James Franklin Aldrich (April 6, 1853 – March 8, 1933) was a United States representative from Illinois.

He moved with his parents to Chicago, Illinois, in April 1861 where he attended the public schools.

Later, he attended Chicago University and graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, in 1877.

He was also a member of the county board of education in 1887 and commissioner of public works of Chicago from May 1, 1891, to January 1, 1893.

After leaving Congress, Aldrich was appointed Consul General at Havana, Cuba in 1897, but did not reach his post to serve owing to the sinking of the battleship Maine and to the war with Spain which followed.