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đźŚThe IN Town Where Hot Dogs Are King
Get to know the "Hot Dog Capital of Indiana" and "Gem City"
Austin Sellers & Nate Spangle
June 07, 2026
Frankfort
Small Town Breakdown
From the Hot Dog Festival to Case Arena to Glover's Ice Cream, Frankfort brings plenty of character to Clinton County.
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Fast Facts
đź“ŤLOCATION: Central Indiana
Frankfort is near the center of Clinton County.
U.S. Highway 421 runs north out of town to Rossville and Delphi, and east out of town before running south to Kirklin and Zionsville.
Indiana State Road 28 runs east-west through town, connecting to I-65 and U.S. Highway 52 to the west and U.S. Highway 31 to the east.
Indiana State Road 39 runs north-south through town, connecting to U.S. Highway 421 to the north and leading south to Lebanon.
50 minutes northwest of downtown Indianapolis
30 minutes southeast of Lafayette
2 hours northeast of Terre Haute
2 hours southwest of Fort Wayne
đź‘Ą POPULATION & RANKING
16,459 residents (as of 2024)
Ranks as Indiana’s 60th-largest town/city
Largest incorporated town/city in Clinton County.
đź“Ź LAND AREA
8.06 square miles
đź“… FOUNDED
Clinton County was established on March 1, 1830, from eastern parts of Tippecanoe County.
It was named in honor of DeWitt Clinton, the sixth Governor of New York, who was known as the “Father of the Erie Canal.” He was the driving force behind the canal that connected the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean and opened up the Upper Midwest to a wave of settlers.
The area in which Frankfort sits was settled by brothers John, William, and Nicholas Pence in 1829.
They donated 60 acres to the county commissioners to secure Frankfort's place as the county seat, and the town was platted in May 1830.
The Pence brothers named it Frankfort after Frankfurt am Main, Germany, the home of their great-grandparents.
Frankfort became an incorporated city in 1875.
It earned the nickname "Gem City" because its new electric streetlights were visible for miles across the prairie, a sight to see in an era when many rural towns were still lit by kerosene.
🏥 MAIN INDUSTRIES: Manufacturing, Food & Beverage Processing
NHK Seating of America manufactures seats for the Subaru plant in Lafayette.
ADM is a soy processing plant in the area alongside a Frito-Lay plant and warehouse.
Hot Dog Festival
Every July, downtown Frankfort hosts its signature event: the Hot Dog Festival. The two-day celebration pulls in visitors from across the country with a hot dog trail featuring over 20 varieties, a hot dog eating contest, DockDogs Premier Canine Aquatics competitions, dachshund races and games, car and truck show, magic and comedy show, 3 ring circus, and more than 200 vendors spread across downtown.
(Photo by John Terhune/Journal & Courier)
Park Happenings
Frankfort's most popular park is TPA Park, an 88-acre green space on the north side of the city. There are baseball diamonds, tennis, basketball, pickleball, and volleyball courts, playgrounds, and picnic shelters. Its newest addition is the Sapphire Bay Aquatic Park, which opened to the public in 2024 and has a lazy river, raft slide, two water slides, and beach entry pool. You can see Sapphire Bay come to life in this video.
From Thanksgiving through New Year's Day, TPA Park is also home to the drive-thru Festival of Lights with hundreds of illuminated displays, and admission is completely free.
Another Frankfort park to visit is Prairie Creek Park, which hosts Movies in the Park, Downtown Tune Night, and a Summer Concert Series on select Fridays and Saturdays from May into September. All are free to attend.
Southeast of town is the Red Barn Summer Theatre, a 169-seat venue that has brought live theatre to audiences for over 50 years. The venue was originally built in 1908 as a cattle barn, but now is the host to opening nights and music on the lawn before its theatrical performances in June and July.
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Start your day at The Vintage Cafe, a local favorite known for its delicious cinnamon roll french toast, hearty portions, and wall art. It’s open daily from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and has 4.7 stars among over 350 Google reviews. Another popular breakfast and lunch spot is the Downtown Diner, established in 2013. For a newer morning wildcard, give COCA Craft Coffee & Roasters a visit.
If you’re looking for a juicy burger, breaded tenderloin, coneys, or fried Oreos, head south of town to The Oasis.
Pizza lovers have no shortage of options, with the locally owned Bruno’s Pizzeria leading the way since 1958. Arni’s, Greek’s Pizzeria, and Pizza King are all in town, too.
Indiana’s Ice Cream
Glover’s Ice Cream has been a business staple in Frankfort since 1925. It was founded by Foster Glover, who sold ice cream sandwiches on passenger trains rolling into Frankfort. Today they sell 8 oz. cups, 48 oz. containers, and 3-gallon party-sized containers to ice cream shops, restaurants, and event venues across Indiana.
PLUS, two new flavors Hoosier Pothole (chocolate chips & peanut butter chips) and Indiana Sugar Cream Pie launch THIS MONTH as part of a Get Indiana and Glover’s partnership.
Fish, Golf, and Skydive
The Frankfort Lagoons are north of town and home to some of the best fishing in the area. It’s a quiet spot to connect with nature, and spot geese, ducks, turtles, and other wildlife.
Deer Track Golf Club is an 18-hole course with rates starting at just $31 during the summer.
Thrill seekers can do tandem dives from 13,000 feet with Skydive Indianapolis operating out of Frankfort Municipal Airport, just a few miles west of town.
Home of the Hot Dogs
Frankfort High School is home to one of the most distinctive and beloved mascots in Indiana: the Hot Dogs. With the town named after Frankfurt am Main, Germany, home of the Frankfurter sausage, the choice of Hot Dogs was a natural decision.
Legendary Coach
The Hot Dogs play their basketball games in Case Arena, named after Everett Case, one of the most influential coaches in the history of American basketball.
Case spent 17 seasons at Frankfort, leading boys basketball to IHSAA state titles in 1925, 1929, 1936, and 1939. Frankfort became the first school in Indiana with four boys basketball state championships, and Case is one of only six coaches with four or more boys basketball state titles in IHSAA history. He had a career record of 726-75 in high school.
Case enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1941 during World War II and coached aviation cadet teams at DePauw and in Iowa.
Once his military service ended, the “Old Gray Fox” took over at North Carolina State University for the 1946–47 season and won his first of nine career regular season conference titles, and first of 10 career conference tournaments, defeating North Carolina in the finals. After the win, Case cut down the nets and is credited with founding the post-championship tradition. He also led the Wolfpack to the NCAA Tournament six times and a 1950 Final Four appearance and third-place finish.
Case’s overall record of 377-134 at N.C. State is still the best in program history. He was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1968 and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982.
