BlockBefore

Franklin, Indiana

23 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1942 and the latest in 1986. It stands in Franklin Township. It lies in ZIP code area 46131. It stands on Hurricane Creek. The Survey maps it on the Franklin quadrangle. 25,313 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 725 feet above sea level.

Franklin within Johnson County

On record in Franklin

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 12 of 14 shown

Every listing in Johnson County

Population over time

2 figures

Franklin grew from 23,712 to 25,313 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

YearPeople Change
201023,712
202025,313+1,601 (+7%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

10 surveys from 23 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

In the county-history sources

10,529 words on this township

A Historical Sketch of Johnson County, Indiana, published 1881 names this settlement in its chapter on Franklin Township. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.

In 1822, in the first half of the year, as is supposed, William Burkhart, from Green County, Ky., and Levi Moore, built the first cabins in Franklin Township. They came by the way of the Indian trail, and Burkhart built his cabin on the banks of the little creek, where Michael Canary afterward lived and died, while Moore went out as far as the Big Spring, and then turning to the east, located at the knoll, a few hundred yards west of Young's Creek, where John McCaslin's house stands. Moore afterward moved to the farm now owned by Aaron Legrange, and there built a mill, the third built in the township ; but he moved to a newer country within a few years, leaving an unsavory reputation behind him. Moore's Creek commemorates his name.

Passage source: A Historical Sketch of Johnson County, Indiana, published 1881.

In the spring of 1823, George King, Simon Covert and David W. McCaslin, accompanied by Isaac Voris, a young man, moved from Kentucky, and began clearings near the mouth of Camp Creek, or, as it afterward came to be known, Covert's Creek, after which, it took its present name of Hurricane. There was no road cut out beyond John Adams' place, now Amity, and the movers being joined by Robert Gilchrist, " bushed " the way out to their future home. On the afternoon of a day in March, they reached Camp Creek ; but finding the stream high, and not knowing the fords, they encamped for the night on the high ground, where stand the college buildings. All returned to Adams, save Covert and Voris, who, when night came, milked the cows, milking into and drinking out of the cow bells that had been brought for use in the range. The next morning, the pilgrims crossed over the turbulent stream, and at once began the work of building King's cabin on a knoll west of the present crossing of the Cincinnati & Martinsville Railroad and Jefferson street. ^ That being up, McCaslin's was built on the south side of Young's Creek, and Covert's on the east side of the Hurricane.

Passage source: A Historical Sketch of Johnson County, Indiana, published 1881.

During the following summer, Franklin was laid out, and made ready for settlers ; but it was not until the spring after that a house was built within the plat. At that time, a man named Kelly put up a house on the west side of the square, and kept a few articles in the grocery line for sale, chief among which seems to have been an odd sort of beer and cakes. He was for some

Passage source: A Historical Sketch of Johnson County, Indiana, published 1881.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Franklin Township - it names this place 18 more 18 times.

Storms near this place

60 of 72 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Franklin in 72 storm reports between 1995 and 2026: 33 thunderstorm wind, 20 hail, 8 flood, 6 lightning. The reports record 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
August 2002Thunderstorm WindFranklin1 hurt, $20,000Part of a ceiling of a Wal-Mart department store collapsed. One person had minor injuries.
June 2001LightningFranklin$425,000no account filed
April 2020Thunderstorm WindFranklin$150,000Roof was blown off of building at 90 East Jefferson due to thunderstorm wind gusts. Partial collapse of home at 1001 N Home Ave. Damage to steeple and church at 100 E Madison. Emergency manager also reported significant tree damage across the county with no specific locations.
March 2025Thunderstorm WindFranklin$40,000A roof on a skating rink was partially peeled up by thunderstorm winds.
July 2006Thunderstorm WindFranklin$40,000Trees, power lines, and at least one stoplight were downed by thunderstorm winds. One tree fell into power lines. These lines started a fire which damaged a residence.
August 2000LightningFranklin$40,000no account filed
May 2002Flash FloodFranklin$25,000no account filed
March 2026Thunderstorm WindFranklin$20,000Grill thrown by thunderstorm winds from patio into yard. Fence was also broken.
July 2001LightningFranklin$20,000no account filed
July 2008Thunderstorm WindFranklin$13,000Thunderstorm winds knocked trees into roads, houses, and utility lines. Power lines fell into a tree along Maple Lane where they started sparking before slipping onto a fence. A power surge resulted, shorting out five power boxes outside of homes along the lane. All of the homes were filled with smoke before firefighters got the situation under control. Each box required a technician to make repairs, and the damage should run between $200 and $800 per home. Elsewhere, trees crashed onto a vehicle on Adams Street in Franklin. Fallen trees blocked Houghham Street in Franklin and North County Road 800 East outside of Franklin, where a utility pole caught on fire.
October 2013Thunderstorm WindFranklin$10,000Trees were reported to be downed on a vehicle due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
December 2013Flash FloodFranklin$10,000Multiple water rescues across the county with many roads being reported under water.
July 2006LightningFranklin$10,000A small fire sparked by a lightning strike damaged a home's bathroom.
August 2002LightningFranklin$5,000no account filed
May 2011Thunderstorm WindFranklin$3,000Two foot diameter live trees and power lines were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts near the intersection of North Main and Adams Streets.
July 2008Flash FloodFranklin$3,000Employees at Johnson County Memorial Hospital had to sandbag much of the first floor, including the emergency room waiting area, officials said; however, the ER was not affected.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindFranklin$2,000Thunderstorm winds blew down trees, tree limbs, and utility lines.
July 2006LightningFranklin$2,000A home's water heater caught fire due to a power surge caused by lightning.
April 2025Thunderstorm WindFranklin$1,000Large tree limb downed by thunderstorm wind gusts onto a road.
August 2021Thunderstorm WindFranklin$1,000Several large tree limbs snapped by thunderstorm wind gusts across the town of Franklin.
July 2017FloodFranklin$1,000North-bound and south-bound lanes of US Highway 31 were closed due to flooding at Blue Heron Park near Greenlawn Cemetery and Franklin Lakes subdivision due to heavy rainfall. Jefferson Street in downtown Franklin was also closed.
February 2014Thunderstorm WindFranklin$1,000A railroad crossing gate arm was damaged by the wind on Commerce Road due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindFranklin$1,000A tree was reported down in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindFranklin$1,000A two foot diameter tree was uprooted at State Route 144 and County Road 100 W due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindFranklin$1,000A utility pole was blow down by damaging thunderstorm winds.
July 1997Thunderstorm WindFranklin$1,000Thunderstorm winds blew down power lines northwest of Franklin.
March 2012FloodFranklin$750Water was reported over the road due to heavy thunderstorm rainfall on US Route 31 North at State Road 144.
July 2017FloodFranklin$500One to two inches of flowing water was over the road at the intersection of Hurricane Road and County Road 300 North due to heavy rainfall. Water was also covering the road in a couple spots north of that intersection.
September 2013FloodFranklin$500Minor street flooding was reported in downtown Franklin due to thunderstorm heavy rainfall.
October 2013Thunderstorm WindFranklin$500Patio furniture was damaged at a residence in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
March 2012FloodFranklin$500Minor street flooding was reported along Jefferson Street due to thunderstorm heavy rainfall.
March 2012FloodFranklin$500Minor street flooding was reported at the intersection of State Route 44 and Highway 31 due to heavy rainfall.
June 2010FloodFranklin$500One foot of water was reported on downtown streets in Franklin, near Jefferson Street and State Route 31.
March 2012Thunderstorm WindFranklin$100Small tree limbs were downed due to strong thunderstorm wind gusts.
April 2009HailFranklin-Nickel size hail reported by Amateur radio in Franklin.
June 2008Heavy RainFranklin-Measured rainfall of 7.29 inches was reported.
June 2008Heavy RainFranklin-Measured rainfall of 5.77 inches was reported.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindFranklin-A large tree was blow down onto Graham Road by thunderstorm winds.
April 2007Thunderstorm WindFranklin-A tree was reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindFranklin-A trained spotter reported a small tree down near State Road 44 and Main Street near the Courthouse. Power was out at US 31 and North Main Street.
May 2005Thunderstorm WindFranklin-Trees were blown down on State Road 144.
June 2005Thunderstorm WindFranklin-A tree was blown down.
June 2002Thunderstorm WindFranklin-Law enforcement report two trees down.
July 1999Thunderstorm WindFranklin-Law enforcement reported trees down.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindFranklin-Thunderstorm winds blew down an acre of corn.
March 2026HailFranklin-no account filed
March 2017HailFranklin-no account filed
March 2016HailFranklin-no account filed
April 2015HailFranklin-no account filed
April 2015HailFranklin-no account filed
April 2013HailFranklin-no account filed
April 2013HailFranklin-no account filed
April 2013HailFranklin-no account filed
April 2013HailFranklin-no account filed
April 2013HailFranklin-no account filed
March 2012HailFranklin-no account filed
June 2011HailFranklin-no account filed
May 2011HailFranklin-no account filed
March 2006HailFranklin-no account filed
April 2006Thunderstorm WindFranklin-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Johnson County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Hopewell3.4 miles23
Mount Pleasant3.7 miles23
Urmeyville4.7 miles12
Amity4.7 miles23
Whiteland5.0 miles16
West Whiteland5.2 miles16
Needham5.6 miles12
New Whiteland5.8 miles16

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on FranklinAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q983769The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 434762. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.