An interactive map of the 102 counties of Great Britain. Click any county to see its population, land area, postcodes and largest town, then open its full page for towns and local data.

BedfordshireBerkshireBristolBuckinghamshireCambridgeshireCheshireCornwallCounty DurhamCumbriaDerbyshireDevonDorsetEast Riding of YorkshireEast SussexEssexGloucestershireGreater LondonGreater ManchesterHampshireHerefordshireHertfordshireIsle of WightIsles of ScillyKentLancashireLeicestershireLincolnshireMerseysideNorfolkNorth YorkshireNorthamptonshireNorthumberlandNottinghamshireOxfordshireRutlandShropshireSomersetSouth YorkshireStaffordshireSuffolkSurreyTyne and WearWarwickshireWest MidlandsWest SussexWest YorkshireWiltshireWorcestershireAberdeen CityAberdeenshireAngusArgyll and ButeCity of EdinburghClackmannanshireDumfries and GallowayDundee CityEast AyrshireEast DunbartonshireEast LothianEast RenfrewshireFalkirkFifeGlasgow CityHighlandInverclydeMidlothianMorayNa h-Eileanan an IarNorth AyrshireNorth LanarkshireOrkney IslandsPerth and KinrossRenfrewshireScottish BordersShetland IslandsSouth AyrshireSouth LanarkshireStirlingWest DunbartonshireWest LothianBlaenau GwentBridgendCaerphillyCardiffCarmarthenshireCeredigionConwyDenbighshireFlintshireGwyneddIsle of AngleseyMerthyr TydfilMonmouthshireNeath Port TalbotNewportPembrokeshirePowysRhondda Cynon TafSwanseaThe Vale of GlamorganTorfaenWrexham

Tap or click a county

Pick a county on the map to see its population, size, postcodes and largest town. Or choose one from the list below.

England (48)

Bedfordshire Berkshire Bristol Buckinghamshire Cambridgeshire Cheshire Cornwall County Durham Cumbria Derbyshire Devon Dorset East Riding of Yorkshire East Sussex Essex Gloucestershire Greater London Greater Manchester Hampshire Herefordshire Hertfordshire Isle of Wight Isles of Scilly Kent Lancashire Leicestershire Lincolnshire Merseyside Norfolk North Yorkshire Northamptonshire Northumberland Nottinghamshire Oxfordshire Rutland Shropshire Somerset South Yorkshire Staffordshire Suffolk Surrey Tyne and Wear Warwickshire West Midlands West Sussex West Yorkshire Wiltshire Worcestershire

Scotland (32)

Aberdeen City Aberdeenshire Angus Argyll and Bute City of Edinburgh Clackmannanshire Dumfries and Galloway Dundee City East Ayrshire East Dunbartonshire East Lothian East Renfrewshire Falkirk Fife Glasgow City Highland Inverclyde Midlothian Moray Na h-Eileanan an Iar North Ayrshire North Lanarkshire Orkney Islands Perth and Kinross Renfrewshire Scottish Borders Shetland Islands South Ayrshire South Lanarkshire Stirling West Dunbartonshire West Lothian

Wales (22)

Blaenau Gwent Bridgend Caerphilly Cardiff Carmarthenshire Ceredigion Conwy Denbighshire Flintshire Gwynedd Isle of Anglesey Merthyr Tydfil Monmouthshire Neath Port Talbot Newport Pembrokeshire Powys Rhondda Cynon Taf Swansea The Vale of Glamorgan Torfaen Wrexham

About the UK County Explorer

The map above covers the ceremonial counties of England alongside the council areas of Scotland and the principal areas of Wales, the geographies most people mean when they talk about counties today. There are 102 in total: 48 in England, 32 in Scotland and 22 in Wales. Click any one to see its population, land area, number of postcodes and largest town, then open its page to browse every town and postcode district within it. Northern Ireland is not shown on this map at present.

Ceremonial counties and administrative counties

County boundaries in the UK come in more than one form, which is why maps often disagree. Ceremonial counties, also called lieutenancy areas, are the counties used for the Lord Lieutenant and for most everyday and postal purposes. Administrative counties are the areas used to run local services, and these have been reorganised many times, with cities and large towns often split out as their own unitary authorities. For England this map follows the ceremonial counties, so Plymouth and Torbay sit within Devon and Bristol appears in its own right, matching how people usually picture the map.

The largest and smallest counties

By land area the largest is Highland in Scotland at around 25,900 square kilometres, larger than several small countries. In England the largest ceremonial county is North Yorkshire at about 8,550 square kilometres, followed by Lincolnshire and Cumbria. At the other end, the Isles of Scilly cover just 16 square kilometres, and Bristol is one of the most compact at around 109 square kilometres. By population, Greater London is by far the largest with more than eight million residents.

Frequently asked questions

How many counties are there in the UK?

It depends on the definition. This map shows 102 across Great Britain: 48 ceremonial counties in England, 32 council areas in Scotland and 22 principal areas in Wales. England on its own has 48 ceremonial counties.

What is the difference between a ceremonial and an administrative county?

A ceremonial county is the traditional area used for the Lord Lieutenant and for postal and everyday purposes. An administrative county is the area used to deliver local government services, which is redrawn far more often and frequently carves out cities as separate unitary authorities.

Which is the largest county?

Highland is the largest by area in Great Britain, at around 25,900 square kilometres. North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial county in England, while Greater London has by far the largest population.

How do I find which county a town or postcode is in?

Click a county on the map to open its page, or search for a town or postcode on PostcodesUK to see its county, postcode district and local data.