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2026 Census Gazetteer

Smallest counties by land area

The smallest county equivalents by land area. Independent cities appear alongside counties, so small city jurisdictions can rank ahead of rural counties.

Ranks 1901–2000

3,222 county equivalents · page 20 of 33

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What this part of the ranking shows

This page runs from Jackson County, Michigan at 701.905 mi² of land area to Rice County, Kansas at 726.235 mi² of land area. The 100 entries represent 32 state-level jurisdictions. Kansas has the most entries on this page (14).

Rank numbers continue across pages and describe the full selected ranking. They are not state ranks. Start at rank 1 for the leading entries, or open a county profile for its state rank and median comparisons.

Smallest counties by land area, ranks 1901 through 2000. Areas in square miles.
RankCounty / equivalentStateLand mi²Total mi²Water share
1901Jackson CountyMichigan701.9723.53%
1902Ashtabula CountyOhio702.41,368.248.7%
1903Jackson CountyMinnesota703719.22.3%
1904Lauderdale CountyMississippi703.7715.21.6%
1905Montgomery CountyIllinois703.8709.70.8%
1906Benton CountyMissouri704752.56.4%
1907Fayette CountyTennessee704.1705.60.2%
1908Foard CountyTexas704.4707.70.5%
1909Murray CountyMinnesota704.7719.52.1%
1910Dixie CountyFlorida7051,043.432.4%
1911Montcalm CountyMichigan705.3720.82.1%
1912Osage CountyKansas705.5719.82%
1913Broome CountyNew York705.7715.31.4%
1914Washtenaw CountyMichigan706722.42.3%
1915Marshall CountyMississippi706.2709.70.5%
1916Calhoun CountyMichigan706.3718.31.7%
1917Craven CountyNorth Carolina706.5773.38.6%
1918Cheshire CountyNew Hampshire706.77293%
1919Craighead CountyArkansas707.2712.70.8%
1920Freeborn CountyMinnesota707.2722.42.1%
1921Walworth CountySouth Dakota707.5744.65%
1922Aurora CountySouth Dakota708.5712.80.6%
1923Griggs CountyNorth Dakota708.7716.61.1%
1924Oklahoma CountyOklahoma708.9718.41.3%
1925Logan CountyArkansas709.17302.9%
1926Catahoula ParishLouisiana709.3739.44.1%
1927Blanco CountyTexas709.3713.40.6%
1928Christian CountyIllinois709.5715.70.9%
1929Van Buren CountyArkansas709.6723.92%
1930Hitchcock CountyNebraska710718.51.2%
1931Douglas CountyNevada710.5738.43.8%
1932Blaine CountyNebraska710.7714.30.5%
1933Garfield CountyWashington710.8718.31%
1934Guadalupe CountyTexas711.2714.80.5%
1935Mower CountyMinnesota711.3711.50%
1936Steele CountyNorth Dakota712.1715.40.5%
1937Martin CountyMinnesota712.3729.62.4%
1938Faribault CountyMinnesota712.5721.91.3%
1939Lampasas CountyTexas712.5713.60.1%
1940Thomas CountyNebraska712.6713.40.1%
1941Greene CountyMississippi712.7718.70.8%
1942Laurens CountySouth Carolina712.9722.91.4%
1943Hayes CountyNebraska713.1713.30%
1944Wayne CountyIllinois713.8715.50.2%
1945Anderson CountySouth Carolina713.9755.85.5%
1946Crawford CountyIowa714.27150.1%
1947Madison CountyMississippi714.27423.7%
1948Lyon CountyMinnesota714.4721.71%
1949Nobles CountyMinnesota715.1722.61%
1950Arthur CountyNebraska715.2718.10.4%
1951Cheboygan CountyMichigan715.3885.419.2%
1952Cloud CountyKansas715.37180.4%
1953Madison CountyIllinois715.5739.93.3%
1954Ellsworth CountyKansas715.6723.31.1%
1955Webster CountyIowa715.7718.50.4%
1956Yamhill CountyOregon715.9718.40.3%
1957Lowndes CountyAlabama716.1725.11.2%
1958Benton CountyIowa716.1718.40.3%
1959Knox CountyIllinois716.4719.80.5%
1960Fayette CountyIllinois716.5725.31.2%
1961Tallapoosa CountyAlabama716.5766.36.5%
1962Contra Costa CountyCalifornia716.9803.910.8%
1963Linn CountyIowa717724.71.1%
1964Red Willow CountyNebraska717.27180.1%
1965Republic CountyKansas717.4720.40.4%
1966Lane CountyKansas717.4717.60%
1967Nemaha CountyKansas717.4719.40.3%
1968Scott CountyKansas717.6717.70%
1969Rush CountyKansas717.87180%
1970Christian CountyKentucky717.87240.9%
1971Silver Bow CountyMontana718718.60.1%
1972Rock CountyWisconsin718.2726.21.1%
1973Wichita CountyKansas718.6718.60%
1974Furnas CountyNebraska719.2720.60.2%
1975Lincoln CountyKansas719.4720.50.1%
1976Fond du Lac CountyWisconsin719.6765.86%
1977Perry CountyAlabama719.7723.90.6%
1978Saline CountyKansas720.2721.30.1%
1979Pontotoc CountyOklahoma720.4725.30.7%
1980Albemarle CountyVirginia720.57260.8%
1981Ottawa CountyKansas720.7721.30.1%
1982Hooker CountyNebraska721721.50.1%
1983Tama CountyIowa721722.10.1%
1984St. Clair CountyMichigan721.5836.513.7%
1985Latimer CountyOklahoma722.1729.11%
1986St. Croix CountyWisconsin722.2735.21.8%
1987Oliver CountyNorth Dakota722.4731.11.2%
1988Thurston CountyWashington722.5774.16.7%
1989Harrison CountyMissouri722.5726.40.5%
1990Kiowa CountyKansas722.6722.90%
1991Alamosa CountyColorado722.6723.30.1%
1992Jackson CountyMississippi722.81,043.430.7%
1993Saline CountyArkansas723.5730.40.9%
1994Halifax CountyNorth Carolina723.7730.30.9%
1995Washington CountyMississippi724.1760.44.8%
1996Washington CountyOregon724.3726.60.3%
1997Lee CountyIllinois724.8728.50.5%
1998Johnson CountyTexas725.1734.21.3%
1999Wayne CountyPennsylvania725.8750.83.3%
2000Rice CountyKansas726.27280.2%

Read the differences behind ranks 1901–2000

The median land area among these 100 entries is 715.218 mi². The first and last entries span 24.33 square miles. This median describes the entries on this page, not the full national dataset. Pagination is a browsing boundary, not a distinct geographic region.

A difference of one position means only that two entries are adjacent in this ordering. Their actual size difference can be tiny or substantial. Compare the measurements as well as the rank, and use the original square-meter fields when rounded labels appear equal.

Where the entries on this page are located

  • Kansas14 entries · 14% of this page
  • Minnesota8 entries · 8% of this page
  • Nebraska8 entries · 8% of this page
  • Illinois7 entries · 7% of this page
  • Michigan6 entries · 6% of this page
  • Mississippi6 entries · 6% of this page

The remaining 26 jurisdictions contribute 51 entries. The list above shows the six most represented, with alphabetical ordering when counts tie.

These counts describe representation in this slice of the ranking. They do not measure a state’s share of national land or population. Compare the first and last county equivalents on this page to inspect land, water, and total area separately.

Read the geographic explanation behind this ranking, or return to the ranking overview for the national distribution and guidance on selecting a measurement.

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Land rankings use original ALAND square meters; total-area rankings use ALAND + AWATER. Exact ties use ascending GEOID. Displayed square-mile values are rounded. Read the methodology.