The municipality was created on January 1, 2015 via the amalgamation of the RM of Franklin and the Town of Emerson.

Emerson – Franklin is bordered by three rural municipalities (De Salaberry to the north, Montcalm to the west, and Stuartburn to the east) and Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation.

A small parcel of land encompassing the former town of West Lynne extends west of the Red River at Emerson, creating a four-kilometre shared boundary with North Dakota.

[4] Fort Dufferin, a former federal government post and immigration station, is a National Historic Site located at Emerson.

Other historic buildings in the municipality include the All Saints Anglican Church in Dominion City, now the Franklin Museum, and the Emerson courthouse, which also served as the community's town hall prior to amalgamation.