Franklin County, Ohio
| Franklin County, Ohio | ||
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Franklin County Government Center
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 Location in the U.S. state of Ohio |
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 Ohio's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | April 30, 1803 | |
| Named for | Benjamin Franklin | |
| Seat | Columbus | |
| Largest city | Columbus | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 544 sq mi (1,409 km2) | |
| • Land | 532 sq mi (1,378 km2) | |
| • Water | 11 sq mi (28 km2), 2.1% | |
| Population (est.) | ||
| • (2014) | 1,231,393 | |
| • Density | 2,186/sq mi (844/km²) | |
| Congressional districts | 3rd, 12th, 15th | |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | |
| Website | www |
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Franklin County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,163,414, making it the second-most populous county in Ohio. However, based on recent Census estimates, it almost certainly overtook Cuyahoga County to become the most populous county in Ohio sometime in late 2015 or early 2016. Its county seat is 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. Franklin County originally extended all the way north to Lake Erie before Ohio subdivided further into more counties.
Franklin County is included in the Columbus, OH Metropolitan Statistical Area.
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, The Ohio State University, which as of fall 2014 has an enrollment of 58,322 students on its main Columbus campus.
On March 30, 1803, the Ohio government authorized the creation of Franklin County. The county originally was part of Ross County. Residents named the county in honor of Benjamin Franklin. In 1816, Franklin County’s Columbus became Ohio’s state capital. Surveyors laid out the city in 1812, and officials incorporated it in 1816. Columbus was not Ohio’s original capital, but the state legislature chose to move the state government there after its location for a short time at Chillicothe and at Zanesville. Columbus was chosen as the site for the new capital because of its central location within the state and access by way of major transportation routes (primarily rivers) at that time. The legislature chose it as Ohio’s capital over a number of other competitors, including Franklinton, Dublin, Worthington, and Delaware.
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