County · St. Louis Region
Franklin County
A St. Louis exurban county on the Meramec River and Route 66: real river-flood history, karst and show caves, German river-town heritage at Washington, and a notable contrast with the inner metro because it sits outside the St.
Use this as a checklist, not a final ruling
These notes explain what's worth a second look in Franklin County — local quirks, taxes, paperwork, and places. Always confirm exact parcel, license, tax, or permit details with the office that controls the record.
Practical guides
Common county next steps in Franklin County
Use these when the local office, parcel, vehicle, or deadline matters.
Property tax estimator Estimate a real-property bill, then confirm the exact parcel value and levy locally. Personal property tax guide Sort January 1 vehicle ownership, paid receipts, and statements of non-assessment. Vehicle title checklist Plan the license-office trip around title timing, inspections, emissions, and receipts. Assessment appeal guide If a value looks wrong, start with the county deadline and evidence about market value.
Local notes
What's worth knowing in Franklin County
Short, source-checked notes tied to this county. Each links to the official sources behind it.
Franklin County addressing is a Planning and Zoning task Franklin County's addressing page says unincorporated addresses, road names, and district validation run through the county addressing authority. Franklin County value appeals have a Board of Equalization step Franklin County owners who disagree with an assessed value need to work through the assessor and Board of Equalization path before a later state appeal. Franklin County's property search is an assessor starting point Franklin County's assessor page points residents to property search for real-estate records and personal-property filing, but that is not the same as paying taxes. Catawissa Conservation Area shows the Meramec floodplain after gravel mining Catawissa Conservation Area between Pacific and Catawissa turns former gravel-mining ground in the Meramec floodplain into MDC public access. Little Indian Creek Conservation Area is a Franklin County woods-and-glade stop Little Indian Creek Conservation Area gives Franklin County a large MDC area with woods, fields, glade restoration, trails, camping rules, and a shooting range. Pacific's Red Cedar Inn keeps Route 66 in the official visitor map The City of Pacific's Red Cedar Inn Museum and Visitor Center gives eastern Franklin County an official Route 66 history stop. River 'Round Conservation Area bends with the Meramec River 'Round Conservation Area near St. Clair gives Franklin County another MDC Meramec River access with sandbars, woods, fields, and a boat ramp. Franklin County senior tax relief starts with an application Franklin County points senior real-property tax relief questions to a local application portal and the Collector's Office, so eligible owners should not assume it happens automatically. Shaw Nature Reserve brings prairie restoration to Gray Summit Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit gives Franklin County a Missouri Botanical Garden landscape focused on native habitats, trails, and prairie restoration. Franklin County public meetings point back to Union Franklin County's public meeting notices make the Government Center in Union a practical civic hub for commission, planning, and board meetings. Franklin County assessment dates shape the tax year Franklin County's assessor calendar explains why January 1 ownership and the personal property assessment list matter before the tax bill arrives. Franklin County building permits are for unincorporated work Franklin County's Building Department handles permits and inspections for new construction in unincorporated areas, while cities may add their own requirements. Franklin County collector bills include many taxing entities Franklin County's collector collects and distributes taxes for the county and dozens of other taxing entities, so a bill can carry several local layers. A Franklin County driveway onto a county road needs a permit check Franklin County says new or modified driveways and entrances from county roads need an entrance permit through the Highway Department. Franklin County floodplain work starts with map and permit checks In unincorporated Franklin County, floodplain development is a Planning and Zoning question as well as a FEMA map question. Franklin County road questions start with road ownership Franklin County's Highway Department maintains county roads and bridges, but private roads and city or state roads use different routing. Meramec State Park ties Franklin County's river and cave country together Meramec State Park near Sullivan puts the Meramec River, bluffs, trails, camping, and Fisher Cave into one public-land anchor. Franklin County is outside Missouri's emissions-test list Franklin County vehicle owners no longer fall under the Gateway emissions-test requirement, even though nearby Jefferson and St. Louis-area counties still do. Noser Mill keeps the Bourbeuse River visible Noser Mill Conservation Area near Beaufort is a small Franklin County public area tied to the Bourbeuse River and an old mill name. Franklin County Planning and Zoning handles more than building permits Franklin County Planning and Zoning regulates unincorporated land divisions, lot-line adjustments, zoning, addressing, road naming, and floodplain administration. Franklin County land records start with the recorder Franklin County's Recorder of Deeds records real-property documents and offers land-record search tools, but it does not perform title work or give legal advice. Franklin County's smaller river accesses fill in the map MDC river accesses such as Colter's Landing, Mayers Landing, and Reiker Ford show how the Missouri, Bourbeuse, and Boeuf Creek edges work at a smaller scale. Robertsville State Park is a Meramec River access point Robertsville State Park gives eastern Franklin County public Meramec River access, camping, fishing, boating, and a quiet farm-to-forest landscape. Franklin County tax receipts have their own search path Franklin County residents can use the collector and county payment portal to look up tax bills and receipts before a plate-renewal or property-payment errand. Union has been Franklin County's seat since 1827 Union's role as Franklin County seat goes back to 1827, which explains why county offices sit there even when Washington or Sullivan may feel larger to a visitor. Rural Franklin County means well and septic homework Outside the towns, many Franklin County homes use a private well and septic system, which means a little extra testing and permitting homework for a buyer. Exurban growth means watching fire districts and roads As St. Louis growth pushes west along I-44 and Highway 50, fire protection districts, road maintenance, and zoning vary by location in Franklin County. The Meramec River brings real flood history Communities along the Meramec in Franklin County have flooded significantly in recent decades, so flood-zone status near the river is a serious buying question. Route 66 and Meramec Caverns put karst on display Franklin County's Route 66 corridor and well-known show caves reflect the area's karst geology, which also matters for groundwater and land near the river. Washington is a German Missouri River town Washington's German settlement heritage and Missouri River location shaped its identity, including a long-running corncob-pipe industry, useful context for the lower Missouri Rhineland.
Official sources
Where to confirm it
The official county and agency pages cited by this county's notes.
Franklin County - Addressing Franklin County Assessor Missouri State Tax Commission - File an Appeal Missouri Department of Conservation - Catawissa Conservation Area Missouri Department of Conservation - Little Indian Creek Conservation Area City of Pacific - Red Cedar Inn Museum and Visitor Center National Park Service - Red Cedar Inn Missouri Department of Conservation - River 'Round Conservation Area Franklin County - Senior Tax Freeze Portal Franklin County Government Missouri Botanical Garden - Shaw Nature Reserve Missouri Botanical Garden - Shaw Nature Reserve 100 Franklin County Planning and Zoning Franklin County Assessor - Personal Property Missouri State Tax Commission Franklin County Building Department Franklin County Permits Franklin County Collector Missouri State Tax Commission - Definitions Franklin County Highway Driveway Questions Franklin County Highway Department FEMA Flood Map Service Center Franklin County Road Maintenance Questions Missouri State Parks - Meramec State Park Missouri State Parks - Fisher Cave Missouri DNR - Vehicle emissions testing ends in Franklin County Gateway Vehicle Inspection Program Gateway Vehicle Inspection Program - Does My Vehicle Need a Test? Missouri Department of Conservation - Noser Mill Conservation Area Missouri Department of Conservation - Franklin County River Accesses Management Plan Franklin County Planning and Zoning Department Franklin County Permits Franklin County Recorder of Deeds Missouri Department of Conservation - Meramec River Prospect Report Missouri State Parks - Robertsville State Park Missouri State Parks - Boating at Robertsville State Park Franklin County Collector Franklin County Property Tax Payment Missouri Department of Revenue - Renewing Missouri License Plates State Historical Society of Missouri - Franklin County Missouri DNR — On-site Septic Systems and Subdivisions (who regulates septic) Missouri DNR — Wells and Drilling (private water well rules) Missouri DNR — Well Protection and Maintenance www.franklinmo.org auditor.mo.gov www.weather.gov Missouri Geological Survey (DNR) Missouri State Parks Missouri DNR Missouri DNR State Historical Society of Missouri State Historical Society of Missouri www.loc.gov
Nearby counties
More of St. Louis Region
Neighboring counties with their own local notes.
Jefferson County A St. Lincoln County A fast-growing St. Louis exurb anchored by Troy, hemmed by the Mississippi and Cuivre rivers, and shaped by floodplain, levee, and drainage questions. Its signature twist is that it sits just outside the four-jurisdiction St. St. Charles County A fast-growing suburban county inside the St. St. Louis City An independent city and county-equivalent: county-style offices are city offices, there is a 1% earnings tax, vehicles fall in the St. St. Louis County A county defined by municipal fragmentation: dozens of municipalities plus unincorporated areas, municipal occupancy inspections, separate fire and school districts, the regional sewer district, St. Warren County An I-70 exurban county on the western edge of the St.
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