Rhode Island county geography overview
Rhode Island has 5 counties, which places it 48th among the 50 state and District of Columbia maps in this atlas when ordered by number of county-level units. Their combined 1,033.9 square miles of land place the state 50th by mapped land area.
The average county-level area is 207 square miles, while the median is 168.6 square miles. The median is often the better description of a typical unit because one or two very large areas can pull the average upward. The five largest units together account for about 100% of the state’s mapped land area.
Largest and smallest Rhode Island counties
Providence County is the largest county-level unit by land area at 409.5 square miles. It represents about 40% of all mapped land in Rhode Island. At the other end of the range, Bristol County has 24.1 square miles of land.
Largest by land area
- Providence County409.5 sq mi
- Washington County329.3 sq mi
- Kent County168.6 sq mi
- Newport County102.4 sq mi
- Bristol County24.1 sq mi
Smallest by land area
- Bristol County24.1 sq mi
- Newport County102.4 sq mi
- Kent County168.6 sq mi
- Washington County329.3 sq mi
- Providence County409.5 sq mi
Rankings use land area rather than total area. This avoids making coastal or lake counties appear larger solely because their boundaries include extensive water.
Alphabetical list of Rhode Island counties
The table is alphabetical, so it works as a name and FIPS-code reference rather than an area ranking. Every identifier begins with the Rhode Island state FIPS prefix 44. Land and water figures are rounded to one decimal place.
5 county-level areas
Download county data / numbered map key (CSV)| No. | Name | FIPS code | Land area | Water area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bristol County | 44001 | 24.1 sq mi | 20.6 sq mi |
| 2 | Kent County | 44003 | 168.6 sq mi | 19.6 sq mi |
| 3 | Newport County | 44005 | 102.4 sq mi | 211.2 sq mi |
| 4 | Providence County | 44007 | 409.5 sq mi | 26.2 sq mi |
| 5 | Washington County | 44009 | 329.3 sq mi | 233.5 sq mi |
How to read and use this map
County lines are administrative boundaries, not postal routes. A mailing address can use a city name associated with a neighboring area, and ZIP codes can cross county lines. When you need to identify a county for an address, confirm it with an official geocoder or local government source.
For classroom or planning use, download a PDF from the controls above. Labelled exports use numbered callouts for crowded areas; numbered quiz maps match the alphabetical county list. SVG files keep the boundary lines sharp at larger paper sizes.
Interpreting the water figure: About 33% of the summed mapped area in this state is water. County water area can include coastal waters, bays, lakes, or rivers assigned by the Census boundary file; it is shown separately from land and should not be used to estimate developable land.
Frequently asked questions
How many counties are in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island has 5 counties in the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2025 cartographic boundary file.
Can I print this Rhode Island county map?
Yes. Choose Download / print and select PDF for a landscape Letter page, PNG for an image, or SVG for editable vector artwork. Because the map is SVG, its boundary lines stay sharp when scaled.
What is the largest county in Rhode Island?
Providence County is the largest by land area in this dataset at 409.5 square miles. This is an area ranking, not a population ranking.
What is the smallest county in Rhode Island?
Bristol County is the smallest by land area in this dataset at 24.1 square miles.
Are these legal survey boundaries?
No. This is a generalized reference map. Property, parcel, election, and legal boundary questions should be checked with the relevant state or local agency.
Map source
U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary File, Counties, 1:5,000,000. Land and water area fields are supplied in the same file and converted from square meters to square miles. Accessed September 27, 2026.