List of U.S. county secession proposals facts for kids

This article is about ideas people have had to create new counties within a state in the United States. Sometimes, people living in a certain area feel that their part of a county is very different from the rest. They might want their own county to better manage local issues, like schools, roads, or taxes. These ideas are called "county secession proposals."

Why Do People Want New Counties?

People often propose new counties for several reasons. Sometimes, a county becomes too large, making it hard for the government to serve everyone well. Other times, different parts of a county might have very different needs or ways of life. For example, a busy city area might have different priorities than a quiet farming area. Creating a new county can give local communities more control over their own future.

Proposed Counties in Alabama

• Perdido County: This new county was suggested for northern Baldwin County and western Escambia County. The city of Atmore would be its main town. People in Atmore believe their growing city, with over 10,000 residents, should be the center of its own county. They also feel Atmore is more connected to the larger Mobile-Daphne-Fairhope area.

Proposed Counties in Alaska

• Chugiak-Eagle River Borough: The communities of Chugiak and Eagle River are near Anchorage. They started as farming towns and later became places where people lived and commuted to Anchorage for work. In the 1970s, residents tried to form their own county, called a "borough" in Alaska. This new borough was created in 1974 but was later stopped by the Alaska Supreme Court. Five months later, Anchorage and the surrounding area merged into one big government. Even today, some people in Chugiak and Eagle River still talk about separating from Anchorage.

Proposed Counties in Arizona

• East Valley: A state lawmaker named Russell Pearce suggested making it easier to split counties. He wanted to divide Maricopa County, which includes the big city of Phoenix. The idea was to create a new county from the "East Valley" area, including cities like Mesa and Chandler. Earlier attempts in the 1990s and 2000s also tried to split Maricopa County. Rules for splitting counties became stricter after La Paz County was formed in 1983, as it needed a lot of state money to keep running because it didn't have many taxpayers.
• Lake Havasu City: There's an ongoing effort in Lake Havasu City to separate from Mohave County.
• Sierra Bonita County: In 1885, a proposal for this county, with Willcox as its center, failed by just one vote in the state legislature.
• All-Indian County: In the 1980s, a bill was proposed to create a county made up entirely of Native American lands from parts of Navajo, Apache, and Coconino counties. Some non-Native communities felt that the Navajo and Hopi Nations did not pay enough local taxes. The governor stopped this bill, and the idea hasn't come up again recently.
• Mogollon County, Hohokam County, and O'odham County: These new counties were suggested in 2023 to be formed from parts of Maricopa County. Ideas to split Maricopa County have been around for a while, but they gained more attention after the 2020 presidential election.

Proposed Counties in California

California has seen many proposals for new counties, especially in its large Los Angeles County and Orange County.

• Redwood County, Tahoe County, Central Valley County, and Sequoia County: These were some of the proposed counties in Northern California that did not succeed in the 1990s.
• Anaheim County: In 1870, residents of Anaheim tried to create their own county.
• South Lake Tahoe County or Tahoe County: In 1974, people in El Dorado County voted on separating the area around South Lake Tahoe into its own county. The idea failed. Later, proposals for a larger "Tahoe County" or "High Sierra County" have come up when issues in the mountain areas conflict with those in the valley.
• Mission County or Los Padres County: These were proposed for the northern part of Santa Barbara County. Voters strongly rejected "Mission County" in 2006.
• Mojave County: In 1988, there was a serious effort to split San Bernardino County. The idea was to keep the name for the urban southwest part and create "Mojave County" for the vast, less populated northern and eastern areas.
• High Desert County: This county was proposed in 2002 by state senator Pete Knight. It would have included parts of northern Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, and Kern County.
• Cahuilla County: In the late 1980s, residents of the Coachella Valley in Riverside County tried to create this new county but were unsuccessful.
• Corona County: In 2002, people in Corona suggested creating "Corona County" from the western edge of Riverside County.
• Chaparral County: In 2014, residents of rural East County San Diego proposed separating from San Diego County to form "Chaparral County."

Proposed Counties in Delaware

• Appoquinimink County: After 2000, there was a proposal to create this county from New Castle County. The goal was to stop strict building rules on undeveloped farmland. The proposed county would have included all land south of the C&D Canal, with Middletown as its main town.

Proposed Counties in Florida

• Bloxham County and Call County: These were two attempts to form a new county from parts of Levy and Marion Counties.
• Miami Beach / Hialeah: In 1960, Miami Beach and other coastal towns tried to break away from Dade County because they were unhappy with the government structure. In 1999, a bill was introduced to let Hialeah vote on forming its own county.
• Ocean County: In the early 1990s, communities along the coast of Duval County that did not want to merge with Jacksonville planned to form "Ocean County."
• Fairpoint County or Reagan County: Some people have suggested that the southern part of Santa Rosa County should split off. The south is more focused on tourism, while the north is more agricultural and holds more political power. No big organized effort has been made, but names like "Fairpoint County" and "Reagan County" have been mentioned.
• Springs County: In 2021, a movement tried to create "Springs County" from several communities in Alachua County, including Newberry and High Springs.

Proposed Counties in Georgia

• Milton County or New Milton County: This county has been proposed since the early 2000s. It would separate the northern part from Fulton County, which is dominated by Atlanta. Residents in north Fulton County want to bring back the original Milton County, which existed in 1857. The proposed plan would include some of Georgia's largest cities like Roswell and Sandy Springs. A study in 2009 found that the proposed Milton County would be financially stable.

Proposed Counties in Hawaii

• Cook County: In 2006, residents of western Hawaii County (which covers all of Hawaii Island) met to suggest forming "Cook County." This idea reportedly had support from at least one state senator.

Proposed Counties in Idaho

• Selway County: This county was proposed to be formed from parts of Idaho County and Lewis County. Voters rejected it in a 1917 election.

Proposed Counties in Illinois

• Lincoln County: In 2004, communities in southern Cook County (where Chicago is located) asked to split off. They felt that county policies focused too much on Chicago and hurt their ability to attract businesses. However, opponents argued that the split was mainly to avoid responsibility for local political problems.
• Marquette County: This proposed county, to be formed from Hancock County, made progress in the state legislature in 1844.

Proposed Counties in Indiana

• Michiana County: In 1979, a group tried to get leaders to move Cass County, Michigan into Indiana and rename it "Michiana County."

Proposed Counties in Kansas

• Garfield County: In 1887, an area split from Buffalo County to form Garfield County. Two towns, Ravanna and Eminence, both wanted to be the county seat. After a disputed election, Ravanna was chosen. But Eminence found that illegal votes were cast, and the state supreme court later gave the county seat to Eminence. Ravanna then argued that the new county was too small. In 1893, the Kansas state legislature made the county invalid and added it to Finney County. Today, both Ravanna and Eminence are ghost towns.

Proposed Counties in Louisiana

• Dugdemona Parish and Troy Parish: These were proposed new "parishes" (Louisiana's term for counties) in the 1850s and 1890s, to be carved from Catahoula Parish and other areas. They were never officially formed.

Proposed Counties in Massachusetts

• Worcester County Split: Worcester County is the largest in Massachusetts. For a long time, people in the northern part of the county wanted to split off. However, this is no longer an issue because county governments in Massachusetts have been dissolved. Their responsibilities are now handled by the state and local towns. Counties in Massachusetts now exist mostly for historical reasons.

Proposed Counties in Michigan

• DeTour County: Proposed from parts of Chippewa and Mackinac counties.
• Lac Vieux Desert County: Proposed from parts of Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon counties.
• Washington County: Proposed from western Marquette County.

Proposed Counties in Minnesota

• Florence Township Split: Residents of Florence Township tried to separate from Goodhue County. This was because of plans to build a nuclear waste disposal site in their area.
• Buchanan County: In 2000, there seemed to be a proposal to split Pine County to bring back "Buchanan County," which led to changes in how new counties can be formed.

Proposed Counties in Nevada

• Nye County Split: Nye County is the largest county in Nevada and the third largest in the U.S. (though most of it is federal land). As recently as 2001, residents, especially in Pahrump and Tonopah, pushed for a north-south split. While laws have made it easier to form new counties, this split has not happened.

Proposed Counties in New Jersey

• West Essex County: Communities in western Essex County have discussed separating to create "West Essex County." They believe that tax laws favor the eastern parts of the county. This idea is mostly no longer active.
• Musconetcong County: This county was proposed to be formed from parts of Hunterdon and Warren Counties.

Proposed Counties in New Mexico

• Rio Grande County: Proposed in 1927 from parts of Catron County and all of Socorro County. It was deemed unconstitutional and failed.
• South Valley County: Proposed in 1995 from Bernalillo County. It failed in a public vote.

Proposed Counties in New York

• Adirondack County: Proposed from northern Essex and southern Franklin counties.
• Brookhaven County: Proposed from the Town of Brookhaven in central Suffolk County.
• Peconic County: Proposed from the rural eastern part of Suffolk County.
• Salmon County: Proposed from the eastern half of Oswego County.

Proposed Counties in North Carolina

• Hooper County: Proposed in 1851 from Richmond County and Robeson County. It failed in a public vote.
• Lake County and Providence County: These were proposed to be formed from northern and southern parts of Mecklenburg County, respectively.
• Lillington County: Proposed in 1859 from New Hanover County. It failed in a public vote.

Proposed Counties in Ohio

• Barnesville Area County: In 1818, residents around Barnesville asked the state legislature for a new county. It would have been formed from parts of Belmont, Guernsey, and Monroe counties, with Barnesville as its center. The idea was rejected.

Proposed Counties in Oklahoma

• Shaffer County: Proposed in 1913 by Governor Lee Cruce from parts of Creek, Payne, and Lincoln counties. It failed to pass in a vote in 1914.
• Swanson County: Proposed in 1910 from Comanche and Kiowa counties. The Oklahoma Supreme Court declared it illegal.

Proposed Counties in Oregon

• McCall County and Siuslaw County: In 1984, Wilbur Ternyik tried to form "McCall County" from western parts of Lane County and Douglas County. Lane County is very large, similar in size to Connecticut. Ternyik said they felt "treated like garbage" by the county. Though the effort stopped, he felt it made the county treat its coastal residents "a lot nicer." In 2005, Keith Stanton tried again to form a new county, "Siuslaw County," from western Lane County, but was unsuccessful.

Proposed Counties in South Carolina

• Birch County: Proposed in 2013 from parts of Lexington and Richland counties. To create it, a large number of voters would need to ask the state legislature for a vote, and then two-thirds of voters in the proposed area would have to approve it.

Proposed Counties in Tennessee

Many counties have been proposed in Tennessee over the years, often due to disagreements over county lines or services.

• Christian County (1852), Grant County (1869), Etheridge County (1870), Hanes County (1877), Hanover County (1844), Hatchee County (1846), Jones County (1844), Taylor County (1852), Webster County (1873), and Wisdom County (1875) were all proposed from various existing counties but were never formed.
• Neshoba County: This county was proposed from part of Shelby County in 1990. This idea came up when the city of Memphis suggested merging its financially struggling school district with the county's. The merger happened in 2013, and some towns in the area formed their own school districts in response.

Proposed Counties in Virginia

• Catoctin County: Proposed from western Loudoun County. This was in response to local rules meant to slow down growth being overturned.
• Ivor Secession: In the late 1950s, the town of Ivor threatened to leave Southampton County. This happened after a new, combined high school was built that would include students of all races.

Proposed Counties in Washington

Washington has seen many proposals for new counties, often due to disagreements over services and regulations.

• Big Bend County (1891), Buchanan County (1856), Coulee County (1905), McKinley County (1903), Palouse County (1891, 1903), Steptoe County (1903), Washington County (1891), and Wenatchee County (1893) were all proposed but never formed.
• Cascade County: This name was proposed multiple times, including in the 1880s, 1964, 1970s, and 2016, from different parts of eastern Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, King, Pierce, and Kittitas counties.
• Cedar County: Proposed from eastern King County. A petition gathered many signatures, but in 1998, the Washington Supreme Court ruled that a new county needs signatures from half of all registered voters in the affected area, not just half of those who voted in the last election. This ruling made it much harder to create new counties in Washington.
• Freedom County: Proposed from northern Snohomish County in 1995. People claimed frustration with the county government. The 1998 "Cedar County" ruling was a big setback for this idea too.
• Independence County: Proposed from eastern Whatcom County. Supporters often complained about poor services and strict property rules, and that the county favored Bellingham. Petitions were circulated, but the movement stopped in 1994 after a state commission investigated the finances of similar movements.
• Olympic County: Proposed from western Clallam and Jefferson counties.
• Pioneer County: Proposed from northern Whatcom County. The "Cedar County" ruling also affected this proposal.
• Puget Sound County: Proposed in 1996 from southern King County.
• Skykomish County: Proposed from southeastern Snohomish and northeastern King counties. This proposal was also affected by the "Cedar County" ruling.
• Whitehorse County: Proposed from northern Snohomish County in the 1970s.

Proposed Counties in Wisconsin

• Century County: Proposed in 1997 to be created after the year 2000. The name was chosen to mean "a new county for a new century."
• Montgomery County: Proposed in 1846 from Iowa County.
• Tuskola County: Proposed in 1850 to be split from Washington County. Its proposed borders are within modern Washington and Ozaukee counties.

Proposed Counties in Wyoming

• Wind River County: Proposed from eastern Fremont County. The towns of Riverton (which would be the new county seat) and Lander (which would remain in Fremont County) are rivals.
• Wright Split: Residents of Wright suggested splitting from Campbell County in 2005.
• Fossil County: In 2004, state senator Stan Cooper introduced a bill to form "Fossil County" from the southern half of Lincoln County, but it failed.