How big is your county?
Land and water area, population, density, borders and county seats for all 3,222 U.S. counties and county equivalents—from official Census data, ranked and explained.
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, has more land than 47 of the 50 states.
See the full measurement →All 3,222 county equivalents, equal-area projection. Alaska shown at 35% scale.
County measurements and comparisons
The state directories cover all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Open a county profile for its land and water measurements, outline, GEOID, and source citation. Use the national land-area ranking for a consistent ordering, or compare two counties using separate land, water, and total-area figures.
U.S. counties by the numbers
The typical U.S. county equivalent has about 604.5 square miles of land. The average is higher, at 1,097.8 square miles, because a small number of very large areas pulls it up: 9 of the 10 largest county equivalents are in Alaska. That makes the median the better answer to “how big is a normal county?”
Size and population rarely line up. The median county equivalent had about 26,321 residents in 2025 and 47 people per square mile of land. Los Angeles County, California is the most populous, with 9,694,934, while New York County, New York is the densest at 73,478 per square mile. See the most populous, densest and most sparsely populated counties.
Typical county size also varies between states. Arizona’s median is 6,209.9 square miles, compared with 342.7 in Georgia. Our comparison of all 50 states shows the median and mean for each state and explains how county counts and independent cities affect the result.
Largest and smallest counties
Largest by land area
| Rank | County equivalent | Land |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yukon-Koyukuk Census AreaAlaska | 145,767.5 mi² |
| 2 | North Slope BoroughAlaska | 88,797.6 mi² |
| 3 | Bethel Census AreaAlaska | 40,654.9 mi² |
| 4 | Northwest Arctic BoroughAlaska | 35,672.3 mi² |
| 5 | Southeast Fairbanks Census AreaAlaska | 24,839.3 mi² |
| 6 | Matanuska-Susitna BoroughAlaska | 24,703 mi² |
| 7 | Copper River Census AreaAlaska | 24,646.1 mi² |
| 8 | Lake and Peninsula BoroughAlaska | 23,896.5 mi² |
| 9 | Nome Census AreaAlaska | 22,969.9 mi² |
| 10 | San Bernardino CountyCalifornia | 20,068.4 mi² |
Smallest by land area
| Rank | County equivalent | Land |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Falls Church cityVirginia | 2.05 mi² |
| 2 | Lexington cityVirginia | 2.50 mi² |
| 3 | Manassas Park cityVirginia | 3.03 mi² |
| 4 | Cataño MunicipioPuerto Rico | 4.83 mi² |
| 5 | Covington cityVirginia | 5.47 mi² |
| 6 | Fairfax cityVirginia | 6.24 mi² |
| 7 | Buena Vista cityVirginia | 6.44 mi² |
| 8 | Emporia cityVirginia | 6.63 mi² |
| 9 | Norton cityVirginia | 7.48 mi² |
| 10 | Colonial Heights cityVirginia | 7.52 mi² |
Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, has 71,245 times the land area of Falls Church city, Virginia. Outside Alaska, the largest is San Bernardino County, California, at 20,068.4 square miles, larger than several states. The smallest list is dominated by independent cities; the smallest entry actually named a county is Kalawao County, Hawaii, with 11.99 square miles of land. Why Alaska dominates · Why independent cities rank smallest · Counties bigger than states · Largest county in every state
Not every county is called a county
| Type | Where | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Counties | 47 states | 2,999 |
| Louisiana parishes | Louisiana | 64 |
| Puerto Rico municipios | Puerto Rico | 78 |
| Independent cities | Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, Virginia | 41 |
| Alaska boroughs, census areas, and municipalities | Alaska | 30 |
| Connecticut planning regions | Connecticut | 9 |
| District of Columbia | District of Columbia | 1 |
The Census Bureau publishes statistics for county equivalents: the primary legal or statistical division below the state. Most are counties, but Louisiana uses parishes, Alaska uses boroughs and census areas, and Connecticut now reports nine planning regions in place of its former counties.
Independent cities in Virginia, Maryland, Missouri, and Nevada sit outside any county, so they are counted separately. Puerto Rico’s 78 municipios are included too, which is why this site covers 3,222 entries rather than the 3,144 found in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
How many counties does each state have?
Texas has the most county equivalents, with 254, followed by Georgia (159), Virginia (133), and Kentucky (120). At the other end, Delaware (3), Rhode Island (5), and Hawaii (5) have the fewest; the District of Columbia is a single county equivalent. County counts reflect how each state divided itself, not how large it is: Alaska has the most land but only 30 county equivalents.
When a county is mostly water
Majority-water county equivalents
More than half of their Census total area is water, usually from lakes, bays, or coastal waters inside their boundaries.
Highest water share
Culebra Municipio, Puerto Rico has the largest share of water relative to its total area.
Most water area
Lake and Peninsula Borough, Alaska has the largest amount of water, a different question from the highest percentage.
Land area excludes water, while total area includes it, so the two can rank the same county very differently. Choose the right measurement · How a county can be mostly water
Quick answers about U.S. county size
How many counties are in the United States?
The 2026 Census Gazetteer lists 3,144 counties and county equivalents in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Including Puerto Rico’s 78 municipios brings the total to 3,222.
What is the largest county in the U.S.?
By land area, it is Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska, with 145,767.5 square miles. Outside Alaska, the largest is San Bernardino County, California, with 20,068.4 square miles.
What is the smallest county in the U.S.?
The smallest county equivalent by land is Falls Church city, Virginia, an independent city with 2.05 square miles. Among entries named “County,” the smallest is Kalawao County, Hawaii, at 11.99 square miles.
How big is an average county?
The median county equivalent has 604.5 square miles of land, and the mean is 1,097.8 square miles. The median is more representative because the largest Alaska areas raise the mean.
Which state has the most counties?
Texas, with 254 counties. Georgia is second with 159.
Why does another source show a different area for my county?
The most common reasons are comparing land with total area, using a different Census year, or rounding. Our reconciliation guide walks through each check.
Understand county geography
All guides →Which counties are bigger than entire states?
Count the counties larger than Rhode Island, Delaware and Connecticut, see where they are, and find the largest counties outside Alaska.
Read guide →The largest and smallest county in every state
Find the largest and smallest county equivalent in each state, where one county dominates, and why the largest is rarely the most populous.
Read guide →Which states have the largest typical counties?
Compare all 50 states by median county land area, see why Texas is not first, and measure how independent cities change Virginia’s result.
Read guide →Why Alaska dominates the largest-county rankings
Measure Alaska’s effect on the top 100, compare its largest equivalent with San Bernardino, and see how the comparison changes outside Alaska.
Read guide →How a county can be mostly water
Explore Culebra, Keweenaw, and the difference between water percentage and water area through original county comparisons.
Read guide →The smallest counties reveal a different map of America
Investigate compact independent cities, compare Falls Church with traditional counties, and learn why jurisdiction type changes a ranking.
Read guide →