Franklin Ghost Town

Douglas County, Kansas38.9338, -95.1761

Can you visit?

Likely private land

Private or unlisted land · Ask the owner first

Nearest town
4.3 miEudora, KS
Mild months
Mar–Nov7 of 12
Elevation
840 ft255 m
Illustration of a plains landscape
Illustration of the landscape type, not a picture of Franklin. No free-licensed photo yet.

Franklin, in Douglas County, Kansas, is a ghost town. It lies at about 840 feet above sea level.

On the map

20 mi40 miOlatheLenexaGardnerBasehorBonner SpringsDe SotoFranklin
  • Other federal
  • Private or unlisted

Star: Franklin. Dots: other ghost towns within 40 miles, colored by land manager. Squares: towns over 1,000 people. Rings are straight-line distance. Live map: © OpenFreeMap, OpenMapTiles, OpenStreetMap contributors.

The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Eudora, KS, about 4.3 miles east in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Lawrence, KS, 5.1 miles away.

Ghost towns nearby

  1. Weaver6.2 mi east
  2. Louisiana9.1 mi south
  3. Media11 mi south
  4. Prairie City12 mi south
  5. Belvoir14 mi west
  6. Norwood16 mi south
  7. Hackett16 mi south
  8. Twin Mound17 mi west

Distances are straight lines. Roads to ruins are often dirt, and a 20-mile hop can take an hour.

Who owns the land

Private or unlisted land

The point we have for this town is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. That usually means private land. Ruins on private land are off limits without the owner's permission, even when no fence or sign is visible. Look from the public road.

The point is the town location from Wikidata, and the land record is from PAD-US 3.0 (USGS). Ruins can spread past that point, and land changes hands faster than the database. How we read PAD-US.

Weather by month

0°20°40°60°80°100°4118Jan4622Feb5832Mar6842Apr7753May8664Jun9167Jul9065Aug8255Sep6944Oct5631Nov4422DecJan: 0.9 inFeb: 1.3 inMar: 2.2 inApr: 4.0 inMay: 4.7 inJun: 4.8 inJul: 3.9 inAug: 4.0 inSep: 3.6 inOct: 2.9 inNov: 1.8 inDec: 1.4 inrain
Mild month (average high 55–88°F, low above 28°F) 32°F, freezing Rain and snow water, inches

Mild months here run March to June, September to November, judging by NOAA normals from Lawrence Muni Ap. June to August bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up.

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from the Lawrence Muni Ap station (USW00003997), 5.5 miles away. About 35.5 inches of precipitation a year.

Facts

LocationDouglas County, Kansas
Coordinates38.93380, -95.17610
Elevation840 ft (255 m)
SourcesWikidata Q18151181 · Wikipedia article

Questions

Where is Franklin ghost town?

In Douglas County, Kansas, at 38.9338, -95.1761. The closest town with more than 1,000 people is Eudora, KS, about 4.3 miles east in a straight line. The nearest city over 50,000 is Lawrence, KS, 5.1 miles away.

Can you visit Franklin?

Likely private land. The point we have for this town is not on any public or protected parcel in PAD-US, the national map of public land. That usually means private land. Ruins on private land are off limits without the owner's permission, even when no fence or sign is visible. Look from the public road.

When is the best time to visit Franklin?

Mild months here run March to June, September to November, judging by NOAA normals from Lawrence Muni Ap. June to August bring 10 or more days at 90°F and up.

Are there other ghost towns near Franklin?

Yes. Weaver (6.2 mi), Louisiana (9.1 mi), Media (11 mi), Prairie City (12 mi).

More ghost towns in Kansas

All 263 ghost towns in Kansas · Ghost towns near Kansas City