U.S. county name finder
Type a county name to see every matching state. The finder covers counties, parishes, boroughs, census areas, planning regions, and independent cities.
Enter at least two letters to search 3,144 names.
Why this finder is useful
County names repeat far more often than many people expect. A result that says only “Washington County” is incomplete unless the state is known. This tool resolves that ambiguity in one search and links each match to a labelled state map.
Frequently repeated names
| County name | Number of matches |
|---|---|
| 31 | |
| 26 | |
| 26 | |
| 24 | |
| 24 | |
| 20 | |
| 18 | |
| 18 | |
| 18 | |
| 17 | |
| 17 | |
| 16 |
What counts as a match?
Searches are case-insensitive and include partial names. Searching “Saint” can return Saint Clair, Saint Johns, and other names. FIPS codes are included in results as stable geographic identifiers, but the tool does not attempt to find a county from a street address.
Why the full name can look different
The short Census name and complete legal or statistical-area name are not always identical. A result may use “Washington County,” “Anchorage Municipality,” or “Fairbanks North Star Borough.” The finder searches both the short and complete forms, then displays the complete form in results.
Independent cities require special attention. A city such as Baltimore or St. Louis can appear at the county-equivalent level even though its name does not contain “County.” Virginia contains many independent cities that are separate from surrounding counties.
Use FIPS codes when names matter
A name is convenient for reading, but it is a weak database key. Spelling, punctuation, suffixes, and duplicate names create ambiguity. The five-character FIPS code displayed with every result uniquely identifies the county-level area within the United States. Preserve its leading zeroes by storing it as text.
For a practical joining workflow, see the guide to county FIPS codes and GEOIDs.
Frequently asked questions
Can two counties have the same name?
Yes. 442 short county-level names occur in more than one state in the current dataset. A state name or five-digit FIPS code is needed to distinguish them reliably.
Does the finder include parishes and boroughs?
Yes. It searches all county-equivalents in the 50 states and District of Columbia, including Louisiana parishes, Alaska boroughs and census areas, Connecticut planning regions, and independent cities.
Can a county name identify an address?
No. The finder resolves names already known to you; it does not geocode street addresses. Use an official point-based address geocoder when you need to determine which county contains a specific address.