List of counties in Massachusetts
There are 14 counties in Massachusetts. Massachusetts has ended eight[1] of its fourteen county governments. This leaves five counties with county-level local government (Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Norfolk, Plymouth) and one, Nantucket County, with combined county/city government.[2] Counties are still generally recognized as geographic entities if not political ones.[3]
Eleven other historical counties have been in Massachusetts. Most ended when their lands were absorbed into the colony of New Hampshire or the state of Maine.
List of current counties[change | change source]
| County |
FIPS code[4] | County seat[5][6] | Established[5] | Origin[6] | Meaning of name[7] | Population[5] | Area[5] | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable County | 001 | Barnstable | 1685 | One of three original counties created in the Plymouth Colony | After its county seat of Barnstable, which is named after the English town of Barnstaple | 215,888 | 396 sq mi (1,026 km2) |
 |
| Berkshire County | 003 | Pittsfield | 1761 | From part of Hampshire County. Government abolished in 2000.[3] | For the English county of Berkshire | 131,219 | 931 sq mi (2,411 km2) |
 |
| Bristol County | 005 | Taunton | 1685 | One of three original counties created in the Plymouth Colony | For its original county seat of Bristol, Massachusetts, which is named for the English port city of Bristol - when the Town of Bristol joined Rhode Island, the name of the county was kept | 548,285 | 556 sq mi (1,440 km2) |
 |
| Dukes County | 007 | Edgartown | 1695 | From Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands, which had been part of Dukes County, New York until Massachusetts gained it in 1691 | Formerly a part of Dukes County, New York until 1691, the land at one time was literally the possession of the Duke of York | 16,535 | 104 sq mi (269 km2) |
 |
| Essex County | 009 | Salem and Lawrence | 1643 | One of four original counties created in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Government abolished in 1999.[3] | For the English county of Essex | 743,159 | 498 sq mi (1,290 km2) |
 |
| Franklin County | 011 | Greenfield | 1811 | From part of Hampshire County. Government abolished in 1997.[3] | For Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790), early American scientist, diplomat, and politician | 71,372 | 702 sq mi (1,818 km2) |
 |
| Hampden County | 013 | Springfield | 1812 | From part of Hampshire County. Government abolished in 1998.[3] | John Hampden (1595—1643), the famous 17th century English parliamentarian | 463,490 | 618 sq mi (1,601 km2) |
 |
| Hampshire County | 015 | Northampton | 1662 | From unorganized territory in the western part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Government abolished 1999.[3] | For the English county of Hampshire | 158,080 | 529 sq mi (1,370 km2) |
 |
| Middlesex County | 017 | Cambridge and Lowell | 1643 | One of four original counties created in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Government abolished in 1997.[3] | For the English county of Middlesex | 1,503,085 | 824 sq mi (2,134 km2) |
 |
| Nantucket County | 019 | Nantucket | 1695 | From Nantucket Island which had been part of Dukes County, New York until Massachusetts gained it in 1691. | The Town of Nantucket, itself derived from a Wampanoag word meaning "place of peace" | 10,172 | 48 sq mi (124 km2) |
 |
| Norfolk County | 021 | Dedham | 1793 | From part of Suffolk County. | For the English county of Norfolk | 670,850 | 400 sq mi (1,036 km2) |
 |
| Plymouth County | 023 | Plymouth and Brockton | 1685 | One of three original counties created in the Plymouth Colony. | For its seat of Plymouth, which is named for the English port city of Plymouth | 494,919 | 661 sq mi (1,712 km2) |
 |
| Suffolk County | 025 | Boston | 1643 | One of four original counties created in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Government abolished in 1999.[3] | For the English county of Suffolk | 722,023 | 58 sq mi (150 km2) |
 |
| Worcester County | 027 | Worcester | 1731 | From parts of Hampshire County, Middlesex County and Suffolk County. Government abolished in 1998.[3] | For its county seat of Worcester, which is named in honor of the English city of Worcester and the English Civil War Battle of Worcester in 1651, a Parliamentarian victory | 798,552 | 1,513 sq mi (3,919 km2) |
 |
Former counties[change | change source]
| County |
Created [6] |
Abolished [6] |
Fate [6] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland County | 1760 | 1820 | Transferred to Maine |
| Devonshire County | 1674 | 1675 | Abolished |
| Hancock County | 1789 | 1820 | Transferred to Maine |
| Kennebec County | 1799 | 1820 | Transferred to Maine |
| Lincoln County | 1760 | 1820 | Transferred to Maine |
| Old Norfolk County | 1643 | 1679 | Abolished - most of its territory was absorbed into New Hampshire; one of four original counties created in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. |
| Oxford County | 1805 | 1820 | Transferred to Maine |
| Penobscot County | 1816 | 1820 | Transferred to Maine |
| Somerset County | 1809 | 1820 | Transferred to Maine |
| Washington County | 1789 | 1820 | Transferred to Maine |
| York County | 1652 | 1820 | Transferred to Maine - there were two periods when York County was ended, 1664 to 1668 and 1680 to 1691 |
References[change | change source]
- ↑ "General Laws of Massachusetts, Chapter 34B. Abolition of County Government". Massachusetts General Court. Retrieved January 24, 2010.
- ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 8 June 2007. Retrieved 19 July 2007.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 "Historical Data Relating to the Incorporation of and Abolishment of Counties in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts". Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Retrieved 14 January 2007.
- ↑ "EPA County FIPS Code Listing". EPA.gov. Retrieved 23 February 2008.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 National Association of Counties. "NACo - Find a county". Retrieved 30 April 2008.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Brown, Richard and Tager, Jack (2000). Massachusetts: A Concise History. University of Massachusetts Press. ISBN 1-55849-249-6.
- ↑ Beatty, Michael (2001). County Name Origins of the United States. McFarland Press. ISBN 0-7864-1025-6.
