Franklin County

Franklin County is a county in southwestern Virginia in the United States, set in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The area consists of rolling hills, forested sections and several small lakes that give the landscape a quiet shape.

The founding took place in 1785 through separation from parts of neighboring counties Bedford and Henry, named after Benjamin Franklin. In the early 20th century the region developed into a known center for secretly distilled spirits, making headlines for decades.

The former role as a center for illegal distilling still shapes local place names and stories told in conversation. Craft distilleries today connect to that past and produce legal spirits that visitors can sample.

Rocky Mount serves as the administrative seat with offices and public services mostly open on weekdays. Roads cross the county area in different directions, many of them running through hilly wooded sections with limited mobile coverage.

In the 1930s the production of secret spirits reached such heights that newspapers gave the county the nickname Moonshine Capital of the World. Today museums and tours recall that time without glossing over the legal conflicts of the era.

Location: Virginia

Inception: 1785

Capital city: Rocky Mount

Shares border with: Bedford County, Pittsylvania County, Henry County, Patrick County, Floyd County, Roanoke County

Website: http://franklincountyva.org

GPS coordinates: 36.99000,-79.88000

Latest update: December 13, 2025 18:59