Franklin County was created in 1803 and named for Benjamin Franklin. Lucas Sullivant founded the settlement of Franklinton on the west bank of the Scioto River in 1797.
Columbus was founded in 1812 on the high bank across the river as a new state capital, and it has served as Ohio’s capital since 1816. The Ohio Statehouse was completed in 1861.
The Ohio State University was founded in 1870, and historic neighborhoods such as German Village preserve the city’s past. Today Franklin County is the most populous county in Ohio.
Places to Explore
The Ohio Statehouse, German Village and the Book Loft, the Scioto Mile, COSI, and the Franklin Park Conservatory.
Did You Know?
Franklinton, the county’s first settlement, was established fifteen years before Columbus itself.
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