The first pioneers of the village of Frankfort were mostly of English and Scottish descent, but it was the German settlers who moved from Pennsylvania in the 1840s who made the village a reality. These settlers proved to be industrious and hard working and eventually bought most of the land from the other settlers who were more inclined to keep shop. Frederick Chappel named the Frankfort Township after his native city, Frankfurt, Germany. In 1855, the Joliet and Northern Indiana Railroad built a line through the present area and named it "Frankfort Station." The village was incorporated in 1879 and the word "Station" was dropped from the name. Today, the village of Frankfort was recently recognized by Forbes magazine as the 36th fastest growing suburb in the nation and is affectionately known as the “Jewel of the South Suburbs.”

Almost 17,000 residents currently live in Frankfort, with many of these residents sending their children to some of the area’s best schools and colleges. Elementary and middle school students attend the schools of the Frankfort C.C. School District #157C and Summit School District #161 while high school students are under the jurisdiction of the Lincoln-Way, Lincoln-Way East Community, and Lincoln-Way North Community High Schools.

Local institutions of higher learning include Joliet Junior College, Governors State University, University of St. Francis, Lewis University, and Robert Morris College. The Chicago metro area is also home to a number of highly esteemed colleges and universities.

The Frankfort Park District maintains five neighborhood parks. In addition to a new sports complex, the District oversees the Founders' Community Center with five classrooms, a multipurpose room and a gymnasium. Main Park on West Nebraska Street has two playgrounds, a pavilion, two lighted tennis courts, two lighted volleyball courts, seven baseball and softball fields, and soccer fields. The building at Main Park now houses a preschool program. For other recreational activities that are not offered in the villages, the many leisure opportunities of Lake Michigan are only a short drive away.