This is a list of the counties of the United Kingdom. The history of local government in the United Kingdom differs between England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and the subnational divisions within these which have been called counties have varied over time and by purpose. The county has formed the upper tier of local government over much of the United Kingdom at one time or another,[1] and has been used for a variety of other purposes, such as for Lord Lieutenants, land registration and postal delivery. This list of 184 counties is split by constituent country, time period and purpose.
The historic counties of Yorkshire, Cumberland, Westmorland, Huntingdonshire and Middlesex are the five defunct ceremonial counties which were historically counties. With their abolition as ceremonial counties, Yorkshire is divided for that purpose into the East Riding of Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire. Cumberland and Westmorland were combined with a former exclave of Lancashire to form Cumbria, Huntingdonshire merged into Cambridgeshire, and the vastly greater part of Middlesex became part of Greater London.
Contemporary reference to the Isle of Ely and nearby Soke of Peterborough has been very rare since the early 20th century and they have scant public resonance. The counties marked in italics below are neither ceremonial nor historic.
The list does not include the 61 county boroughs (1889–1974) or the 18 counties corporate (before 1889), each of which was an administrative county for a single town or city, within a larger "county-at-large".
^ abcdRoyal Mail - PAF Digest Issue 6.0[permanent dead link] Since 1996 these have been known as "former postal counties", and need no longer be used in addressing mail. Post Towns created since 1996 are not allocated to a postal county. The PAF also includes an "Alias File" that includes postally not required information including "Traditional County" and "Administrative County" fields. The list is not comprehensive and Royal Mail does not guarantee its accuracy.
^ abcAppointed a Lord Lieutenant, but not a county under the Local Government Act 1888
^Northern Ireland (Lieutenancy) Order 1975 (SI 1975 No. 156)
^ abCounty styled as county borough by the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898
^Registers of Scotland - Land Register Counties 2013-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
^Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 S.1 - Principal areas styled as a county
January 01, 1970
list, counties, united, kingdom, this, list, counties, united, kingdom, history, local, government, united, kingdom, differs, between, england, northern, ireland, scotland, wales, subnational, divisions, within, these, which, have, been, called, counties, have. This is a list of the counties of the United Kingdom The history of local government in the United Kingdom differs between England Northern Ireland Scotland and Wales and the subnational divisions within these which have been called counties have varied over time and by purpose The county has formed the upper tier of local government over much of the United Kingdom at one time or another 1 and has been used for a variety of other purposes such as for Lord Lieutenants land registration and postal delivery This list of 184 counties is split by constituent country time period and purpose Colour key in tables below Green Current official status Yellow Historical or superseded status Contents 1 England 2 Northern Ireland 3 Scotland 4 Wales 5 See also 6 ReferencesEngland editMain article Counties of England Changes between the 1990s and 2009 subdivided the short lived non metropolitan counties of Cleveland and Humberside into unitary authorities but the former county names continue for fire services and police forces see Non metropolitan county List of non metropolitan counties Similarly the short lived county of Avon provides part of the area and name of Avon and Somerset Police and its area is roughly that of the Avon Fire and Rescue Service The historic counties of Yorkshire Cumberland Westmorland Huntingdonshire and Middlesex are the five defunct ceremonial counties which were historically counties With their abolition as ceremonial counties Yorkshire is divided for that purpose into the East Riding of Yorkshire North Yorkshire South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire Cumberland and Westmorland were combined with a former exclave of Lancashire to form Cumbria Huntingdonshire merged into Cambridgeshire and the vastly greater part of Middlesex became part of Greater London Contemporary reference to the Isle of Ely and nearby Soke of Peterborough has been very rare since the early 20th century and they have scant public resonance The counties marked in italics below are neither ceremonial nor historic The list does not include the 61 county boroughs 1889 1974 or the 18 counties corporate before 1889 each of which was an administrative county for a single town or city within a larger county at large County Currentceremonial 2 From 1974 3 Postal1974 1996 4 1889 1974 Before 1889 Metropolitan Non metropolitan County Administrative Avon nbsp 1974 1996 nbsp Bath and North East Somerset UA 1996 5 Bedfordshire nbsp nbsp 1974 2009 nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Bedford UA 2009 5 Berkshire nbsp nbsp 6 nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Blackburn with Darwen UA 1998 5 Blackpool UA 1998 5 Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole UA 2019 5 Bournemouth UA 1997 2019 5 Brighton and Hove UA 1997 5 Bristol nbsp UA 1996 5 Special post town nbsp County borough County corporate Buckinghamshire nbsp nbsp and UA 2020 nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Cambridgeshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp 1889 1965 nbsp 1889 1965 nbsp Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely nbsp 1965 1974 nbsp 1965 1974 Central Bedfordshire UA 2009 5 Cheshire nbsp nbsp 1974 2009 nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Cheshire East UA 2009 5 Cheshire West and Chester UA 2009 5 Cleveland nbsp 1974 1996 nbsp Cornwall nbsp nbsp and UA 2009 nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Cumberland UA 2023 5 nbsp nbsp nbsp Cumbria nbsp nbsp 1974 2023 nbsp Darlington UA 1997 5 Derbyshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Derby UA 1997 5 Devon nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Dorset nbsp nbsp and UA 2019 nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Durham County Durham nbsp nbsp and UA 2009 nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp East Suffolk nbsp Division East Sussex nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Division Essex nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Gloucestershire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Greater London nbsp County 7 nbsp nbsp 1965 1974 Greater Manchester nbsp nbsp Hampshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Halton UA 1998 5 Hartlepool UA 1996 5 Hereford and Worcester nbsp 1974 1998 Herefordshire nbsp UA 1998 5 nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Hertfordshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Humberside nbsp 1974 1996 Huntingdon and Peterborough nbsp 1965 1974 nbsp 1965 1974 Huntingdonshire nbsp 1889 1965 nbsp 1889 1965 nbsp Isle of Ely nbsp 1889 1965 Division Isle of Wight nbsp nbsp and UA 1995 nbsp nbsp 1890 1974 Kent nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Kingston upon Hull UA 1996 5 Lancashire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Leicestershire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Leicester UA 1997 5 Lincolnshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Lincolnshire Parts of Holland nbsp Division Lincolnshire Parts of Kesteven nbsp Division Lincolnshire Parts of Lindsey nbsp Division London Special post town nbsp nbsp The Metropolis 8 City of London nbsp County corporate Luton UA 1997 5 Medway UA 1998 5 Merseyside nbsp nbsp nbsp Middlesbrough UA 1996 5 Middlesex nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Milton Keynes UA 1997 5 Norfolk nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Northamptonshire nbsp nbsp 1974 2021 nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp North East Lincolnshire UA 1996 5 North Humberside nbsp North Lincolnshire UA 1996 5 North Northamptonshire UA 2021 5 North Somerset UA 1996 5 Northumberland nbsp nbsp and UA 2009 nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp North Yorkshire nbsp nbsp and UA 2023 nbsp Nottinghamshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Nottingham UA 1998 5 Oxfordshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Soke of Peterborough nbsp 1889 1965 Liberty Peterborough UA 1998 5 Plymouth UA 1998 5 Poole UA 1997 2019 5 Portsmouth UA 1997 5 Redcar and Cleveland UA 1996 5 Rutland nbsp UA 1997 5 nbsp 2008 9 nbsp nbsp nbsp Shropshire nbsp nbsp and UA 2009 nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Somerset nbsp nbsp and UA 2023 nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Southampton UA 1997 5 Southend on Sea UA 1998 5 South Humberside nbsp South Gloucestershire UA 1996 5 South Yorkshire nbsp nbsp nbsp Staffordshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Stockton on Tees UA 1996 5 Stoke on Trent UA 1998 5 Suffolk nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Surrey nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Sussex nbsp nbsp Swindon UA 1998 5 Telford and Wrekin UA 1998 5 Thurrock UA 1998 5 Torbay UA 1998 5 Tyne and Wear nbsp nbsp nbsp Warrington UA 1998 5 Warwickshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp West Midlands nbsp nbsp nbsp Westmorland nbsp nbsp nbsp Westmorland and Furness UA 2023 5 West Northamptonshire UA 2021 5 West Suffolk nbsp Division West Sussex nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Division West Yorkshire nbsp nbsp nbsp Wiltshire nbsp nbsp and UA 2009 nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Worcestershire nbsp nbsp 1998 nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Yorkshire nbsp nbsp Yorkshire East Riding nbsp UA 1996 5 L 10 nbsp Division Yorkshire North Riding L 10 nbsp Division Yorkshire West Riding L 10 nbsp Division York UA 1996 5 Northern Ireland editMain article Counties of Northern Ireland County Currentlieutenancy 11 Postalbefore 1996 4 1899 1973 Before 1899 County Administrative Antrim nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Armagh nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp City of Belfast nbsp Special post town nbsp CB 12 nbsp Part of counties Antrim and Down Down nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Fermanagh nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Londonderry nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp City of Derry nbsp Special post town nbsp CB 12 nbsp Part of County Londonderry Tyrone nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Scotland editMain article Counties of Scotland County Lieutenancy Registration 13 Postalbefore 1996 4 1890 1975 Before 1890 City of Aberdeen nbsp Special post town nbsp 1900 Aberdeenshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Angus Forfarshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Argyll nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Ayrshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Banffshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Berwickshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Bute nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Caithness nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Clackmannanshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Cromartyshire nbsp Dumfriesshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Dunbartonshire Dumbarton nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp City of Dundee nbsp Special post town nbsp 1894 East Lothian Haddingtonshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp City of Edinburgh nbsp Special post town nbsp nbsp Fife nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp City of Glasgow nbsp nbsp Special post town nbsp 1893 Inverness shire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Kincardineshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Kinross shire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Kirkcudbrightshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Lanarkshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Midlothian County of Edinburgh nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Moray Elginshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Nairnshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Orkney nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Peeblesshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Perthshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Renfrewshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Ross and Cromarty nbsp nbsp nbsp Ross shire nbsp nbsp Roxburghshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Selkirkshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Shetland Zetland nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Stirlingshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Sutherland nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp West Lothian Linlithgowshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Wigtownshire nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Wales editMain article History of local government in Wales County 1996 Postal1974 1996 4 1974 1996 1889 1974 Before 1889 Preserved 2 County 14 Anglesey nbsp Isle of Anglesey nbsp nbsp Brecknockshire nbsp nbsp Caernarfonshire nbsp nbsp Cardiganshire nbsp Ceredigion nbsp nbsp Carmarthenshire nbsp nbsp nbsp Clwyd nbsp nbsp nbsp Denbighshire nbsp nbsp nbsp Dyfed nbsp nbsp nbsp Flintshire nbsp nbsp nbsp Glamorgan nbsp nbsp Gwent nbsp nbsp nbsp Gwynedd nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Merionethshire nbsp nbsp Mid Glamorgan nbsp nbsp nbsp Monmouthshire nbsp nbsp nbsp Montgomeryshire nbsp nbsp Pembrokeshire nbsp nbsp nbsp Powys nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Radnorshire nbsp nbsp South Glamorgan nbsp nbsp nbsp West Glamorgan nbsp nbsp nbsp Wrexham nbsp See also editToponymical list of counties of the United Kingdom List of United Kingdom county nicknames Counties of Ireland Alias DataReferences edit HMSO Aspects of Britain Local Government 1996 a b Lieutenancies Act 1997 Local Government Act 1972 a b c d Royal Mail PAF Digest Issue 6 0 permanent dead link Since 1996 these have been known as former postal counties and need no longer be used in addressing mail Post Towns created since 1996 are not allocated to a postal county The PAF also includes an Alias File that includes postally not required information including Traditional County and Administrative County fields The list is not comprehensive and Royal Mail does not guarantee its accuracy a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av Non metropolitan district with the powers of a county following the Local Government Act 1992 The Berkshire Structural Change Order 1996 SI 1996 No 1879 For ceremonial purposes only The Metropolis was an ad hoc administrative area covering parts of three counties AFD Software Latest PAF Data News a b c Appointed a Lord Lieutenant but not a county under the Local Government Act 1888 Northern Ireland Lieutenancy Order 1975 SI 1975 No 156 a b County styled as county borough by the Local Government Ireland Act 1898 Registers of Scotland Land Register Counties Archived 2013 09 28 at the Wayback Machine Local Government Wales Act 1994 S 1 Principal areas styled as a county Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title List of counties of the United Kingdom amp oldid 1190350551, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
