Franklin County, Massachusetts
| Franklin County, Massachusetts | ||
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Franklin County Courthouse
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 Location in the U.S. state of Massachusetts |
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 Massachusetts's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1811 | |
| Named for | Benjamin Franklin | |
| Seat | Greenfield | |
| Largest city | Greenfield | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 725 sq mi (1,878 km2) | |
| • Land | 699 sq mi (1,810 km2) | |
| • Water | 25 sq mi (65 km2), 3.5% | |
| Population (est.) | ||
| • (2015) | 70,601 | |
| • Density | 97/sq mi (37/km²) | |
| Congressional districts | 1st, 2nd | |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | |
Franklin County is a nongovernmental county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2010 census, the population was 71,372, which makes it the least-populous county on the Massachusetts mainland, and the third-least populous county in the state. Its largest community and traditional county seat is Greenfield.
Franklin County comprises the Greenfield Town, MA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Springfield-Greenfield Town, MA Combined Statistical Area.
Franklin County was created on 24 June 1811 from the northern third of Hampshire County. It was named for Benjamin Franklin. Franklin County's government was abolished by the state government in 1997, at the county's request.
Like several other Massachusetts counties, Franklin County exists today only as a geographic region and has no county government. The Franklin County Commission voted itself out of existence, and all former state-mandated county functions were assumed by state agencies in 1997. The sheriff and some other regional officials with specific duties are still elected locally to perform duties within the county region. Counties in Massachusetts and New England generally are historically weak governmental structures. The primary subdivision of the Commonwealth is the municipal township. Communities are permitted to form regional compacts for sharing services. The municipalities of Franklin County have formed the Franklin Regional Council of Governments. The regional council provides various services on a regional basis, and a majority of the county's towns are members of the Franklin County Solid Waste Management District, which provides municipal waste disposal and recycling services to its members. Public transportation throughout the county and in the North Quabbin area of northwestern Worcester County is provided by the Franklin Regional Transit Authority.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 725 square miles (1,880 km2), of which 699 square miles (1,810 km2) is land and 25 square miles (65 km2) (3.5%) is water. Central and southern Franklin County is dominated by the northern end of the Pioneer Valley, with steep hills rising on either side of the Connecticut River.
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