The Village of Franklin is a lush and wooded enclave surrounded by the more typical urban development prevalent in Oakland County. Increased urbanization in surrounding communities has caused development pressure in the Village for wider roads, sanitary sewers, storm sewers, and requests to rezone land for more intensive uses. Recognizing these pressures, the Village planning efforts suggested zoning ordinance changes to limit density, many of which have been implemented – and revisited – over the intervening years.

In the center of the Village is the historic district- comprised of perfectly preserved 18th century building stock, housing shops, businesses and residences.  Surrounding the historic district are widely spaced houses with large lawns, thickly planted tree lined streets, extensive naturally vegetated ravines and protected wetlands, curvilinear streets without curbs, and a small, compact commercial center with buildings no taller than three stories, in part comprised of and surrounded by historic structures. The Village appears to be a small rural town that stands out as an oasis in the suburbs of Southeast Michigan.

The Village maintains a Village Green property, an historic community center known as the Kreger House, and an administrative staff housed in the historic Broughton House. Franklin Village is a lush, forested oasis, with the Franklin branch of the Rouge River meandering throughout.

Franklin Village is centrally located in the southern portion of Oakland County and is part of the Detroit Metropolitan Area.