Franklin, Kentucky

Franklin is a home rule-class city in and the county seat of Simpson County, Kentucky, United States. The county is located on the south central border of the state, and its population was 10,176 at the 2020 census.

Kentucky Downs, formerly known as Dueling Grounds Racetrack (owned by Corey Johnsen & Ray Reid), is located in Franklin on the Kentucky–Tennessee border. Kentucky Downs hosts the Kentucky Cup Turf Festival, a full card of world-class horse racing featuring four major turf stakes. Kentucky Downs also hosts year-round simulcasts for the Kentucky-Tennessee market.

History
Franklin was formally incorporated by the state assembly on November 2, 1820, on a 62 acre tract of land. This tract was purchased from William Hudspeth and was named for Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. The post office was established on September 29, 1822, with Robert W. Simpson as postmaster.

On March 1, 1968, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash were married at the Franklin First United Methodist church by Reverend Leslie Chapman.

Climate
The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Franklin has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Geography
Franklin is located at 36.7225°N, -86.5775°W (36.722487, -86.577566).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.4 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2020, there were 10,176 people residing in the city. The population density was 690 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 80.20% White, 13.00% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, and 6.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.00% of the population.

The median income for a household in the city was $54,784. The per capita income for the city was $23,835. About 16.8% of the population is below the poverty line.

Education
Public education in Franklin is administered by Simpson County School District, which operates Franklin Elementary School, Lincoln Elementary School and Simpson Elementary School, Franklin-Simpson Middle School and Franklin-Simpson High School as well as an alternative school called Franklin-Simpson High School West Campus.

Franklin Mennonite Elementary School and Faith Baptist Academy are private institutions.

Franklin has a public library, the Goodnight Memorial Library.

Notable people

 * Joe Blanton (1980–), Major League Baseball pitcher, was raised in Franklin
 * Marty Brown (1965–), country singer-songwriter born in Maceo and moved to Franklin in 2004
 * Thomas Chisholm (1866–1960), Christian songwriter who wrote "Great is Thy Faithfulness", was born in Franklin
 * Carolyn Denning (1927–2016), pediatrician and pioneer in cystic fibrosis treatment, grew up in Franklin
 * Blanche Taylor Dickinson (1896–1972), poet
 * James Earnest (1818–1900), member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and Wisconsin State Senate, was born in Franklin
 * Brad M. Kelley (1956–), billionaire businessman, came from Franklin
 * Carolyn Conn Moore (1904–1986) of Franklin was elected as the first woman to serve in the Kentucky Senate in November 1949, after a special election to replace her husband, the late J. Lee Moore, after his death.
 * Kenny Perry (1960–), a retired PGA golfer with 14 wins on the PGA Tour, 10 wins on the Senior PGA Tour, including 4 senior majors, and was a member of the U.S. teams in 5 Ryder & President's Cups, spent most of his childhood in Franklin and continues to live there. Today he operates a golf course there, Kenny Perry's Country Creek course.
 * Joker Phillips (1963–), pro football player, was born and raised in Franklin; he attended, played football, and is a former head coach at the University of Kentucky. Current NFL coach
 * Annie Potts (1952–), actress (Ghostbusters, Pretty in Pink, Designing Women, and Young Sheldon), was raised in Franklin and graduated from Franklin-Simpson High School in 1971.
 * Tony Randolph, member of the South Dakota House of Representatives