Franklin

Small Town Breakdown

Franklin, Indiana is a vibrant city in Johnson County known for its walkable historic downtown and Hoosier charm. Plus, it’s home of the “Wonder Five.”

Fast Facts

📍LOCATION: Central Indiana

• Franklin is located near the center of Johnson County.

• I-65 runs north-south just east of town and connects Indianapolis and Columbus.

• U.S. Route 31 runs parallel to I-65 and leads north to Whiteland and south to Edinburgh.

• Indiana State Road 44 runs east-west through town, connecting to I-65 and leading to Shelbyville.

• Indiana State Road 144 runs west from Franklin toward Bargersville.

• 45 minutes south of Indianapolis

• 1 hour northeast of Bloomington

• 1 hour and 30 minutes north of Louisville

👥 POPULATION & RANKING

• 26,158 residents (as of 2024)

• Ranks as Indiana’s 40th-largest city

• Second-largest of seven incorporated towns/cities in Johnson County behind Greenwood (68,175).

📏 LAND AREA

• 13.01 square miles

📅 FOUNDED

• Johnson County was created on Dec. 31, 1822, when Indiana Governor William Hendricks signed a bill.

• It was officially platted in 1823 and named after Indiana’s first Supreme Court Chief Justice John Johnson.

• Franklin was founded in 1823 and named after Benjamin Franklin.

• Its historic courthouse square, built in 1881, is one of the most photogenic in the state. Many downtown buildings, houses, and districts in Franklin are included on the National Register of Historic Places.

🏥 MAIN INDUSTRIES: Manufacturing, Healthcare, Retail

• Global packaging leader Amcor has a rigid packaging location in Franklin. They are responsible for developing and producing packaging for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical, home, and personal care.

• NSK is a global leader in the production of bearings, ball screws, precision machinery, steering systems, and automatic transmissions products.

• Johnson Memorial Health is the county’s only hospital and is part of the Mayo Clinic Care Network.

• There are an abundance of local shops downtown.

Downtown Franklin

Explore Franklin’s walkable and historic downtown district, including the Johnson County courthouse and the single-screen Historic Artcraft Theatre, built in 1922, which shows classic movies year-round, hosts special events, and offers free refills on popcorn. For more history, check out the Johnson County Museum of History, which opened in 1931.

There are plenty of shops to explore downtown, too, mostly along Jefferson Street and Madison Street. Salvage Sisters Antique Market, Madison Street Salvage, Wild Geese Bookshop, and Hoosier Cupboard Candy, Snacks & Ice Cream are favorites among locals, and they’re all within a few blocks of each other.

Easy Entertainment

Urban Air Adventure Park is a popular spot for hosting events and birthday parties, along with 10 Pins, which has six bowling lanes and an arcade. If you have your clubs with you, there’s an 18-hole course you have to play – The Legends Golf Club. 

Good Eats

Main & Madison Market Café resides in a 1906 building that was previously the only hospital in Johnson County until after World War II. It’s open daily from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Group bookings are available for three unique spaces, and guests rave about the overall atmosphere. Menu favorites include cinnamon rolls, sandwiches, lattes and coffee, making it an ideal breakfast or brunch spot.

Hometown Nutrition Franklin is another great place to energize your day. In addition to serving coffee, they whip up smoothies, protein shakes, herbal teas, and acai bowls locals love. They’ve got more than 250 reviews on Google and a perfect 5.0 star rating.

There’s also Coffeehouse Five, a popular morning joint serving house-roasted coffee, pastries, and top-of-the-line breakfast sandwiches.

For lunch or dinner, head to The Willard, one of Franklin’s most iconic restaurants. Housed in a historic 1860s building just steps from the courthouse, it’s known for its pizza, sandwiches, wings, and Hoosier hospitality. It’s casual, friendly, and perfect for families or groups.

A great dinner-only option open Tuesday through Saturday is Richard’s Brick Oven Pizza, serving locals since 2009. The restaurant blends rustic charm with creative pizza combinations. Visitors love their handcrafted crusts and house-made sauces.

Franklin Community High School

Franklin Community High School was established in 1871 and is home to the Grizzly Cubs. Franklin Community has claimed five IHSAA state titles in school history, with the two most recent being a boys golf championship in 1938 and boys cross country title in 2001.

The most historic championships of them all, however, was a three-peat in boys basketball in 1920, 1921, and 1922, making Franklin Community the first of three Indiana high schools to win three consecutive state titles in IHSAA boys basketball history. Decades later, Marion (1985-87) and Lawrence North (2004-06) three-peated as well.

The head coach during that title run was Ernest “Griz” Wagner, and his cast of players were known as the “Wonder Five” – led by 1975 Naismith Hall of Fame inductee Robert “Fuzzy” Vandivier. After the 1922 title was secured, “Griz” left to coach at Franklin College, and many of his players joined him there where they continued their success.

Franklin Community became known as the Grizzly Cubs in honor of Coach “Griz.”

1923 National Champions

Originally known as the Indiana Baptist Manual Labor Institute, Franklin College was founded by Baptist ministers and laymen on June 5, 1834. In 1842, it became Indiana’s first co-ed college when it admitted 28 women. Today, it is known as a private liberal arts college with a beautiful campus that spans 207 acres, with a portion recently designated by the National Park Service as a National Register Historic District.

Franklin College’s athletic teams are known as the Grizzlies. The first reference appeared in 1929 by student writers at “The Franklin” newspaper as a tribute to the aforementioned Ernest “Griz” Wagner, who graduated from the college in 1912 and led the men’s team from 1922-33 after his incredible run at Franklin Community High School. His teams won the 1923 and 1924 state collegiate championships, and in 1980, the school proclaimed the 1923 team as national college champions after it finished 17-0.

Before becoming the Grizzlies, the teams were known as the Fighting Baptists, the Deacons, and the Blue and Gold.

Franklin Finds

• RFD Franklin is located in a former post office built in 1936 and serves as a premier event center.

• Go outdoors to Province Park, complete with trails, a rose garden, rentable shelters, gazebo, dog park, playgrounds, and more. There’s also the 17-mile Franklin Greenway Trail, which winds through nine parks and is perfect for biking or walking while enjoying views of Youngs Creek and murals under the Home Street and South Main Street bridges.

If you’re looking for an adventure in central Indiana, find your way to Franklin to shop, grab a bite at The Willard, and soak up a little Hoosier history.

Check out Nate’s breakdown of Franklin ⬇️