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Our County

two people on rend lake illinois in their kayaks at sunset

Welcome to the Franklin County Website!

  • Franklin County is located in the heart of Southern Illinois and, according to the 2010 census is the home to 39,561 people.
  • Franklin County is proud to be The Birthplace and The Gateway to the beautiful Rend Lake Area.
  • Franklin County can be easily accessed on Interstate 57.  And within a short time I- 57 takes us to I-64, and I-24 and their connections.  This very busy interstate gives us easy-assess to several metropolis areas… Springfield, Illinois and Chicago, Illinois to our North, Paducah, Kentucky to our South, Evansville, Indiana to our East and St. Louis, Missouri to our West.
  • We also have many State Highways which cross our county and make travel in our area easy to navigate.  Marion, Carbondale and Mt. Vernon, Illinois are each within a 30 mile drive of our area and, among other attractions, are all excellent shopping areas.
  • Franklin Hospital is also located in our County Seat of Benton, Illinois.
  • Check out the Franklin County Economic Development Corp (FREDCO) if you are looking for a place to grow your business, you can find many resources through FREDCO. You can contact them by visiting their website or calling (618) 435-4000
  • Franklin County is fortunate to have 2 community colleges which service our area, Rend Lake College and John A Logan College. And both of these learning facilities provide connections to other means of learning, whether it is Coal Mining Classes, Over-the-Road Truck Driving, Nursing Programs, Cosmetology, or a way to accomplish your higher degrees in other studies, this, and many other areas of study, can be done through these local colleges.