What this county map includes
The national map uses the Census Bureau’s current county and county-equivalent geography for the 2025 boundary vintage. It includes the nine Connecticut planning regions that replaced the state’s former county-equivalents for federal statistical purposes.
Boundaries are generalized for clear national display, which keeps the page fast and the map legible. For a closer look with labels, use a state county map. For authoritative legal or surveying work, consult the relevant state or county agency rather than a generalized reference map.
Why county patterns look so different
County sizes reflect settlement history, geography, and state law. Many eastern states have smaller, older county divisions. Large western counties often cover far more land, while Alaska’s borough and census-area system follows a different administrative history.
That variation makes the national map useful for geography lessons, regional planning context, data visualization, and seeing how local government is organized across the country.
For a numerical view of the same dataset, see the county counts, land-area rankings, and repeated-name analysis.
Frequently asked questions
How many counties are in the United States?
The 50 states and District of Columbia contain 3,144 counties and county-equivalents in the 2025 Census cartographic boundary files. This includes parishes, boroughs, census areas, planning regions, and independent cities that function as county-equivalents.
Why are Alaska and Louisiana different?
Louisiana uses parishes instead of counties. Alaska is divided into organized boroughs and census areas rather than a complete county system. For national statistics, these areas are treated as county-equivalents.
Can I print this U.S. county map?
Yes. Download the PDF for a landscape Letter page, choose PNG for a high-resolution image, or save SVG for scalable artwork.
Sources
U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Cartographic Boundary File, Counties (1:20,000,000). Accessed September 15, 2026.