton Letterkenny Lurgan Metal Montgomery Peters Quincy Southampton St. Thomas Warren Washington
CDPs	Blue Ridge Summit Fayetteville Fort Loudon Guilford Marion Pen Mar Rouzerville Scotland State Line Wayne Heights
Unincorporated communities	Amberson Cashtown Charlestown Cheesetown Church Hill Claylick Concord Cove Gap Doylesburg Dry Run Fairview Fannettsburg Five Forks Germantown Greenvillage Greenwood Johnston Kasiesville Lemasters Lurgan Mainsville Markes Mason and Dixon Monterey Mowersville New Franklin Old Forge Pleasant Hall Quincy Richmond Furnace Roxbury Shady Grove Shimpstown Smoketown South Mountain Spring Run Springtown Stoufferstown Sylvan Tomstown Upper Strasburg Upton Vanilla Welsh Run Williamson Willow Hill Zullinger
Footnotes	‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
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39°56′N 77°43′W / 39.93°N 77.72°W / 39.93; -77.72

• Pennsylvania counties
• Franklin County, Pennsylvania
• 1784 establishments in Pennsylvania
• Populated places established in 1784