States with the Most Counties

Number of Counties
Number of Counties
1.TexasTexas254
2.GeorgiaGeorgia159
3.VirginiaVirginia133
4.KentuckyKentucky120
5.MissouriMissouri115
6.KansasKansas105
7.IllinoisIllinois102
8.North CarolinaNorth Carolina100
9.IowaIowa99
10.TennesseeTennessee95
11.NebraskaNebraska93
12.IndianaIndiana92
13.OhioOhio88
14.MinnesotaMinnesota87
15.MichiganMichigan83
16.MississippiMississippi82
17.OklahomaOklahoma77
18.ArkansasArkansas75
19.WisconsinWisconsin72
20.FloridaFlorida67
21.AlabamaAlabama67
22.PennsylvaniaPennsylvania67
23.South DakotaSouth Dakota66
24.LouisianaLouisiana64
25.ColoradoColorado64
26.New YorkNew York62
27.CaliforniaCalifornia58
28.MontanaMontana56
29.West VirginiaWest Virginia55
30.North DakotaNorth Dakota53
31.South CarolinaSouth Carolina46
32.IdahoIdaho44
33.WashingtonWashington39
34.OregonOregon36
35.New MexicoNew Mexico33
36.AlaskaAlaska30
37.UtahUtah29
38.MarylandMaryland24
39.WyomingWyoming23
40.New JerseyNew Jersey21
41.NevadaNevada17
42.MaineMaine16
43.ArizonaArizona15
44.MassachusettsMassachusetts14
45.VermontVermont14
46.New HampshireNew Hampshire10
47.ConnecticutConnecticut8
48.Rhode IslandRhode Island5
49.HawaiiHawaii5
50.DelawareDelaware3

The Geography of County Distribution

Across the United States, the term "county" represents an indispensable aspect of state governance, serving as an administrative or political subdivision with distinct boundaries and some level of governmental authority. With roots tracing back to English shire, county governments have played a pivotal role in America's administrative structure since their inception in 1634. These essential units vary in size and population throughout the U.S., extending from minute entities like Arlington County in Virginia, all the way to vast regions like the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area in Alaska. County outputs impact a broad array of local functions, including law enforcement, healthcare, election administration, local records' maintenance, and more. Recognizing the importance of counties in America's governing system, it becomes increasingly necessary to scrutinize the distribution of these regions across the United States. Key findings from the data include:

  • Texas overwhelmingly leads the nation with a colossal 254 counties. On the contrary, states like Delaware, Hawaii, and Rhode Island have the fewest number of counties, with only 3 to 5 each.
  • Southern and Midwestern states like Georgia, Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, and Kansas carry a high number of counties, reaching beyond 100 in each state. This pattern could be tied to their history, with early influences from the English system of shires and the prominence of counties as the primary form of government.
  • In contrast, Western and Northeastern states such as California, New York, and Massachusetts have fewer counties, ranging from 14 to 58. This difference could be attributed to these states' historical reliance on cities and towns as the primary units of local government.
  • Notably, states with significant geographical areas, like Montana and Alaska, do not necessarily harbor a high number of counties. Montana has 56 counties, and Alaska, which uses the term boroughs, has only 30.
  • Trends in county distribution also reveal that the number doesn't necessarily correspond to population size - the most populous state, California, has only 58 counties, while Texas, the second most populous state, has over four times as many.

10 States with the Most Counties

Taking the top position is Texas, with a staggering 254 counties. This significant concentration can be traced back to its history. When Texas joined the United States in 1845, it already had a substantial number of counties due to its past as an independent republic. Throughout the years, population growth and efforts to keep county seats close to the residents resulted in the large count of counties we see today. Next, we have Georgia and Virginia, taking up the second and third positions with 159 and 133 counties, respectively. These states, as former colonies, adopted the southern tradition of utilizing counties as a primary form of government, thus leading to a higher number of counties. In fourth position is Kentucky with 120 counties, followed closely by Missouri with 115 counties. Next is Kansas, with 105 counties, and Illinois, with its 102 counties. These states also adhere to a predominantly county-based system of governance. North Carolina claims the eighth position with 100 counties, marking the last state on this list with counties reaching triple digits. Following closely is Iowa, housing 99 counties, and Tennessee, rounding off with 95 counties. The Top 10 States with the Most Counties are:

  1. Texas - 254
  2. Georgia - 159
  3. Virginia - 133
  4. Kentucky - 120
  5. Missouri - 115
  6. Kansas - 105
  7. Illinois - 102
  8. North Carolina - 100
  9. Iowa - 99
  10. Tennessee - 95

By Region

Alabama

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Alabama

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

67

#21

Alaska

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Alaska

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

30

#36

Arizona

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Arizona

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

15

#43

Arkansas

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Arkansas

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

75

#18

California

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California

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

58

#27

Colorado

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Colorado

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

64

#25

Connecticut

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Connecticut

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

8

#47

Delaware

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Delaware

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

3

#50

Florida

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Florida

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

67

#20

Georgia

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Georgia

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

159

#2

Hawaii

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Hawaii

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

5

#49

Idaho

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Idaho

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

44

#32

Illinois

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Illinois

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

102

#7

Indiana

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Indiana

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

92

#12

Iowa

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Iowa

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

99

#9

Kansas

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Kansas

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

105

#6

Kentucky

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Kentucky

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

120

#4

Louisiana

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Louisiana

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

64

#24

Maine

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Maine

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

16

#42

Maryland

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Maryland

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

24

#38

Massachusetts

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Massachusetts

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

14

#44

Michigan

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Michigan

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

83

#15

Minnesota

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Minnesota

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

87

#14

Mississippi

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Mississippi

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

82

#16

Missouri

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Missouri

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

115

#5

Montana

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Montana

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

56

#28

Nebraska

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Nebraska

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

93

#11

Nevada

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Nevada

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

17

#41

New Hampshire

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New Hampshire

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

10

#46

New Jersey

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New Jersey

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

21

#40

New Mexico

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New Mexico

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

33

#35

New York

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New York

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

62

#26

North Carolina

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North Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

100

#8

North Dakota

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North Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

53

#30

Ohio

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Ohio

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

88

#13

Oklahoma

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Oklahoma

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

77

#17

Oregon

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Oregon

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

36

#34

Pennsylvania

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Pennsylvania

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

67

#22

Rhode Island

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Rhode Island

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

5

#48

South Carolina

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South Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

46

#31

South Dakota

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South Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

66

#23

Tennessee

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Tennessee

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

95

#10

Texas

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Texas

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

254

#1

Utah

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Utah

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

29

#37

Vermont

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Vermont

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

14

#45

Virginia

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Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

133

#3

Washington

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Washington

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

39

#33

West Virginia

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West Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

55

#29

Wisconsin

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Wisconsin

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

72

#19

Wyoming

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Wyoming

Metric

Value

Rank

Number of Counties

23

#39

Table

Region ↕Number of Counties ↕
Alabama iconAlabama67
Alaska iconAlaska30
Arizona iconArizona15
Arkansas iconArkansas75
California iconCalifornia58
Colorado iconColorado64
Connecticut iconConnecticut8
Delaware iconDelaware3
Florida iconFlorida67
Georgia iconGeorgia159
Hawaii iconHawaii5
Idaho iconIdaho44
Illinois iconIllinois102
Indiana iconIndiana92
Iowa iconIowa99
Kansas iconKansas105
Kentucky iconKentucky120
Louisiana iconLouisiana64
Maine iconMaine16
Maryland iconMaryland24
Massachusetts iconMassachusetts14
Michigan iconMichigan83
Minnesota iconMinnesota87
Mississippi iconMississippi82
Missouri iconMissouri115
Montana iconMontana56
Nebraska iconNebraska93
Nevada iconNevada17
New Hampshire iconNew Hampshire10
New Jersey iconNew Jersey21
New Mexico iconNew Mexico33
New York iconNew York62
North Carolina iconNorth Carolina100
North Dakota iconNorth Dakota53
Ohio iconOhio88
Oklahoma iconOklahoma77
Oregon iconOregon36
Pennsylvania iconPennsylvania67
Rhode Island iconRhode Island5
South Carolina iconSouth Carolina46
South Dakota iconSouth Dakota66
Tennessee iconTennessee95
Texas iconTexas254
Utah iconUtah29
Vermont iconVermont14
Virginia iconVirginia133
Washington iconWashington39
West Virginia iconWest Virginia55
Wisconsin iconWisconsin72
Wyoming iconWyoming23
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