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Rhode Island Counties

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Rhode Island Counties

There are five counties in the state of Rhode Island. Rhode Island has the second lowest number of counties of any U.S. state (only Delaware has fewer, with three counties). Although Rhode Island is divided into counties, it does not have any local government at the county level.

Bristol County, Rhode Island

Bristol County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

County Seat:
Year Organized: 1747
Square Miles: 25

Court House:

County does not have any form of county government.

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Named for George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

History

The county was formed by the transfer of part of Bristol County, Massachusetts, to the state of Rhode Island, and was the subject of a long-running border dispute

Established: February 17, 1747

Bristol County was created from Bristol, Mass., 1747. Kent County was made from Providence County in 1750. Newport County was originally created as Rhode Island County in 1703 and renamed in 1729. Providence County was formed as Providence Plantations County in 1703. Washington County was originally created as Kings County from Providence Plantations in 1729 and renamed in 1781. Block Island was transferred from Newport County to Washington County May 6, 1963. Although you will see the "South County" mentioned in many places, it does not exist as an actual county. Basically, Charlestown, Exeter, Hopkinton, Narragansett, North Kingstown, Richmond, South Kingstown, Westerly and West Greenwich, make up what is known as South County, RI

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 45 square miles (116 km²), of which, 25 square miles (64 km²) of it is land and 20 square miles (52 km²) of it (44.80%) is water.

Neighboring Counties:

Bristol County, Massachusetts: east
Providence County, Rhode Island: north
Kent County, Rhode Island: west
Newport County, Rhode Island: south

Cities and Towns:

- Barrington	town
- Bristol	town
- Portsmouth	town
- Warren	town

County Resources:

Enter County Resources and Information Here

County Resource Guide

Counties: US Map

The history of our nation can be seen as a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names we've given our counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of our country!"

But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.

Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally."

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