Click Image to Enlarge
Virginia Counties
The Commonwealth of Virginia is divided into ninety-five counties and thirty-eight independent cities, which are considered county-equivalents for census purposes.City of , Virginia
City of Franklin Education, Geography, and History
Franklin is an independent city in Virginia. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 8,582. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Franklin with Southampton County for statistical purposes.
Etymology - Origin of City of Franklin Name
Franklin, in Southampton County, came into existence during the 1830s as a stop along the Portsmouth and Roanoke Railroad line then under construction. The origin of the name is unclear. It could have been named for Benjamin Franklin, patriot and statesman; for a man named Franklin kept a store in the area; or for the exclamation of a railroad section foreman who drove a spike into a crosstie and said, "This shall be Franklin!"
Demographics:
County QuickFacts: City of Franklin
Franklin City History
Franklin, in Southampton County, came into existence during the 1830s as a stop along the Portsmouth and Roanoke Railroad line then under construction. The origin of the name is unclear. It could have been named for Benjamin Franklin, patriot and statesman; for a man named Franklin kept a store in the area; or for the exclamation of a railroad section foreman who drove a spike into a crosstie and said, "This shall be Franklin!"
First incorporated as a Town in March of 1876, the first official census of 1880 indicated a population of 447
inhabitants. In 1900, the population had increased to 1,143; in 1910, 2,271; in 1920, 2.363; in 1930, 2,930; in
1940, 3,466; and in 1950, 4,670. On January 1st, 1960, the boundaries increased from 1.02 square miles to 3.92
square miles due to annexation.
In December 1961, the Town of Franklin became a City. Subsequent annexations in 1986 & 1996 increased the population
and land area of the City. The population today is approximately 8,400 and the land area is 8.75 square miles.
Located in Southampton County, Virginia.
Geography: Land and Water
Located at the head of the navigable portion of the Blackwater River, the City of Franklin lies in the highly agricultural Coastal Plain in southeastern (or Tidewater) Virginia. As with most communities, Franklin's location has affected its history as a center of trade and transportation for the surrounding countryside. Being adjacent to the Blackwater River, water transportation has historically been an integral part in Franklin's development. In addition, the city has also become an important rail point between the City of Norfolk and the Western Roanoke Basin.
As reported by the Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.4 square miles (21.8 km2), of which,
8.4 square miles (21.6 km2) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km2) of it (0.60%) is water.
Neighboring Counties
Bordering counties are as follows:
- Located in Southampton County, Virginia.
- Isle of Wight County, Virginia
- Southampton County, Virginia
Education
Click Image to Enlarge
