A county seat is a term for an administrative center Administrative centre is often used in several countries to refer to a county town, or other seat of regional or local government, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located.[citation needed] for a county A county is a land area of local government within a country. A county may have cities and towns within its area. Originally, in continental Europe, a county was the land under the jurisdiction of a count (comte, conde, Graf) or civil parish A parish is a territorial unit that was usually historically served by a local church. This administrative unit is typically found in Roman Catholic, Anglican Communion, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Church of Sweden, United Methodist, and Presbyterian churches. It refers to a local, ecclesiastical community or territory, including its main, primarily used in the United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the. In the Northeast United States The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States. According to the definition used by the United States Census Bureau, the Northeast region consists of nine states: the New England states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut; and the Mid-Atlantic States of New York, New Jersey and, the statutory term often is shire town,^[1] but colloquially county seat is the term in use there. Parts of the Canadian Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean. It is the world's second largest country by total area and its common border with the United States to the south and northwest is the world's longest Maritimes The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada. The population of the Maritime provinces was 1,826,896 in 2008 also use the term shire town. In England England ( /ˈɪŋɡlənd/ ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental Europe. The mainland of, Wales Wales /ˈweɪlz/ (Welsh: Cymru; pronounced /ˈkəmrɨ/ (help·info)) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. Wales has a population estimated at three million and is officially bilingual; both Welsh and English have equal status and bilingual signs are the and Ireland Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɪrlənd/ , locally [ˈaɾlənd]; Irish: Éire, pronounced [ˈeːɾʲə] ( listen)) is a country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned on 3 May 1921. It is a parliamentary democracy and a republic. It is bordered by Northern Ireland, a, the term county town A county town is the 'capital' of a county in Republic of Ireland or the United Kingdom. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its original meaning of where the county administration is used. This term is still sometimes used colloquially in Scotland Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the southwest. In addition to the mainland, Scotland and Northern Ireland Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west. At the time of the 2001 UK Census, its population was 1,685,000, constituting about 30% of the island's total population and about 3% of the population of, but today neither are divided into administrative counties – instead being divided, respectively, into council areas For local government purposes, Scotland is divided into 32 areas designated as "council areas" which are all governed by unitary authorities designated as "councils". They have the option under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1997 of being known (but not re-designated) as a "comhairle" when opting for a Gaelic and districts Districts are a type of administrative division, in some countries managed by a local government. They vary greatly in size, spanning entire regions or counties, several municipalities, or subdivisions of municipalities. Louisiana The State of Louisiana (pronounced /luːˌiːziˈænə/ or /ˌluːziˈænə/ ( listen); French: État de Louisiane, [lwizjan] ( listen); Louisiana Creole: Léta de la Lwizyàn) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state divided uses parishes A parish is an administrative division used by several countries and one U.S. State: Louisiana instead of counties, and the administrative center is a "parish seat." Alaska Alaska ( /əˈlæskə/ ) is the largest state of the United States of America by area; it is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait. Approximately half of Alaska's 683,4 is organized into "boroughs The U.S. state of Alaska is not divided into counties, as are 48 other states , but it is divided into boroughs. Many of the more densely populated parts of the state are part of Alaska's eighteen boroughs, which function somewhat similarly to counties in other states. However, unlike county-equivalents in the other 49 states, the boroughs do not," which are large districts, and the administrative center is known as a "borough seat A county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there. Parts of the Canadian Maritimes also use the term shire town. In England, Wales and Ireland, the term."

United States counties In the United States, a county is a local level of government below the state . Counties are used in 48 of the 50 states, while Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. These are considered "county-equivalents", as are some cities not designated as part of a county. The U.S. Census Bureau lists 3,140 counties or, as in England England ( /ˈɪŋɡlənd/ ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental Europe. The mainland of and Canada Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean. It is the world's second largest country by total area and its common border with the United States to the south and northwest is the world's longest, function as administrative subdivisions of a state and have no sovereign jurisdiction of their own, although some have authority to enact and enforce municipal ordinances. Counties administer state or provincial law at the local level as part of the decentralization of state/provincial authority. In many U.S. states, state government is further decentralized by dividing counties into townships A township is a settlement which has the status and powers of a unit of local government. Specific use of the term to describe political subdivisions has varied by country, to provide local government services to residents of the county who do not live in incorporated A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which they are located. Often, this event is marked by the cities A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement, particularly a large urban settlement. Although there is no agreement on technical definitions distinguishing a city from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law. For example, an article of or towns A town is a settlement ranging from a few hundred to several thousand inhabitants, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas; the precise meaning varies between countries and is not always a matter of legal definition. Usually, a "town" is thought of as larger than a village but smaller than a "city",.

A county seat is usually, but not always, an incorporated municipality. The exceptions include, but are not limited to, the county seats of counties that have no incorporated municipalities within their borders, such as Arlington County, Virginia Arlington County is a county of about 210,000 residents in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is located directly across the Potomac River to the southwest of Washington, D.C. Formerly part of the District of Columbia, the land now composing the county was retroceded to Virginia on July 9, 1846, in an act of Congress that took effect in 1847. It was and Howard County, Maryland Howard County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Maryland, between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. It is considered part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. (Ellicott City Ellicott City is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Howard County, Maryland, United States. The population was 56,397 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Howard County. Founded in 1772, the town features the B&O Railroad Museum Ellicott City Station, built in 1830, and a downtown historic district which is a, the county seat of Howard County, is the largest unincorporated county seat in the United States, followed by Towson Towson is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 51,793 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Baltimore County and the second-most populated unincorporated county seat in the United States, the county seat of Baltimore County.) The county courthouse and county administration are usually located in the county seat, but some functions may also be conducted in other parts of the county, especially if it is geographically large.

Most counties have only one county seat. However, some counties in Alabama Alabama /ˌæləˈbæmə/ is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States of America. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland waterways. The state ranks, Arkansas Arkansas ( /ˈɑrkənsɔː/ AR-kən-saw) is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquin name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares a border with six states, with its eastern border largely defined by the Mississippi River. Its diverse geography ranges from the mountainous regions of the Ozarks and the, Iowa Iowa ( /ˈaɪəwə/ ) is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland." It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of, Kentucky The Commonwealth of Kentucky ( /kɨnˈtʌki/ ) is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth (the other three being Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts). Originally a part of, Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( /ˌmæsəˈtʃuːsɨts/ ) is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. Most of its population of 6.4 million lives in the, Mississippi Mississippi ( /ˌmɪsɨˈsɪpi/ ) is a state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The state's name comes from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, and takes its name from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi ("Great River"). The state is heavily forested outside of the, Missouri Missouri (pronounced /mɨˈzʊəri/ or /mɨˈzʊərə/) is a state in the Midwest region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Missouri is the 18th most populous state with a 2008 estimated population of 5,911,605. It comprises 114 counties and one independent city. Missouri', New Hampshire New Hampshire ( /nuːˈhæmpʃər/ ) is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north. New, New York New York (pronounced /nuː ˈjɔrk/ ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous. The state is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east. The state has a maritime border with Rhode Island east of Long Island,, and Vermont The State of Vermont ( /vərˈmɒnt/ ) is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd by land area, 9,250 square miles (24,000 km2), and 45th by total area. It has a population of 621,270, making it the second least-populated state (with only Wyoming having fewer residents). The only New have two or more county seats, usually located on opposite sides of the county. An example is Harrison County, Mississippi Harrison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of 2000, the population was 189,601. Its county seats are Biloxi and Gulfport. Harrison County is named for U.S. President William Henry Harrison, which lists both Biloxi Biloxi is a city in Harrison County, Mississippi, in the United States. The 2000 census recorded the population as 50,644, although the 2008 Census Estimate placed the population at 45,670. Along with Gulfport, Biloxi is a county seat of Harrison County and Gulfport Gulfport is the second largest city in Mississippi after the state capital Jackson. It is the larger of the two principal cities of the Gulfport-Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Mississippi Combined Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city of Gulfport had a total as county seats. The practice of multiple county seat towns dates from the days when travel was difficult. There have been few efforts to eliminate the two-seat arrangement, since a county seat is a source of pride (and jobs) for the towns involved. Connecticut Connecticut (pronounced /kəˈnɛtɨkət/ ) is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and New York to the west and south (because various islands of New York span Connecticut's entire coast) and Rhode Island Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island ( /ˌroʊd ˈaɪlɨnd/ or /rɵˈdaɪlɨnd/), is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area. Rhode Island borders Connecticut to the west, Massachusetts to the north and east, and shares a water boundary with New have no county level of government and thus no county seats. Vermont The State of Vermont ( /vərˈmɒnt/ ) is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd by land area, 9,250 square miles (24,000 km2), and 45th by total area. It has a population of 621,270, making it the second least-populated state (with only Wyoming having fewer residents). The only New has shire towns but little county government, consisting only of a Superior Court and Sheriff (as an officer of the court The generic term officer of the court applies to all those who, in some degree in function of their professional or similar qualifications, have a legal part—and hence legal and deontological obligations—in the complex functioning of the judicial system as a whole, in order to forge justice out of the application of the law and the). Massachusetts has abolished a number of its counties and the state now operates the registries of deeds and sheriff's offices in those districts. Two counties in South Dakota South Dakota ( /ˌsaʊθ dəˈkoʊtə/ ) is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. South Dakota was carved out of the southern half of the Dakota Territory and admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889. Centrally located Pierre is the state, Shannon County Shannon County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Dakota. The population was 12,466 at the 2000 census. Its largest community is Pine Ridge, and Todd County, have their county seat and government services centered in a neighboring county. Their county-level services are provided by Fall River County and Tripp County, respectively.^{[citation needed]}

Though New York City is a single city, it stretches across five counties. Often referred to as the boroughs of New York, each is also a separate geographic (unorganized) county, with city-sponsored borough officials. The five counties that compose New York City are Bronx County (The Bronx), Kings County (Brooklyn), New York County (Manhattan), Queens County (Queens), and Richmond County (Staten Island). The "county seats" of Richmond and Queens County are effectively neighborhoods, though they correspond roughly to the location of borough hall. Kansas City, Missouri, is situated in four counties, Jackson, Clay, Cass and Platte. It is the county seat of Jackson County, along with nearby Independence.

In Virginia, there are (since 2001) 39 independent cities, which are legally distinct from the counties that surround them. An independent city interacts with the commonwealth (state) government directly whereas towns, the only other type of municipal government authority in Virginia, do so through the county government apparatus. In many of Virginia's counties, the county government offices are located within the independent cities of their neighboring counties. Also, for certain statistical purposes, some independent cities are considered part of the county from which they separated. For example, the City of Fairfax is separate from Fairfax County, the county's offices lie within the city, and the city is combined with Fairfax County statistically.

Similarly, the city of Baltimore, Maryland is also an independent city, and much like Fairfax, surrounded on three sides by a county of the same name. However, unlike Fairfax, "Baltimore City", as it is officially known, is not politically or statistically connected with surrounding Baltimore County. Besides Baltimore City and the independent cities of Virginia, there are only two other independent cities in the United States: St. Louis, Missouri; and Carson City, Nevada. Several other cities, among them San Francisco, California; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;^[2] Denver, Colorado; and New Orleans, Louisiana, are all a city and a county (or in the case of Louisiana, a parish), with a consolidated government. In all of the named cities except for New Orleans, the city and county names are identical; in New Orleans, the city is coextensive with Orleans Parish.

Similar to Virginia, the Canadian province of Ontario has 17 separated municipalities which are municipalities that interact directly with the province without an intermediary county. Although administratively and legally separate from the county, many of these cities still serve as the seat of the county that surrounds them. Ontario also has several single-tier municipalities, many of which serve as a single county government with no lower municipal governments below it. In these cases, the county effectively is the local government in these areas, with a community in the county assigned as the seat, even though it has no municipal government of its own.

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