Located in the northwestern corner of Allegheny County, the community that is today Franklin Park Borough was originally part of Western Pennsylvania's Depreciation Lands. With the formation of Allegheny County in 1788, Franklin Park was part of Pitt Township, which included all land north of the Ohio River. Following the path of Pine Creek as a boundary, Pitt Township was divided in half, with the newly created Pine Township containing what would become Franklin Park. Three years later, Ohio Township was created from Pine, extending nine miles along the Ohio River and northward to Butler County. It included the area that would later become Franklin Park. Early in 1823, Ohio Township residents in the northwestern most corner of Allegheny County petitioned the county courts for permission to secede from the township and create their own municipality. Despite a counter-petition being filed, the county courts approved the motion and in August 1823, Franklin Township was created, which included what are today Franklin Park and Bradford Woods boroughs and Marshall Township. Forty years later, Marshall Township was created from Franklin with Bradford Woods seceding from Marshall in 1915. Franklin would remain a second class township until August 1961 when it became the Borough of Franklin Park. Throughout most of its history, Franklin moved forward at its own unhurried pace. There were no towns or business districts. Churches, one-room schools, blacksmith shops and country stores were scattered across gently rolling farmlands. Throughout the late 1800 and early 1900s, the area had a thriving oil and gas industry. By the end of the Great Depression, farming declined as a livelihood because men were taking better paying jobs in the mills of Pittsburgh, Ambridge and Coraopolis. The first subdivisions appeared in Franklin Township following World War II. Population growth brought demands for public services and schools. It was during this time, that the community enacted its first ordinances and building codes, along with providing public water and sewers. Faced with increasing numbers of students, the Franklin Township School District along with its counterparts in Marshall, Bradford Woods, McCandless and Pine joined in 1948 to create the North Allegheny School District. Despite Pine Township leaving the jointure a year later, the other communities opened a newly built high school in 1954. Today, the North Allegheny School District is home to two high schools, three middle and seven elementary schools. The opening of Interstates 79 and 279 through the heart of Franklin Park brought more change and challenges to this once rural community.
Geography
Franklin Park is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of, all of it land. It is part of the North Allegheny School District, along with the Town of McCandless, Marshall Township and the borough of Bradford Woods, and participates in the multi-municipality Northland Public Library.
Surrounding neighborhoods
Franklin Park has eight borders, including Marshall Township to the north, Pine Township in the northeast corner, McCandless to the east, Ross Township to the southeast, Ohio Township to the south, Sewickley Hills to the west, Bell Acres from the west-northwest to northwest, and Economy in Beaver County in the northwest corner.
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,364 people, 3,866 households, and 3,282 families residing in the borough. The population density was 836.5 people per square mile. There were 3,973 housing units at an average density of 292.5 per square mile.
There were 3,866 households, out of which 45.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 78.0% were married couples living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.1% were non-families. 13.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.23.
Age and gender
In the borough the population was spread out, with 30.8% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 29.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.
Education and income
70% of adult residents had a bachelor's degree. The median income for a household in the borough was $121,661. The median income for a family was $94,521. Males had a median income of $77,517 versus $40,828 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $37,924. About 2.3% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.
Government and Politics
Franklin Park is governed by an elected six-member council, mayor, and a hired manager. Each of the borough's three wards elects two members to the council. The council elects a President, Vice-President, and Second Vice-President. Each year, Council appoints a local high school student to serve as the Junior Councilperson.
Republicans-5, Multiparty-1, Democrats-0
Taxes
School tax millage rate- The North Allegheny School District in 2017 was 18.01. This ranked 36th highest/most expensive out of Allegheny County's 45 school districts .
