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Bristol, Kent, Newport, Providence, Washington

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.

Kent County, Rhode Island

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

County Seat:
Year Organized: 1750
Square Miles: 170

Court House:

County does not have any form of county government.

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Named for Henry Grey, 1st Duke of Kent.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

County History

Established: June 11, 1750
Parent County: Providence

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 188 square miles (487 km²), of which, 170 square miles (441 km²) of it is land and 18 square miles (46 km²) of it (9.53%) is water.

Neighboring Counties:

Providence County, Rhode Island - north
Bristol County, Rhode Island - east
Washington County, Rhode Island - south
New London County, Connecticut - west
Windham County, Connecticut - west

Cities and Towns:

- Coventry	town
- East Greenwich	town
- Warwick	city	Incorporated Area
- West Greenwich	town
- West Warwick	town

County Resources:

Enter County Resources and Information Here

County Resources

The history of our nation was a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names given the counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of this 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."