County facts · United States · October 22, 2026

Smallest County in Each State by Area and Population

The smallest county in every state by land area and the least populated by 2023 estimates, with a link to each official parcel map.

Looking for the smallest county in each state? The table lists, for all 50 states, the smallest county by land area (Census Bureau 2020 Gazetteer) and the least populated (July 1, 2023 estimates), each with a link to its official parcel map.

In the states with independent cities (Virginia, Maryland, Missouri and Nevada), a city can be the smallest county equivalent; those cities are included here because the Census Bureau counts them that way.

Smallest county in every state

Connecticut is the one awkward fit. The 2020 Gazetteer still has its 8 historic counties, but since 2022 the Census Bureau has used Connecticut's 9 planning regions as its county equivalents, so the 2023 estimates are by planning region. So Connecticut's smallest by land is a historic county and its least populated is a planning region.

Reading the table

• Small by land is often urban. Many of the smallest counties by area are city-counties or close-in suburban counties with dense parcel maps.
• Few people is usually rural. The least populated counties tend to be large and remote, so the two columns rarely name the same place.
• The smallest can still be busy. A county with little land may still have more parcels than a rural county many times its size.

For the national picture, see smallest counties in the US and least populated counties in the US.

Related guides

• Largest counties in the US by land area
• Most populous counties in the US
• Largest county in each state
• Smallest counties in the US
• Least populated counties in the US
• Most densely populated counties in the US
• How many counties are in the US

Sources

• U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer files, 2020 county land and water area (50 states and the District of Columbia; Puerto Rico's municipios are left out).
• U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, county totals, Vintage 2023 (July 1, 2023 estimates)
• Platbookmapper county GIS directory (live data file behind our county pages, pulled October 22, 2026) for each official parcel viewer.