Franklin, Virginia

Franklin, Virginia is all about American heritage. The Main Street Program maintains the individuality that made downtown special while molding a secure financial base by which to sustain it.

The City of Franklin is located in the southeastern, or Tidewater Section of Virginia, 40 miles west of Norfolk and nine miles north of the North Carolina border. Within an hour’s drive to the east is Virginia Beach a famous seashore resort. Within an hour’s drive to the northwest are the historical attraction of Richmond and Petersburg. An hour’s drive to the south is the fishing and bathing resort area on the Outerbanks of North Carolina. An hour’s drive to the north is the famous restored Colonial Williamsburg.

The City, located at the head of the navigable portion of the Blackwater River, lies in the highly agricultural Coastal Plain. Situated on the eastern edge of Southampton County, adjacent to Isle of Wight County, it has always been a center of trade and transportation for the surrounding countryside. As with most communities, Franklin’s location has affected its history. Since the City is adjacent to the Blackwater River, water transportation has played a large part in Franklin’s development. Franklin has also become an important rail point between the City of Norfolk and the Western Roanoke Basin.