List of counties in Rhode Island facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Counties of Rhode Island |
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| Location | State of Rhode Island |
| Number | 5 |
| Populations | 50,255 (Bristol) – 660,615 (Providence) |
| Areas | 24 square miles (62 km2) (Bristol) – 409 square miles (1,060 km2) (Providence) |
| Government | County government (defunct since 1846) |
| Subdivisions | cities, towns, villages, unincorporated communities, census designated places |
Rhode Island is a small state in the United States. It has five special areas called counties. Even though Rhode Island has counties, they don't have their own local governments like in many other states. Instead, the eight cities and thirty-one towns in Rhode Island handle all the local rules and services. The counties mostly help with things like courts and sheriff's offices, which are part of the state government.
Rhode Island has the second fewest counties of any U.S. state, tied with Hawaii. Only Delaware has fewer, with just three counties.
The colony of Rhode Island was set up in the 1600s. It was the first of the thirteen original American colonies to declare independence from British rule in 1776. This happened during the American Revolution. Rhode Island was also the last colony to agree to the U.S. Constitution. All of its counties were created before the Declaration of Independence.
In Rhode Island, people often call Washington County "South County."
The Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) code is a special number used by the U.S. government. It helps to identify states and counties uniquely. Rhode Island's code is 44. When this is combined with a county code, it looks like 44XXX. The FIPS code for each county links to information about that county.
Meet Rhode Island's Counties
| County |
FIPS code | County town | Founded | Origin | Naming History | Population | Area | Map |
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| Bristol County | 001 | Bristol | 1747 | This county was created from land that used to be part of Bristol County, Massachusetts. This happened after the two colonies settled a border disagreement. | Named after the City of Bristol, England. | 50,255 | 24 sq mi (62 km2) |
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| Kent County | 003 | East Greenwich | 1750 | Created from a part of Providence County. | Named after the County of Kent, England. | 171,278 | 168 sq mi (435 km2) |
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| Newport County | 005 | Newport | 1703 | First formed as Rhode Island County in 1703. It was renamed Newport County in 1729. | Named after the Town of Newport, Essex, England. | 83,832 | 102 sq mi (264 km2) |
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| Providence County | 007 | Providence | 1703 | Formed in 1703 as Providence Plantations County. It was renamed Providence County in 1729. | Named after Divine Providence, a religious idea important to the colony's founder, Roger Williams. | 660,615 | 409 sq mi (1,059 km2) |
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| Washington County | 009 | South Kingstown* | 1729 | First formed in 1729 as Kings County from part of Providence Plantations County. It was renamed Washington County in 1781. | Named after George Washington, a general in the American Revolutionary War and the first President of the United States. | 129,982 | 329 sq mi (852 km2) |
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A Note About Washington County
- The county seat of Washington County was often called West Kingston before county government ended. West Kingston is a village within South Kingstown and does not have its own local government. However, because the courthouse was in West Kingston's zip code, it became known as the county seat.
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Condados de Rhode Island para niños
