Which U.S. state has the most counties?
Quick answer
Texas has the most counties of any U.S. state, with 254. Georgia is second with 159. Texas has so many because 19th-century lawmakers wanted every resident to be able to reach their county seat and return home within a day by horse. The state with the fewest is Delaware, with just 3.
States with the most counties
| Rank | State | Counties |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 254 |
| 2 | Georgia | 159 |
| 3 | Virginia | 95 counties, plus 38 independent cities |
| 4 | Kentucky | 120 |
| 5 | Missouri | 114 (plus the independent city of St. Louis) |
Virginia’s total of 133 county-level units puts it second by some counts.
The “one-day ride” rule
Early Texas laws aimed to keep counties small enough that a farmer could travel to the courthouse and back in a day. Each county has its own courthouse, often an impressive historic building on a central square. The largest county, Brewster, is bigger than Connecticut; the most populous, Harris (Houston), has around 5 million people. Loving County is one of the least populated in the US, with only about 60 residents.
States with the fewest
| State | Counties |
|---|---|
| Delaware | 3 |
| Hawaii | 5 (including the tiny Kalawao County) |
| Rhode Island | 5 (with no county government) |
States without counties
| State | What they use instead |
|---|---|
| Louisiana | Parishes (64), a legacy of French and Spanish church districts |
| Alaska | Boroughs, plus a vast “Unorganized Borough” |
Connecticut and Rhode Island have counties only as geographic areas, without county governments.
The national total
The United States has about 3,100 counties and county-equivalents. For other state facts, see the last state to join the US and the first state to ratify the Constitution, which was Delaware, the state with the fewest counties.
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