A United States map connects 50 states, the District of Columbia, 3,144 counties and county equivalents, thousands of incorporated places, and many census-designated communities. State borders form the first geographic level, while counties and equivalent units organize most local statistical data. City and town labels identify population centers, but their legal meaning varies because incorporation and local government rules are set by each state.
Cities and Towns on a United States Map
National maps normally label the largest cities, state capitals, and major transportation corridors. State maps add regional cities, county boundaries, county seats, and smaller towns. Local maps show municipal limits, census-designated places, neighborhoods, local roads, and community features.
- Large population centers
- State capitals
- Interstate corridors
- County-level boundaries
- County seats
- Regional cities and towns
- Municipal boundaries
- Census-designated places
- Roads, districts, and communities
United States Counties and County Equivalents
The United States has 3,144 counties and county equivalents across the 50 states and the District of Columbia. This total is used in current Census publications and reflects Connecticut’s nine planning regions as county equivalents rather than its eight former counties. Puerto Rico’s 78 municipios are reported separately and are not part of the 3,144-unit total.
Delaware: 3 counties
Alaska: 30 county equivalents
Connecticut: 9 planning regions
Virginia: 133 units
District of Columbia: 1 equivalent
County-Equivalent Types
County-Level Units by State and the District of Columbia
| State or District | State FIPS | County-Level Units | Current Census Geography |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 01 | 67 | Counties |
| Alaska | 02 | 30 | Boroughs, city and boroughs, municipalities, and census areas |
| Arizona | 04 | 15 | Counties |
| Arkansas | 05 | 75 | Counties |
| California | 06 | 58 | Counties |
| Colorado | 08 | 64 | Counties, including the consolidated city and county units |
| Connecticut | 09 | 9 | Planning regions used as county equivalents |
| Delaware | 10 | 3 | Counties |
| District of Columbia | 11 | 1 | District treated as a county equivalent |
| Florida | 12 | 67 | Counties |
| Georgia | 13 | 159 | Counties |
| Hawaii | 15 | 5 | Counties |
| Idaho | 16 | 44 | Counties |
| Illinois | 17 | 102 | Counties |
| Indiana | 18 | 92 | Counties |
| Iowa | 19 | 99 | Counties |
| Kansas | 20 | 105 | Counties |
| Kentucky | 21 | 120 | Counties |
| Louisiana | 22 | 64 | Parishes |
| Maine | 23 | 16 | Counties |
| Maryland | 24 | 24 | 23 counties and Baltimore City |
| Massachusetts | 25 | 14 | Counties, including units without active county government |
| Michigan | 26 | 83 | Counties |
| Minnesota | 27 | 87 | Counties |
| Mississippi | 28 | 82 | Counties |
| Missouri | 29 | 115 | 114 counties and St. Louis City |
| Montana | 30 | 56 | Counties |
| Nebraska | 31 | 93 | Counties |
| Nevada | 32 | 17 | 16 counties and Carson City |
| New Hampshire | 33 | 10 | Counties |
| New Jersey | 34 | 21 | Counties |
| New Mexico | 35 | 33 | Counties |
| New York | 36 | 62 | Counties |
| North Carolina | 37 | 100 | Counties |
| North Dakota | 38 | 53 | Counties |
| Ohio | 39 | 88 | Counties |
| Oklahoma | 40 | 77 | Counties |
| Oregon | 41 | 36 | Counties |
| Pennsylvania | 42 | 67 | Counties |
| Rhode Island | 44 | 5 | Counties used mainly for geography and statistics |
| South Carolina | 45 | 46 | Counties |
| South Dakota | 46 | 66 | Counties |
| Tennessee | 47 | 95 | Counties |
| Texas | 48 | 254 | Counties |
| Utah | 49 | 29 | Counties |
| Vermont | 50 | 14 | Counties |
| Virginia | 51 | 133 | 95 counties and 38 independent cities |
| Washington | 53 | 39 | Counties |
| West Virginia | 54 | 55 | Counties |
| Wisconsin | 55 | 72 | Counties |
| Wyoming | 56 | 23 | Counties |
| United States Total | 3,144 | 50 states and the District of Columbia | |
FIPS and County GEOID Structure
A county GEOID contains five digits. The first two digits identify the state or state-level area, and the final three digits identify the county or county equivalent within that state. Leading zeros are part of the code and should not be removed.
| Example | State FIPS | County Code | Full GEOID | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County, California | 06 | 037 | 06037 | California state code followed by the Los Angeles County code |
| Baltimore City, Maryland | 24 | 510 | 24510 | Independent city treated as a county equivalent |
| District of Columbia | 11 | 001 | 11001 | The federal district treated as one county equivalent |
| Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut | 09 | 110 | 09110 | Current Connecticut planning-region county equivalent |
Independent Cities
An independent city is outside every county and occupies the county level in Census geography. The current system contains 41 independent cities: Baltimore City in Maryland, St. Louis City in Missouri, Carson City in Nevada, and 38 independent cities in Virginia. The District of Columbia is also a county equivalent, but it is classified as a federal district rather than one of the 41 independent cities.
Independent-city county codes are assigned within their states beginning in the 500 series. A city and a similarly named county can therefore be separate geographic units, as with Baltimore City and Baltimore County.
Why County Seats Matter
- A county seat is the location where county government is centered.
- The county seat is not always the county’s largest city.
- State maps often label county seats even when nearby towns are omitted.
- Census areas and some nonfunctioning county equivalents do not have conventional county seats.
City, Town, Village, Borough, and CDP
On United States maps, a city usually means an incorporated municipality, but local terminology is controlled by state law. A town may be an incorporated place, a minor civil division, or both. A census-designated place is a named population center defined for statistical reporting rather than municipal government.
| Label on Map | Typical Meaning | Geographic Status |
|---|---|---|
| City | An incorporated municipality under state law | Legal place; powers and structure vary by state |
| Town | An incorporated place or minor civil division | Meaning differs across states |
| Village | A municipal form used in selected states | May be incorporated or linked to another local-government system |
| Borough | A municipal term used in several states | Not the same as an Alaska county-equivalent borough |
| CDP | A census-designated place | Statistical place without incorporated municipal status |
| Unincorporated Community | A named settlement outside an incorporated municipality | May have no fixed Census boundary unless defined as a CDP |
25 Largest U.S. Cities by 2020 Census Population
The table uses April 1, 2020 Census counts and municipal land area. City population refers to the incorporated place or consolidated city shown in the Census data, not the larger metropolitan area.
| Rank | City | State or District | 2020 Population | Land Area | Population Density |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | New York | 8,804,190 | 300.5 sq mi | 29,298 per sq mi |
| 2 | Los Angeles | California | 3,898,747 | 469.5 sq mi | 8,304 per sq mi |
| 3 | Chicago | Illinois | 2,746,388 | 227.7 sq mi | 12,061 per sq mi |
| 4 | Houston | Texas | 2,304,580 | 640.4 sq mi | 3,599 per sq mi |
| 5 | Phoenix | Arizona | 1,608,139 | 518.0 sq mi | 3,105 per sq mi |
| 6 | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 1,603,797 | 134.4 sq mi | 11,933 per sq mi |
| 7 | San Antonio | Texas | 1,434,625 | 498.8 sq mi | 2,876 per sq mi |
| 8 | San Diego | California | 1,386,932 | 325.9 sq mi | 4,256 per sq mi |
| 9 | Dallas | Texas | 1,304,379 | 339.6 sq mi | 3,841 per sq mi |
| 10 | San Jose | California | 1,013,240 | 178.3 sq mi | 5,683 per sq mi |
| 11 | Austin | Texas | 961,855 | 319.9 sq mi | 3,007 per sq mi |
| 12 | Jacksonville | Florida | 949,611 | 747.3 sq mi | 1,271 per sq mi |
| 13 | Fort Worth | Texas | 918,915 | 347.3 sq mi | 2,646 per sq mi |
| 14 | Columbus | Ohio | 905,748 | 220.0 sq mi | 4,117 per sq mi |
| 15 | Indianapolis | Indiana | 887,642 | 361.6 sq mi | 2,455 per sq mi |
| 16 | Charlotte | North Carolina | 874,579 | 308.3 sq mi | 2,837 per sq mi |
| 17 | San Francisco | California | 873,965 | 46.9 sq mi | 18,635 per sq mi |
| 18 | Seattle | Washington | 737,015 | 83.8 sq mi | 8,795 per sq mi |
| 19 | Denver | Colorado | 715,522 | 153.1 sq mi | 4,674 per sq mi |
| 20 | Washington | District of Columbia | 689,545 | 61.1 sq mi | 11,286 per sq mi |
| 21 | Nashville | Tennessee | 689,447 | 475.8 sq mi | 1,449 per sq mi |
| 22 | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | 681,054 | 606.2 sq mi | 1,123 per sq mi |
| 23 | El Paso | Texas | 678,815 | 258.4 sq mi | 2,627 per sq mi |
| 24 | Boston | Massachusetts | 675,647 | 48.3 sq mi | 13,989 per sq mi |
| 25 | Portland | Oregon | 652,503 | 133.5 sq mi | 4,890 per sq mi |
Map Label and Boundary Notes
- State abbreviations distinguish repeated place names across different states.
- State capitals may use a distinct symbol even when they are not the state’s largest city.
- County seats identify county government centers but may have smaller populations than other places in the county.
- County-equivalent labels can include parish, borough, census area, planning region, municipality, city and borough, independent city, or district.
- Incorporated-place boundaries do not necessarily match the larger urbanized or metropolitan area associated with a city name.
- Water boundaries affect total-area measurements for coastal counties, parishes, boroughs, and cities.
Geographic Data Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau: 2025 National County Gazetteer File
- U.S. Census Bureau: Geographic Boundary Change Notes
- U.S. Census Bureau: Understanding Geographic Identifiers and GEOIDs
- U.S. Census Bureau: State and District FIPS Codes
- U.S. Census Bureau: 2026 Publication Using the 3,144-County Total
- U.S. Census Bureau: 2020 Census Redistricting Data API
Common United States Map Questions
How many counties are in the United States?
The current Census geography contains 3,144 counties and county equivalents across the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Does every state use counties?
No. Louisiana uses parishes, Alaska uses several borough and census-area forms, and Connecticut uses planning regions as current county equivalents. Independent cities and the District of Columbia also appear at the county level.
How many independent cities are county equivalents?
There are 41 independent cities: 38 in Virginia, Baltimore City in Maryland, St. Louis City in Missouri, and Carson City in Nevada.
Why does Connecticut have nine units instead of eight counties?
The Census Bureau replaced Connecticut’s eight former counties with nine planning regions as current county-equivalent units. The former counties remain historical geographic references.
What does a five-digit county GEOID mean?
The first two digits are the state FIPS code and the final three digits are the county or county-equivalent code within that state.
Are Puerto Rico municipios included in the 3,144 total?
No. The 3,144 total covers the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Puerto Rico’s 78 municipios are reported separately.
What is the difference between a city and a census-designated place?
A city is generally incorporated under state law. A census-designated place is drawn for statistical reporting and does not have incorporated municipal status.