List of counties in Delaware
The state of Delaware has three counties: New Castle, Kent, and Sussex, the fewest counties of any U.S. state.[1] The origin of the county boundaries goes back to former court districts. The powers of the counties' legislative bodies are limited to issues such as zoning and development.
Politics and government
Each county elects a legislative body (known in New Castle and Sussex counties as the County Council, and in Kent County as the Levy Court). The counties are able to raise taxes and borrow money. They also have control over garbage disposal, water supply, sewerage, zoning, development, and building codes.[2]
Most functions which are handled on a county-by-county basis in other states—such as court and law enforcement—have been centralized in Delaware, leading to a significant amount of power in the Delaware state government.
| County |
FIPS code[3] | County seat[4] | Established[4] | History[5] | Meaning of name[5] | Population (2020)[6] | Area[4] | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent County | 001 | Dover | 1680 | Created from Whorekill (Hoarkill) District. Formerly known as St. Jones County. | named in 1682 by William Penn for the English county of Kent | 181,851 | 800 sq mi (2,072 km2) |
|
| New Castle County | 003 | Wilmington | 1664 | Original County (Formally New Amstel) | named in 1673 by Dutch Governor Anthony Colve for the town of New Castle, Delaware as an Anglicization of Nieuw Amstel. | 570,719 | 494 sq mi (1,279 km2) |
|
| Sussex County | 005 | Georgetown | 1664 | Created from Whorekill (Hoarkill) District. Formerly known as Deale County | named in 1682 by William Penn for the English county of Sussex, which was his home county | 237,378 | 1,196 sq mi (3,098 km2) |
|
References
- ↑ "How Many Counties are in Your State?". Click and Learn. Archived from the original on 2009-04-22. Retrieved 2009-08-26.
- ↑ "Chapter Title 9 Counties". Online Delaware Code. Government of Delaware.
- ↑ "EPA County FIPS Code Listing". EPA.gov. Retrieved 2008-02-23.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 National Association of Counties. "NACo - Find a county". Archived from the original on 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-04-30.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Historical Society of Delaware (1997). "Delaware Counties". Archived from the original on 2006-07-19. Retrieved 2006-06-01.
- ↑ "QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 1, 2023.