History & Heritage
River settlements, German-American heritage, old downtowns and the Mother Road.
Explore Chapter →Franklin County Community & Real Estate Guide
River Heritage Ozark Adventure
Explore Franklin County, Missouri, from the historic Missouri River communities of Washington and New Haven to Union’s county-seat neighborhoods, the Route 66 towns along I-44, and the wooded Meramec River landscape. Discover homes, small towns, rural acreage, employers, schools, and outdoor recreation across a county with exceptionally varied real estate.
Franklin County includes incorporated towns and unincorporated communities; some places, such as Pacific and Sullivan, cross county lines. Verify each property’s jurisdiction, schools, utilities, and flood status by its exact address.
426,4992025 Population Estimate
17Municipalities
560.5Land Square Miles
80.5%Owner-Occupied Housing
174,2782025 Housing Units
143K+2023 Employment
Live Franklin County Inventory
Homes For Sale
Explore current real estate for sale across Franklin County, including homes, condos, land, acreage, multifamily and commercial properties.
Sold Franklin County Inventory
Recently Sold Homes
Explore recently sold real estate, including homes, condos, land, and commercial properties.
See the Homes
Franklin County Home Tours
Listings show you photographs. Countywide home tours make it easier to compare scale, layout, architecture and housing eras across communities throughout Franklin County.
Franklin County Home Tours are on the way. As Archway Abodes adds walkthroughs from Franklin County, new tours will automatically appear here.
Want to explore beyond Franklin County? Our Community Home Tours collection brings together video walkthroughs from communities throughout Greater St. Louis, making it easy to compare homes, architecture, layouts and local character across the region.
ARCHWAY ABODES × FRANKLIN COUNTY
Franklin County Home Tours
Coming Soon
New Franklin County walkthroughs will appear here automatically.
Archway Abodes × Franklin County Checking the current Franklin County playlist…
Explore Franklin County
The Stories Behind Franklin County’s Communities
Explore settlement history, architectural character, local employers, highway connections, schools, rivers, recreation and land development. Choose a chapter to continue reading.
Homes & Architecture
Historic houses, postwar neighborhoods, newer homes, farms and acreage.
Explore Chapter →Economy & Employment
Manufacturing, medicine, education, agriculture and local business.
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Roads & Getting Around
Interstate 44, Routes 47 and 100, U.S. 50 and Route 66 history.
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Schools & Education
Property-specific public school districts, East Central College and career pathways.
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Parks, Rivers & Recreation
Meramec State Park, Robertsville, limestone caves, trails and waterways.
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Local Life & Wine Country
Downtown Washington, river communities, local events, vineyards and shops.
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Growth, Development & Land
Rural property, economic investment, land use, water, floodplains and conservation.
Explore Chapter →County Overview
From River Towns to the Meramec Highlands
Franklin County is not a single suburban market. Along its northern edge, Missouri River settlements connect history and industry; central communities support education and county services; the I-44 corridor links eastern and western towns; and southern landscapes transition to forests, farms and river recreation.
Washington & Missouri River Country
Historic Washington and New Haven feature river-town streets, manufacturing traditions, German-American heritage, locally owned businesses and established housing.
Examples: Washington · New Haven · Berger · Missouri River
Union & Central Franklin County
Union serves as county seat and an educational and business center. Neighborhoods range from older housing to recent subdivisions and nearby rural tracts.
Examples: Union · Beaufort · Villa Ridge · nearby unincorporated areas
Eastern Gateway & Route 66
Pacific links the metropolitan edge with historic highway and rail corridors; nearby settlements combine commuter connections with river valleys and wooded land.
Examples: Pacific · Gray Summit · Labadie · Catawissa
Southern & Western River Highlands
St. Clair and Sullivan connect highway services with Meramec recreation, while Gerald, Lonedell and rural landscapes support farms, cabins and acreage.
Examples: St. Clair · Sullivan · Gerald · Lonedell · Stanton
County Signature Section
From River Settlement to Route 66
Franklin County’s identity comes from the Missouri and Meramec rivers, historic settlement, small-town commerce, industrial and agricultural traditions, and some of the region’s most scenic wooded terrain.
Three Landscapes, One County
Franklin County was organized in 1818 from western St. Louis County and named for Benjamin Franklin. The county seat moved from Newport to Union in 1825. Rivers, agriculture, settlement and transportation shaped its towns long before modern subdivisions.
Washington and New Haven retain Missouri River and German-American influences, while the former Route 66 corridor preserves a separate railroad and automobile-era story in Pacific, St. Clair and Sullivan.
Today, manufacturing and services coexist with rural land, vineyards, wooded uplands and the recreational landscape of the Meramec River.
County established1818
2025 Census population estimate108,090
2020 Census population104,682
2020 to 2025 estimate change+3.3%
County seatUnion
Land area922.65 sq mi
Housing & Architecture
A County of Historic Streets, Subdivisions and Acreage
The type of home—and the questions a buyer should ask—change substantially between Washington’s older blocks, Union’s subdivisions, I-44 towns and unincorporated farmland.
Historic River & Railroad Towns
Washington, New Haven, Pacific and other older communities offer nineteenth- and early twentieth-century residences, brick buildings, vernacular homes, Victorian-era houses and early Craftsman and Foursquare designs.
Postwar Homes & Established Streets
Ranch houses, split-levels and traditional detached housing appear in neighborhoods near major town centers and older commercial corridors.
Contemporary Subdivisions
Union, Washington and other established communities include modern ranch and two-story homes, attached residences and newer developments; availability differs by location.
Farms & Acreage
Country houses, pastures, small farms and custom construction are found beyond municipal centers. Access, zoning, utilities and property restrictions should be checked individually.
Cabins & Recreational Properties
Wooded lots, cabins and homes near the Meramec may have distinct access, flood exposure and seasonal-use considerations.
Commercial & Mixed-Use Buildings
Historic downtown storefronts, manufacturing properties, highway commercial sites and mixed-use structures contribute to the real estate landscape.
Economy & Employment
Industry, Education and a Working Rural Economy
Franklin County combines local employment with connections to the wider St. Louis region. Its economic profile is broader than a bedroom-community label implies.
Employment Centers
Manufacturing, medical services, county government, professional services, retail and local businesses support activity around Washington and Union. Industrial operations and distribution also follow important road and rail corridors.
ManufacturingHealth CareCounty GovernmentRetail & ServicesLogisticsEducation
Agriculture, Tourism & Workforce
Working farms, wineries, contractors and outdoor recreation businesses matter alongside established town employers. East Central College in Union supports postsecondary education and workforce training; specific company employment levels change over time.
Transportation & Connectivity
I-44, River Roads and the Mother Road
Franklin County’s roads reflect the relationship between small towns, employment centers, regional commerce and agricultural or recreational properties.
Principal Road Corridors
Interstate 44 links Pacific, St. Clair and Sullivan; U.S. 50 serves Union and surrounding areas; Missouri Route 100 reaches the Washington area; and Route 47 provides an important north–south connection. Historic Route 66 remains culturally important.
I-44U.S. 50MO 47MO 100Route 66Local rural roads
Commutes, Roads and Rural Access
Highway access differs by location; rural parcels may use private roads or shared easements. Buyers should verify travel routes, maintenance agreements, driveway access and seasonal conditions rather than assuming uniform countywide commute times.
Schools & Education
Public Districts, College and Career Pathways
School assignment is not reliably determined by a mailing city or neighborhood name. Confirm the exact property address with the school district and Missouri DESE.
Public Education
Districts serving portions of Franklin County include Washington, Union R-XI, Meramec Valley R-III, St. Clair R-XIII, Sullivan C-2, New Haven and smaller districts such as Lonedell, Spring Bluff, Strain-Japan and Franklin County R-II. District boundaries can cross municipal and county lines.
Verify by addressDistrict mappingTransportation policies
East Central College & Training
East Central College, headquartered in Union, provides college coursework, technical programs and workforce opportunities. Other educational options depend on the community and student needs.
Parks, Rivers & Recreation
Wooded Bluffs, Limestone Caves and the Meramec
Meramec State Park near Sullivan is known for hiking, camping, the Meramec River and Fisher Cave. Robertsville State Park offers another Meramec River landscape with camping, trails and water access.
Recreation extends beyond state parks to fishing, floating, wooded land and Missouri River scenery. Check park conditions, river levels and access information before planning an outing.
Local Life & Wine Country
Historic Downtowns, Festivals and Scenic Drives
Franklin County local life ranges from Missouri River storefronts and county-seat institutions to rural gathering places, wineries and historic highway destinations.
Main Streets and Local Traditions
Washington’s riverfront and historic downtown, Union’s civic center, New Haven’s heritage and Pacific’s Route 66 associations give individual communities different commercial and cultural identities.
Wine Country and Events
Vineyards, local restaurants, seasonal festivals, farmers markets and historic sites contribute to the county’s quality of life. Community calendars and opening hours change seasonally.
Growth, Development & Land
Balancing Investment, Rural Land and River Systems
Whether considering a subdivision home, farmland, commercial property or recreational tract, buyers and investors benefit from understanding the site-specific realities of Franklin County.
New Housing and Infrastructure
Growth and reinvestment occur in different ways around established town centers, commercial corridors, and rural residential sites. Utility availability, road access and permitting may shape feasible development.
Rural Property Due Diligence
Evaluate municipal versus unincorporated jurisdiction, zoning, flood hazard mapping, on-site sewage, water source, land access, easements and applicable watershed rules at the parcel level.
Official County & Regional Resources
Featured Community Guides
Discover Franklin County Communities
Each community guide will connect local history, homes, architecture, nearby attractions and property searches as those individual pages are completed.
Featured Community Guides
As full community guides are published, this section can feature Washington, Union, Pacific, St. Clair, Sullivan and New Haven based on live page availability rather than presenting unfinished pages as complete.
Community Atlas Directory
Use the Franklin County Community Atlas below to explore incorporated municipalities and relevant unincorporated locations. Some postal cities and municipal boundaries extend beyond Franklin County.
Explore Franklin County Communities
Franklin County Community Atlas
Explore communities throughout Franklin County. Search by community, browse the geographic hierarchy, or use the map to understand how individual municipalities and unincorporated places relate to neighboring communities and the broader Greater St. Louis region.
Franklin County Community Atlas
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Explore Greater St. Louis
Search a community directly or narrow the alphabetical directory by one of the metropolitan area's component jurisdictions. The map is a discovery tool, not a ranking.
Community Directory · A-Z
Atlas Scope County Franklin County
Missouri communities within the Greater St. Louis metropolitan region
Communities appear alphabetically. Geographic filters organize the directory by location; they are not recommendations or rankings.
Geographic Areas
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