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Georgia has 159 counties, giving it the second-highest county count of any U.S. state, behind Texas. I’ve put the full Georgia counties list below, along with each county seat, so you can quickly find the county you need.
I’ve also included a Georgia county map section, population facts, land area information, county history, and a simple explanation of how county government works. This makes the page useful whether you need a quick county name or want to learn more about how Georgia is divided.
Quick Answer: How Many Counties Are in Georgia?
Georgia has 159 counties.
The state has more counties than almost every other state in the country. Georgia’s first state constitution created eight counties in 1777, and new counties were added over many years as the state grew.
The current Georgia county list includes counties such as Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb, DeKalb, Chatham, Cherokee, Hall, Bibb, Richmond, and 150 others.
Georgia law currently lists all 159 counties. The state constitution also limits the number of counties to 159, although existing counties can be affected by consolidation or merger.
Georgia Counties Map
A Georgia county map is one of the easiest ways to see how the state is divided.
The counties stretch from the mountains in north Georgia to the coastal counties in the southeast. Large rural counties cover much of the southern and western parts of the state, while many counties around Atlanta have much larger populations.
A useful county map should show:
- All 159 county boundaries
- County names
- Major cities
- County seats
- Georgia’s state borders
- Major geographic areas
I recommend using the map together with the county list below. The map helps you locate a county, while the list makes it easier to find a specific county by name.
Complete List of All 159 Georgia Counties
The following is the full Georgia counties list in alphabetical order. I’ve included the county seat for each county because the county seat is one of the most useful pieces of information when comparing Georgia counties.
| # | Georgia County | County Seat |
| 1 | Appling County | Baxley |
| 2 | Atkinson County | Pearson |
| 3 | Bacon County | Alma |
| 4 | Baker County | Newton |
| 5 | Baldwin County | Milledgeville |
| 6 | Banks County | Homer |
| 7 | Barrow County | Winder |
| 8 | Bartow County | Cartersville |
| 9 | Ben Hill County | Fitzgerald |
| 10 | Berrien County | Nashville |
| 11 | Bibb County | Macon |
| 12 | Bleckley County | Cochran |
| 13 | Brantley County | Nahunta |
| 14 | Brooks County | Quitman |
| 15 | Bryan County | Pembroke |
| 16 | Bulloch County | Statesboro |
| 17 | Burke County | Waynesboro |
| 18 | Butts County | Jackson |
| 19 | Calhoun County | Morgan |
| 20 | Camden County | Woodbine |
| 21 | Candler County | Metter |
| 22 | Carroll County | Carrollton |
| 23 | Catoosa County | Ringgold |
| 24 | Charlton County | Folkston |
| 25 | Chatham County | Savannah |
| 26 | Chattahoochee County | Cusseta |
| 27 | Chattooga County | Summerville |
| 28 | Cherokee County | Canton |
| 29 | Clarke County | Athens |
| 30 | Clay County | Fort Gaines |
| 31 | Clayton County | Jonesboro |
| 32 | Clinch County | Homerville |
| 33 | Cobb County | Marietta |
| 34 | Coffee County | Douglas |
| 35 | Colquitt County | Moultrie |
| 36 | Columbia County | Appling |
| 37 | Cook County | Adel |
| 38 | Coweta County | Newnan |
| 39 | Crawford County | Knoxville |
| 40 | Crisp County | Cordele |
| 41 | Dade County | Trenton |
| 42 | Dawson County | Dawsonville |
| 43 | Decatur County | Bainbridge |
| 44 | DeKalb County | Decatur |
| 45 | Dodge County | Eastman |
| 46 | Dooly County | Vienna |
| 47 | Dougherty County | Albany |
| 48 | Douglas County | Douglasville |
| 49 | Early County | Blakely |
| 50 | Echols County | Statenville |
| 51 | Effingham County | Springfield |
| 52 | Elbert County | Elberton |
| 53 | Emanuel County | Swainsboro |
| 54 | Evans County | Claxton |
| 55 | Fannin County | Blue Ridge |
| 56 | Fayette County | Fayetteville |
| 57 | Floyd County | Rome |
| 58 | Forsyth County | Cumming |
| 59 | Franklin County | Carnesville |
| 60 | Fulton County | Atlanta |
| 61 | Gilmer County | Ellijay |
| 62 | Glascock County | Gibson |
| 63 | Glynn County | Brunswick |
| 64 | Gordon County | Calhoun |
| 65 | Grady County | Cairo |
| 66 | Greene County | Greensboro |
| 67 | Gwinnett County | Lawrenceville |
| 68 | Habersham County | Clarkesville |
| 69 | Hall County | Gainesville |
| 70 | Hancock County | Sparta |
| 71 | Haralson County | Buchanan |
| 72 | Harris County | Hamilton |
| 73 | Hart County | Hartwell |
| 74 | Heard County | Franklin |
| 75 | Henry County | McDonough |
| 76 | Houston County | Perry |
| 77 | Irwin County | Ocilla |
| 78 | Jackson County | Jefferson |
| 79 | Jasper County | Monticello |
| 80 | Jeff Davis County | Hazlehurst |
| 81 | Jefferson County | Louisville |
| 82 | Jenkins County | Millen |
| 83 | Johnson County | Wrightsville |
| 84 | Jones County | Gray |
| 85 | Lamar County | Barnesville |
| 86 | Lanier County | Lakeland |
| 87 | Laurens County | Dublin |
| 88 | Lee County | Leesburg |
| 89 | Liberty County | Hinesville |
| 90 | Lincoln County | Lincolnton |
| 91 | Long County | Ludowici |
| 92 | Lowndes County | Valdosta |
| 93 | Lumpkin County | Dahlonega |
| 94 | Macon County | Oglethorpe |
| 95 | Madison County | Danielsville |
| 96 | Marion County | Buena Vista |
| 97 | McDuffie County | Thomson |
| 98 | McIntosh County | Darien |
| 99 | Meriwether County | Greenville |
| 100 | Miller County | Colquitt |
| 101 | Mitchell County | Camilla |
| 102 | Monroe County | Forsyth |
| 103 | Montgomery County | Mount Vernon |
| 104 | Morgan County | Madison |
| 105 | Murray County | Chatsworth |
| 106 | Muscogee County | Columbus |
| 107 | Newton County | Covington |
| 108 | Oconee County | Watkinsville |
| 109 | Oglethorpe County | Lexington |
| 110 | Paulding County | Dallas |
| 111 | Peach County | Fort Valley |
| 112 | Pickens County | Jasper |
| 113 | Pierce County | Blackshear |
| 114 | Pike County | Zebulon |
| 115 | Polk County | Cedartown |
| 116 | Pulaski County | Hawkinsville |
| 117 | Putnam County | Eatonton |
| 118 | Quitman County | Georgetown |
| 119 | Rabun County | Clayton |
| 120 | Randolph County | Cuthbert |
| 121 | Richmond County | Augusta |
| 122 | Rockdale County | Conyers |
| 123 | Schley County | Ellaville |
| 124 | Screven County | Sylvania |
| 125 | Seminole County | Donalsonville |
| 126 | Spalding County | Griffin |
| 127 | Stephens County | Toccoa |
| 128 | Stewart County | Lumpkin |
| 129 | Sumter County | Americus |
| 130 | Talbot County | Talbotton |
| 131 | Taliaferro County | Crawfordville |
| 132 | Tattnall County | Reidsville |
| 133 | Taylor County | Butler |
| 134 | Telfair County | McRae-Helena |
| 135 | Terrell County | Dawson |
| 136 | Thomas County | Thomasville |
| 137 | Tift County | Tifton |
| 138 | Toombs County | Lyons |
| 139 | Towns County | Hiawassee |
| 140 | Treutlen County | Soperton |
| 141 | Troup County | LaGrange |
| 142 | Turner County | Ashburn |
| 143 | Twiggs County | Jeffersonville |
| 144 | Union County | Blairsville |
| 145 | Upson County | Thomaston |
| 146 | Walker County | LaFayette |
| 147 | Walton County | Monroe |
| 148 | Ware County | Waycross |
| 149 | Warren County | Warrenton |
| 150 | Washington County | Sandersville |
| 151 | Wayne County | Jesup |
| 152 | Webster County | Preston |
| 153 | Wheeler County | Alamo |
| 154 | White County | Cleveland |
| 155 | Whitfield County | Dalton |
| 156 | Wilcox County | Abbeville |
| 157 | Wilkes County | Washington |
| 158 | Wilkinson County | Irwinton |
| 159 | Worth County | Sylvester |
The county names above match the current list of 159 Georgia counties, while the county-seat information follows the current county-seat listing.
What Is a County Seat?
A county seat is the main location for county government.
It is usually the place where important county offices and government functions are based. County records, courts, administrative offices, and other local government services may be centered there.
For example, Atlanta is the county seat of Fulton County, while Savannah is the county seat of Chatham County.
The county seat is not always the largest city in a county. This is an easy point to miss when looking at a Georgia county map.
County Seat vs. Largest City
A county seat and a county’s largest city can be different places.
The county seat is the official center of county government. The largest city is simply the city with the largest population within that county.
For example, a county can have a large city that attracts most of its population and business activity while another city remains the county seat.
That is why I recommend checking the county seat separately instead of assuming that the largest city holds that role.
Georgia Counties by Population
Population varies greatly across Georgia counties.
The largest population centers are concentrated around the Atlanta metropolitan area, while many counties in southern and rural Georgia have much smaller populations.
The latest 2025 county population figures show:
| County | 2025 Population |
| Fulton County | 1,098,791 |
| Gwinnett County | 1,018,099 |
| DeKalb County | 774,394 |
| Cobb County | 768,063 |
| Cherokee County | 286,989 |
| Forsyth County | 282,805 |
| Henry County | 264,922 |
| Hall County | 226,568 |
| Clayton County | 207,432 |
| Chatham County | 311,083 |
These figures use the 2025 Georgia county population estimates.
Population can change from year to year, so I would use one population year consistently when comparing counties. Mixing estimates from different years can make a ranking confusing.
The Most Populous County in Georgia
Fulton County has the largest population among Georgia counties, with an estimated 1,098,791 residents in 2025.
Fulton County includes Atlanta and forms a major part of the state’s economic and population center.
Other Highly Populated Georgia Counties
Gwinnett and DeKalb also have populations above 700,000 based on the 2025 figures. Cobb County is also among the state’s largest population centers.
Several other counties around metro Atlanta have populations above 200,000.
This shows why the population distribution of Georgia counties is very uneven. A county list alone does not tell you how different these counties can be in size and population.
Georgia Counties by Area
Population and land area tell two very different stories.
Some Georgia counties cover large areas but have relatively small populations. Others are much smaller in land area but contain large urban and suburban populations.
Based on county land-area data, Ware County is the largest Georgia county by land area at about 908 square miles. Clarke County is among the smallest, at about 121 square miles.
Largest Georgia Counties by Land Area
Some of the larger counties include:
- Ware County
- Clinch County
- Burke County
- Laurens County
- Camden County
- Charlton County
- Wayne County
- Screven County
- Emanuel County
- Bulloch County
The exact ranking can vary slightly depending on whether a source uses land area alone or total area including water.
For a fair comparison, I prefer using land area consistently.
Smallest Georgia Counties by Land Area
Some of the smaller counties include:
- Clarke County
- Rockdale County
- Peach County
- Quitman County
- Barrow County
- Catoosa County
- Dade County
- Glascock County
- Clayton County
- Towns County
These counties show why county size should not be judged by population alone.
Why Does Georgia Have 159 Counties?
Georgia’s large number of counties comes from its long history of county creation.
The first Georgia state constitution, adopted in 1777, created eight original counties:
- Burke
- Camden
- Chatham
- Effingham
- Glynn
- Liberty
- Richmond
- Wilkes
As Georgia’s population spread inland, new counties were created from existing counties and newly acquired territory.
Over time, the state created many more counties to provide local government services closer to residents.
The county system became an important part of Georgia’s local government structure.
When Was the Last Georgia County Created?
Long County was created in 1920 and is the newest county in the state.
Georgia’s county count later returned to 159 after county changes and consolidations.
Today, the state constitution limits Georgia to 159 counties. The creation of a new county is therefore not a simple process of adding another county to the state.
What Were the Original Georgia Counties?
Georgia originally had eight counties when the state constitution was adopted in 1777.
Those counties were:
- Burke
- Camden
- Chatham
- Effingham
- Glynn
- Liberty
- Richmond
- Wilkes
These original counties were located mainly in the settled coastal part of the state at the time.
The state later expanded inland, and new counties were created as population and settlement patterns changed.
What Does a Georgia County Government Do?
Georgia counties handle many services that people use in daily life.
Depending on the county, local government may be responsible for areas such as:
- County roads
- Elections
- Courts
- Public records
- Property taxes
- Local administration
- Public health programs
- Welfare services
- Other local government services
Counties also carry out some state programs at the local level.
This is one reason county boundaries matter. Your county can affect which local offices, services, courts, tax offices, and government departments you deal with.
Are All Georgia Counties Governed in the Same Way?
No.
Georgia counties have county governments, but some counties have consolidated their government with an incorporated city.
Examples include:
- Athens-Clarke County
- Augusta-Richmond County
- Columbus-Muscogee County
- Cusseta-Chattahoochee County
- Macon-Bibb County
- Georgetown-Quitman County
- Statenville-Echols County
- Preston-Webster County
These arrangements combine county and city functions in different ways.
This is another reason a simple list of county names does not tell the whole story.
Georgia Counties and Major Cities
Several well-known Georgia cities serve as county seats or are closely connected with major counties.
| City | County |
| Atlanta | Fulton |
| Savannah | Chatham |
| Augusta | Richmond |
| Macon | Bibb |
| Columbus | Muscogee |
| Athens | Clarke |
| Marietta | Cobb |
| Decatur | DeKalb |
| Lawrenceville | Gwinnett |
| Gainesville | Hall |
| Rome | Floyd |
| Valdosta | Lowndes |
| Albany | Dougherty |
| Warner Robins area | Houston |
| Brunswick | Glynn |
This is useful if you are trying to find what county a Georgia city is in.
One thing I always recommend checking is whether the city and county have a consolidated government. In some parts of Georgia, city and county government functions are combined.
Georgia County FIPS Codes
Each Georgia county also has a unique FIPS code.
FIPS codes are numeric identifiers used to identify counties and other geographic areas in government data systems.
Georgia’s state FIPS code is 13. County codes are added to that state code to create a longer geographic identifier.
For example, Fulton County uses the county code 121, giving it the GEOID 13121.
These codes are useful if you are working with:
- Census data
- Geographic databases
- Mapping systems
- Government datasets
- Demographic research
- GIS projects
For a normal reader, however, the county name is usually enough.
How to Use a Georgia Counties Map
A Georgia county map is useful for several types of research.
Finding a county
If you know the county name but do not know where it is located, use the map to identify its position.
Comparing neighboring counties
The map can show which counties share boundaries.
This is useful when researching cities, travel routes, population patterns, or regional development.
Finding a city’s county
If you know a city but not its county, first find the city on a map and then check the county boundary.
Comparing regions
Georgia counties can also help you separate the state into broad areas such as north Georgia, central Georgia, south Georgia, and the coastal region.
These are informal geographic groupings, not replacements for official county boundaries.
Why County Names Can Be Confusing
Some Georgia counties have names that are easy to confuse with cities or other counties.
For example:
- Macon County is different from the city of Macon.
- Columbus is the county seat of Muscogee County.
- Atlanta is the county seat of Fulton County.
- Athens is associated with Clarke County.
- Augusta is associated with Richmond County.
Checking the county name and county seat together is often the easiest way to avoid mistakes.
Final Thoughts on Georgia Counties
Georgia’s 159 counties give the state one of the largest county systems in the United States.
I find the easiest way to work with the Georgia counties list is to look at three things together: the county name, the county seat, and the county’s location on a map. Population and land area then add useful context when you need to compare counties.
For a quick reference, the full list above gives you all 159 county names and county seats in one place. If you are doing deeper research, the population, area, history, government, and FIPS information can help you see how different Georgia counties are from one another.
Frequently Asked Questions About Georgia Counties
How many counties are in Georgia?
Georgia has 159 counties. The current state law lists all 159 counties.
What is the largest county in Georgia by population?
Fulton County is the largest by population. Its 2025 population estimate is 1,098,791.
What is the smallest county in Georgia by population?
Taliaferro County has the smallest population among Georgia counties in the latest figures referenced for the state.
What is the largest county in Georgia by land area?
Ware County is the largest by land area, covering about 908 square miles.
What is the smallest county in Georgia by land area?
Clarke County is the smallest by land area, at about 121 square miles.
What is the oldest county in Georgia?
Burke, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Richmond, and Wilkes were all among Georgia’s original eight counties created in 1777.
What is the newest county in Georgia?
Long County is the newest county in Georgia. It was created in 1920.
What county is Atlanta in?
Atlanta is primarily in Fulton County and serves as its county seat.
What county is Savannah in?
Savannah is the county seat of Chatham County.
What is a county seat?
A county seat is the main location for county government. It is generally where major county offices and government functions are based.
Does every Georgia county have a separate city government?
No. Some Georgia counties have consolidated governments that combine county and city functions.
Why are there so many counties in Georgia?
Georgia created many counties as its population spread and local government needs changed. The county system made local government services more accessible across a large and growing state.
Can Georgia create a 160th county?
The Georgia Constitution limits the state to 159 counties. A new county cannot simply be added as the 160th county under the current constitutional limit.