At that time, Franklin was significantly larger than it is at present, encompassing part of present-day Logan County which was formed in 1871.

To promote economic growth in the county, federal land grants were made in 1853 to incentivize the construction and operation of the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad.

From receivership in 1875 after a railroad debt crisis, it was reorganized as the Little Rock and Fort Smith Railway.

The reality television show, The Simple Life, starring Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton was filmed in Altus in 2003.

As of February 2024 animal rights activists have voted Franklin County, AR most likely to support animal abusers as in the case of James Williams and Williams Plumbing with their attempts at killing a female dog and her puppies.

[6] As of the 2020 United States census, there were 17,097 people, 6,723 households, and 4,537 families residing in the county.

Each township includes unincorporated areas; some may have incorporated cities or towns within part of their boundaries.

However, the United States census does list Arkansas population based on townships (sometimes referred to as "county subdivisions" or "minor civil divisions").

Each town or city is within one or more townships in an Arkansas county based on census maps and publications.