This is a list of the 100 largest counties in the United States by area. The list is based upon the total area of a county, both land and water surface, reported by the United States Census Bureau during the 2000 Census. [1] Alaska and Louisiana are not divided into counties.
A different ranking becomes apparent when comparing county areas by land area alone as opposed to total area. Some counties, such as Keweenaw and Alger Counties in Michigan, include significant amounts of water in their total area and would not appear on a list that considered land area alone. This list also includes the four counties that would be included when water area is not included.
Nine US states are smaller than San Bernardino County, California, and two states, Rhode Island and Delaware are smaller than the smallest counties on this list.
| Rank | County | State | County seat | Total area | Land area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Bernardino County | California | San Bernardino | 20,105.32 sq mi (52,072.5 km2) | 20,052.5 sq mi (51,936 km2) |
| 2 | Coconino County | Arizona | Flagstaff | 18,661.21 sq mi (48,332.3 km2) | 18,617.42 sq mi (48,218.9 km2) |
| 3 | Nye County | Nevada | Tonopah | 18,158.73 sq mi (47,030.9 km2) | 18,146.66 sq mi (46,999.6 km2) |
| 4 | Elko County | Nevada | Elko | 17,202.94 sq mi (44,555.4 km2) | 17,179.03 sq mi (44,493.5 km2) |
| 5 | Mohave County | Arizona | Kingman | 13,469.71 sq mi (34,886.4 km2) | 13,311.64 sq mi (34,477.0 km2) |
| 6 | Apache County | Arizona | St. Johns | 11,218.42 sq mi (29,055.6 km2) | 11,204.88 sq mi (29,020.5 km2) |
| 7 | Lincoln County | Nevada | Pioche | 10,636.77 sq mi (27,549.1 km2) | 10,633.61 sq mi (27,540.9 km2) |
| 8 | Sweetwater County | Wyoming | Green River | 10,491.17 sq mi (27,172.0 km2) | 10,425.3 sq mi (27,001 km2) |
| 9 | Inyo County | California | Independence | 10,226.98 sq mi (26,487.8 km2) | 10,203.1 sq mi (26,426 km2) |
| 10 | Harney County | Oregon | Burns | 10,226.49 sq mi (26,486.5 km2) | 10,134.33 sq mi (26,247.8 km2) |
| 11 | Navajo County | Arizona | Holbrook | 9,959.49 sq mi (25,795.0 km2) | 9,953.18 sq mi (25,778.6 km2) |
| 12 | Malheur County | Oregon | Vale | 9,929.99 sq mi (25,718.6 km2) | 9,887.09 sq mi (25,607.4 km2) |
| 13 | Humboldt County | Nevada | Winnemucca | 9,657.87 sq mi (25,013.8 km2) | 9,647.91 sq mi (24,988.0 km2) |
| 14 | Fremont County | Wyoming | Lander | 9,265.8 sq mi (23,998 km2) | 9,182.27 sq mi (23,782.0 km2) |
| 15 | Maricopa County | Arizona | Phoenix | 9,224.27 sq mi (23,890.7 km2) | 9,203.14 sq mi (23,836.0 km2) |
| 16 | Pima County | Arizona | Tucson | 9,188.83 sq mi (23,799.0 km2) | 9,186.27 sq mi (23,792.3 km2) |
| 17 | White Pine County | Nevada | Ely | 8,896.6 sq mi (23,042 km2) | 8,875.98 sq mi (22,988.7 km2) |
| 18 | Idaho County | Idaho | Grangeville | 8,502.48 sq mi (22,021.3 km2) | 8,484.88 sq mi (21,975.7 km2) |
| 19 | Lake County | Oregon | Lakeview | 8,358.47 sq mi (21,648.3 km2) | 8,135.75 sq mi (21,071.5 km2) |
| 20 | Kern County | California | Bakersfield | 8,161.42 sq mi (21,138.0 km2) | 8,140.96 sq mi (21,085.0 km2) |
| 21 | Yavapai County | Arizona | Prescott | 8,127.78 sq mi (21,050.9 km2) | 8,123.3 sq mi (21,039 km2) |
| 22 | Clark County | Nevada | Las Vegas | 8,090.66 sq mi (20,954.7 km2) | 7,910.34 sq mi (20,487.7 km2) |
| 23 | Carbon County | Wyoming | Rawlins | 7,964.03 sq mi (20,626.7 km2) | 7,896.14 sq mi (20,450.9 km2) |
| 24 | San Juan County | Utah | Monticello | 7,933.09 sq mi (20,546.6 km2) | 7,820.18 sq mi (20,254.2 km2) |
| 25 | Owyhee County | Idaho | Murphy | 7,696.71 sq mi (19,934.4 km2) | 7,677.98 sq mi (19,885.9 km2) |
| 26 | Riverside County | California | Riverside | 7,303.13 sq mi (18,915.0 km2) | 7,207.37 sq mi (18,667.0 km2) |
| 27 | Tooele County | Utah | Tooele | 7,287.12 sq mi (18,873.6 km2) | 6,930.35 sq mi (17,949.5 km2) |
| 28 | Park County | Wyoming | Cody | 6,968.51 sq mi (18,048.4 km2) | 6,942.39 sq mi (17,980.7 km2) |
| 29 | Catron County | New Mexico | Reserve | 6,929.03 sq mi (17,946.1 km2) | 6,927.81 sq mi (17,942.9 km2) |
| 30 | St. Louis County | Minnesota | Duluth | 6,859.91 sq mi (17,767.1 km2) | 6,225.16 sq mi (16,123.1 km2) |
| 31 | Aroostook County | Maine | Houlton | 6,828.79 sq mi (17,686.5 km2) | 6,671.54 sq mi (17,279.2 km2) |
| 32 | Millard County | Utah | Fillmore | 6,828.01 sq mi (17,684.5 km2) | 6,589.13 sq mi (17,065.8 km2) |
| 33 | Box Elder County | Utah | Brigham City | 6,729.03 sq mi (17,428.1 km2) | 5,723.34 sq mi (14,823.4 km2) |
| 34 | Socorro County | New Mexico | Socorro | 6,648.71 sq mi (17,220.1 km2) | 6,646.4 sq mi (17,214 km2) |
| 35 | Otero County | New Mexico | Alamogordo | 6,627.43 sq mi (17,165.0 km2) | 6,626.5 sq mi (17,163 km2) |
| 36 | Washoe County | Nevada | Reno | 6,551.32 sq mi (16,967.8 km2) | 6,342.27 sq mi (16,426.4 km2) |
| 37 | Siskiyou County | California | Yreka | 6,347.46 sq mi (16,439.8 km2) | 6,286.78 sq mi (16,282.7 km2) |
| 38 | Cochise County | Arizona | Bisbee | 6,218.77 sq mi (16,106.5 km2) | 6,169.45 sq mi (15,978.8 km2) |
| 39 | Brewster County | Texas | Alpine | 6,192.78 sq mi (16,039.2 km2) | 6,192.61 sq mi (16,038.8 km2) |
| 40 | Klamath County | Oregon | Klamath Falls | 6,135.75 sq mi (15,891.5 km2) | 5,944.19 sq mi (15,395.4 km2) |
| 41 | Chaves County | New Mexico | Roswell | 6,075.07 sq mi (15,734.4 km2) | 6,070.86 sq mi (15,723.5 km2) |
| 42 | Pershing County | Nevada | Lovelock | 6,067.55 sq mi (15,714.9 km2) | 6,036.56 sq mi (15,634.6 km2) |
| 43 | Fresno County | California | Fresno | 6,017.42 sq mi (15,585.0 km2) | 5,962.73 sq mi (15,443.4 km2) |
| 44 | Cherry County | Nebraska | Valentine | 6,009.54 sq mi (15,564.6 km2) | 5,960.52 sq mi (15,437.7 km2) |
| 45 | Keweenaw County | Michigan | Eagle River | 5,965.96 sq mi (15,451.8 km2) | 540.97 sq mi (1,401.1 km2) |
| 46 | Rio Arriba County | New Mexico | Tierra Amarilla | 5,896.1 sq mi (15,271 km2) | 5,857.63 sq mi (15,171.2 km2) |
| 47 | Beaverhead County | Montana | Dillon | 5,572.04 sq mi (14,431.5 km2) | 5,542.31 sq mi (14,354.5 km2) |
| 48 | San Juan County | New Mexico | Aztec | 5,538.36 sq mi (14,344.3 km2) | 5,514.02 sq mi (14,281.2 km2) |
| 49 | Lander County | Nevada | Battle Mountain | 5,519.47 sq mi (14,295.4 km2) | 5,493.63 sq mi (14,228.4 km2) |
| 50 | Yuma County | Arizona | Yuma | 5,518.96 sq mi (14,294.0 km2) | 5,514.09 sq mi (14,281.4 km2) |
| 51 | McKinley County | New Mexico | Gallup | 5,455.22 sq mi (14,129.0 km2) | 5,448.72 sq mi (14,112.1 km2) |
| 52 | Natrona County | Wyoming | Casper | 5,375.72 sq mi (13,923.1 km2) | 5,339.88 sq mi (13,830.2 km2) |
| 53 | Pinal County | Arizona | Florence | 5,374.09 sq mi (13,918.8 km2) | 5,369.59 sq mi (13,907.2 km2) |
| 54 | Okanogan County | Washington | Okanogan | 5,315.16 sq mi (13,766.2 km2) | 5,268.07 sq mi (13,644.2 km2) |
| 55 | Flathead County | Montana | Kalispell | 5,256.45 sq mi (13,614.1 km2) | 5,098.34 sq mi (13,204.6 km2) |
| 56 | Phillips County | Montana | Malta | 5,212.17 sq mi (13,499.5 km2) | 5,139.57 sq mi (13,311.4 km2) |
| 57 | Garfield County | Utah | Panguitch | 5,208.2 sq mi (13,489 km2) | 5,174.22 sq mi (13,401.2 km2) |
| 58 | Douglas County | Oregon | Roseburg | 5,133.83 sq mi (13,296.6 km2) | 5,036.62 sq mi (13,044.8 km2) |
| 59 | Hawaii County | Hawaii | Hilo | 5,086.7 sq mi (13,174 km2) | 4,028.02 sq mi (10,432.5 km2) |
| 60 | Valley County | Montana | Glasgow | 5,061.98 sq mi (13,110.5 km2) | 4,921 sq mi (12,750 km2) |
| 61 | Alger County | Michigan | Munising | 5,049.08 sq mi (13,077.1 km2) | 917.83 sq mi (2,377.2 km2) |
| 62 | Rosebud County | Montana | Forsyth | 5,026.94 sq mi (13,019.7 km2) | 5,012.37 sq mi (12,982.0 km2) |
| 63 | Churchill County | Nevada | Fallon | 5,023.38 sq mi (13,010.5 km2) | 4,929.08 sq mi (12,766.3 km2) |
| 64 | Big Horn County | Montana | Hardin | 5,014.65 sq mi (12,987.9 km2) | 4,994.81 sq mi (12,936.5 km2) |
| 65 | Custer County | Idaho | Challis | 4,936.79 sq mi (12,786.2 km2) | 4,925.45 sq mi (12,756.9 km2) |
| 66 | Sublette County | Wyoming | Pinedale | 4,935.66 sq mi (12,783.3 km2) | 4,882.57 sq mi (12,645.8 km2) |
| 67 | Garfield County | Montana | Jordan | 4,847.54 sq mi (12,555.1 km2) | 4,668.06 sq mi (12,090.2 km2) |
| 68 | Tulare County | California | Visalia | 4,839.09 sq mi (12,533.2 km2) | 4,823.97 sq mi (12,494.0 km2) |
| 69 | Lincoln County | New Mexico | Carrizozo | 4,831.25 sq mi (12,512.9 km2) | 4,830.97 sq mi (12,512.2 km2) |
| 70 | Campbell County | Wyoming | Gillette | 4,807.25 sq mi (12,450.7 km2) | 4,803.13 sq mi (12,440.0 km2) |
| 71 | Gila County | Arizona | Globe | 4,795.74 sq mi (12,420.9 km2) | 4,767.7 sq mi (12,348 km2) |
| 72 | Las Animas County | Colorado | Trinidad | 4,775.42 sq mi (12,368.3 km2) | 4,772.63 sq mi (12,361.1 km2) |
| 73 | Pecos County | Texas | Fort Stockton | 4,764.73 sq mi (12,340.6 km2) | 4,763.66 sq mi (12,337.8 km2) |
| 74 | Los Angeles County | California | Los Angeles | 4,752.32 sq mi (12,308.5 km2) | 4,060.87 sq mi (10,517.6 km2) |
| 75 | Moffat County | Colorado | Craig | 4,750.94 sq mi (12,304.9 km2) | 4,742.25 sq mi (12,282.4 km2) |
| 76 | San Miguel County | New Mexico | Las Vegas | 4,735.63 sq mi (12,265.2 km2) | 4,717.04 sq mi (12,217.1 km2) |
| 77 | Lane County | Oregon | Eugene | 4,721.79 sq mi (12,229.4 km2) | 4,554 sq mi (11,790 km2) |
| 78 | Lassen County | California | Susanville | 4,720.37 sq mi (12,225.7 km2) | 4,557.27 sq mi (11,803.3 km2) |
| 79 | Graham County | Arizona | Safford | 4,641.14 sq mi (12,020.5 km2) | 4,629.32 sq mi (11,989.9 km2) |
| 80 | Hudspeth County | Texas | Sierra Blanca | 4,571.93 sq mi (11,841.2 km2) | 4,571 sq mi (11,840 km2) |
| 81 | Lemhi County | Idaho | Salmon | 4,569.5 sq mi (11,835 km2) | 4,564.16 sq mi (11,821.1 km2) |
| 82 | Cibola County | New Mexico | Grants | 4,541.71 sq mi (11,763.0 km2) | 4,539.21 sq mi (11,756.5 km2) |
| 83 | Grant County | Oregon | Canyon City | 4,529.32 sq mi (11,730.9 km2) | 4,528.6 sq mi (11,729 km2) |
| 84 | San Diego County | California | San Diego | 4,525.52 sq mi (11,721.0 km2) | 4,199.89 sq mi (10,877.7 km2) |
| 85 | La Paz County | Arizona | Parker | 4,513.36 sq mi (11,689.5 km2) | 4,499.95 sq mi (11,654.8 km2) |
| 86 | Uintah County | Utah | Vernal | 4,498.98 sq mi (11,652.3 km2) | 4,477.07 sq mi (11,595.6 km2) |
| 87 | Imperial County | California | El Centro | 4,481.73 sq mi (11,607.6 km2) | 4,174.73 sq mi (10,812.5 km2) |
| 88 | Emery County | Utah | Castle Dale | 4,461.54 sq mi (11,555.3 km2) | 4,451.85 sq mi (11,530.2 km2) |
| 89 | Lea County | New Mexico | Lovington | 4,394.02 sq mi (11,380.5 km2) | 4,392.96 sq mi (11,377.7 km2) |
| 90 | Piscataquis County | Maine | Dover-Foxcroft | 4,377.36 sq mi (11,337.3 km2) | 3,966.22 sq mi (10,272.5 km2) |
| 91 | Fergus County | Montana | Lewistown | 4,350.36 sq mi (11,267.4 km2) | 4,339.17 sq mi (11,238.4 km2) |
| 92 | Yakima County | Washington | Yakima | 4,311.61 sq mi (11,167.0 km2) | 4,296.23 sq mi (11,127.2 km2) |
| 93 | Albany County | Wyoming | Laramie | 4,308.79 sq mi (11,159.7 km2) | 4,272.75 sq mi (11,066.4 km2) |
| 94 | Converse County | Wyoming | Douglas | 4,265.1 sq mi (11,047 km2) | 4,254.72 sq mi (11,019.7 km2) |
| 95 | Blaine County | Montana | Chinook | 4,238.92 sq mi (10,978.8 km2) | 4,226.18 sq mi (10,945.8 km2) |
| 96 | Sierra County | New Mexico | Truth or Consequences | 4,236.3 sq mi (10,972 km2) | 4,180.23 sq mi (10,826.7 km2) |
| 97 | Teton County | Wyoming | Jackson | 4,221.8 sq mi (10,934 km2) | 4,007.76 sq mi (10,380.1 km2) |
| 98 | Modoc County | California | Alturas | 4,203.37 sq mi (10,886.7 km2) | 3,944.1 sq mi (10,215 km2) |
| 99 | Eddy County | New Mexico | Carlsbad | 4,197.57 sq mi (10,871.7 km2) | 4,182.02 sq mi (10,831.4 km2) |
| 100 | Eureka County | Nevada | Eureka | 4,179.96 sq mi (10,826.0 km2) | 4,175.68 sq mi (10,815.0 km2) |
| 101 (94) [lower-alpha 1] | Johnson County | Wyoming | Buffalo | 4,174.71 sq mi (10,812.4 km2) | 4,166.28 sq mi (10,790.6 km2) |
| 102 (100) [lower-alpha 1] | Kane County | Utah | Kanab | 4,108.42 sq mi (10,640.8 km2) | 3,991.96 sq mi (10,339.1 km2) |
| 104 (95) [lower-alpha 1] | Lincoln County | Wyoming | Kemmerer | 4,089.01 sq mi (10,590.5 km2) | 4,069.09 sq mi (10,538.9 km2) |
| 106 (99) [lower-alpha 1] | Orange County | California | Santa Ana | 4,021.56 sq mi (10,415.8 km2) | 3,992.45 sq mi (10,340.4 km2) |
Unlike most states, Alaska is divided into boroughs and census areas that serve as county-equivalents for the Census Bureau. If included with the remainder of the counties and county-equivalent areas in the United States, Alaska's boroughs and census areas would occupy the largest 11. Below is a list of these boroughs and census areas that would rank in the top 100 if included in the above list.
The Unorganized Borough, in which all of the census areas are located, is not considered a county-equivalent area and is not included in this list. With an area of 323,440 sq mi (837,700 km2), it would easily top the list, outranking every state in the country (except Alaska).
The rankings in the below list reflect the rank each borough or census area would have if included with all counties and county-equivalent areas in the United States (up to #11).
| Rank | Borough/Census Area | Total area | Land area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | 147,842.51 sq mi (382,910.3 km2) | 145,899.69 sq mi (377,878.5 km2) |
| 2 | North Slope Borough | 94,762.64 sq mi (245,434.1 km2) | 88,817.12 sq mi (230,035.3 km2) |
| 3 | Bethel Census Area | 45,508.46 sq mi (117,866.4 km2) | 40,633.31 sq mi (105,239.8 km2) |
| 4 | Northwest Arctic Borough | 40,762 sq mi (105,570 km2) | 35,898.34 sq mi (92,976.3 km2) |
| 5 | Lake and Peninsula Borough | 30,906.96 sq mi (80,048.7 km2) | 23,781.96 sq mi (61,595.0 km2) |
| 6 | Nome Census Area | 28,283.33 sq mi (73,253.5 km2) | 23,000.91 sq mi (59,572.1 km2) |
| 7 | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | 25,259.79 sq mi (65,422.6 km2) | 24,681.54 sq mi (63,924.9 km2) |
| 8 | Southeast Fairbanks Census Area | 25,061.19 sq mi (64,908.2 km2) | 24,814.86 sq mi (64,270.2 km2) |
| 9 | Kenai Peninsula Borough | 24,754.6 sq mi (64,114 km2) | 16,013.26 sq mi (41,474.2 km2) |
| 10 | Copper River Census Area | 24,692 sq mi (63,950 km2) | 24,692 sq mi (63,950 km2) |
| 11 | Dillingham Census Area | 20,928.41 sq mi (54,204.3 km2) | 18,674.78 sq mi (48,367.5 km2) |
| 12 | Kusilvak Census Area | 19,669.24 sq mi (50,943.1 km2) | 17,193.5 sq mi (44,531 km2) |
| 13 | Aleutians East Borough | 15,011.6 sq mi (38,880 km2) | 6,988.14 sq mi (18,099.2 km2) |
| 14 | Aleutians West Census Area | 14,116.51 sq mi (36,561.6 km2) | 4,396.77 sq mi (11,387.6 km2) |
| 15 | Denali Borough | 12,774.53 sq mi (33,085.9 km2) | 12,749.65 sq mi (33,021.4 km2) |
| 16 | Kodiak Island Borough | 12,023.67 sq mi (31,141.2 km2) | 6,559.85 sq mi (16,989.9 km2) |
| 17 | Hoonah-Angoon Census Area | 10,914 sq mi (28,270 km2) | 7,525 sq mi (19,490 km2) |
| 18 | Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area | 7,683 sq mi (19,900 km2) | 3,923 sq mi (10,160 km2) |
| 19 | Chugach Census Area | 9,530 sq mi (24,700 km2) | 9,530 sq mi (24,700 km2) |
| 20 | Yakutat City and Borough | 9,459.28 sq mi (24,499.4 km2) | 7,650.46 sq mi (19,814.6 km2) |
| 21 | Fairbanks North Star Borough | 7,444.02 sq mi (19,279.9 km2) | 7,366.24 sq mi (19,078.5 km2) |
| 22 | Sitka City and Borough | 4,811.53 sq mi (12,461.8 km2) | 2,873.98 sq mi (7,443.6 km2) |
| 23 | Petersburg Borough | 3,829 sq mi (9,920 km2) | 3,829 sq mi (9,920 km2) |
| 24 | Wrangell City and Borough | 3,476.61 sq mi (9,004.4 km2) | 2,555.99 sq mi (6,620.0 km2) |
Aleutians East Borough is a 2nd class borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census the borough's population was 3,420. The borough seat is Sand Point.
Aleutians West Census Area is a census area located in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,232, down from 5,561 in 2010.
Dillingham Census Area is a census area located in the state of Alaska, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 4,857, slightly up from 4,847 in 2010. It is part of the unorganized borough and therefore has no borough seat. Its largest community by far is the city of Dillingham, on a small arm of Bristol Bay on the Bering Sea.
Lake and Peninsula Borough is a borough in the state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,476, down from 1,631 in 2010. The borough seat of King Salmon is located in neighboring Bristol Bay Borough, although is not the seat of that borough. The most populous community in the borough is the census-designated place of Port Alsworth. With an average of 0.017 inhabitants per square kilometre, the Lake and Peninsula Borough is the second least densely populated organized county-equivalent in the United States; only the unorganized Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area has a lower density.
Matanuska-Susitna Borough is a borough located in the U.S. state of Alaska. Its borough seat is Palmer, and the largest community is the census-designated place of Knik-Fairview. As of the 2020 census, the borough's population was 107,801.
Nome Census Area is a census area located in the U.S. state of Alaska, mostly overlapping with the Seward Peninsula. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,046, up from 9,492 in 2010. It is part of the unorganized borough and therefore has no borough seat. Its largest community by far is the city of Nome.
The North Slope Borough is the northernmost borough in the US state of Alaska and thus, the northernmost county or equivalent of the United States as a whole. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,031. The borough seat and largest city, comprising nearly 1/2 of the borough’s population, is Utqiaġvik, the northernmost settlement in the United States.
Northwest Arctic Borough is a borough located in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,793, up from 7,523 in 2010. The borough seat is Kotzebue. The borough was formed on June 2, 1986.
Prince of Wales–Hyder Census Area is a census area located in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,753, up from 5,559 in 2010. It is part of the unorganized borough and therefore has no borough seat. Its largest communities are Metlakatla and Craig. It was formerly part of the Census Bureau's Prince of Wales–Outer Ketchikan Census Area, but the name was changed in 2008 after most of the Outer Ketchikan was lost to annexation by the Ketchikan Gateway Borough.
Valdez–Cordova Census Area was a census area located in the state of Alaska, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 9,636. It was part of the Unorganized Borough and therefore had no borough seat. On January 2, 2019, it was abolished and replaced by the Chugach Census Area and the Copper River Census Area.
Kusilvak Census Area, formerly known as Wade Hampton Census Area, is a census area located in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,368, up from 7,459 in 2010. It is part of the Unorganized Borough and therefore has no borough seat. Its largest community is the city of Hooper Bay, on the Bering Sea coast.
Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area is a census area in the U.S. state of Alaska. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,343, down from 5,588 in 2010. With an area of 147,842.51 sq mi (382,910.3 km2), it is the largest of any county or county-equivalent in the United States, or slightly larger than the entire state of Montana. It is part of the unorganized borough of Alaska and therefore has no borough seat. Its largest communities are the cities of Galena, in the west, and Fort Yukon, in the northeast.
In the United States, a county or county equivalent is an administrative or political subdivision of a U.S. state or other territories of the United States which consists of a geographic area with specific boundaries and usually some level of governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 states, while Louisiana and Alaska have functionally equivalent subdivisions called parishes and boroughs, respectively. The specific governmental powers of counties vary widely between the states, with many providing some level of services to civil townships, municipalities, and unincorporated areas. Certain municipalities are in multiple counties; New York City is uniquely partitioned into five counties, referred to at the city government level as boroughs. Some municipalities have been consolidated with their county government to form consolidated city-counties, or have been legally separated from counties altogether to form independent cities. Conversely, counties in Connecticut, Rhode Island, eight of Massachusetts's 14 counties, and Alaska's Unorganized Borough have no government power, existing only as geographic distinctions.
In 45 of the 50 states of the United States, the county is used for the level of local government immediately below the state itself. Louisiana uses parishes, and Alaska uses boroughs. In Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, some or all counties within states have no governments of their own; the counties continue to exist as legal entities, however, and are used by states for some administrative functions and by the United States Census bureau for statistical analysis. There are 3,242 counties and county equivalent administrative units in total, including the District of Columbia and 100 county-equivalents in the U.S. territories.
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