FRANKLIN COUNTY, MISSOURI Franklin County was separated from St. Louis county and established in 1818. The county overs 922.8 square miles and had a 2000 population of 93,807. As of the November, 2000 general election there were 61,893 registered voters in Franklin County comprising 90.8% of the voting age population. There were 34,945 households in the county with an average size of 2.66 persons and the median age of residents was 35.8 years. Median household income was $43,474 annually with 4.5% of county families and 7.0% of the total population with incomes
below the poverty level. 81.6% of workers drove to work alone and .3% took public transportation to work. The county seat was originally the village of Newport which no longer exists. The county seat was permanently moved to the City of Union in 1825. The county is governed by a three member County Commission led by the Presiding Commissioner and has 12 municipalities. Franklin County's economy has long included manufacturing, but the once significant presence of
shoe manufacturing is no more, the industrial base of the county is more diverse. The historic and quaint towns of Franklin County such as Washington , Union, and Sullivan, and the natural beauty of the area attract many people to the county both as tourists and as new residents | 
