Washington County Map: All 39 Counties
The State of Washington is partitioned into 39 counties under Article XI of the 1889 Washington Constitution. Bisected by the glacier-capped Cascade Range, Washington presents a stark geographic and economic divide between the Puget Sound tech and aerospace maritime corridor in Western Washington and the irrigated agricultural basins and dryland wheat plateaus of Eastern Washington.
Washington at a Glance
Washington County Map
Counties of Washington with the state capital, Olympia, marked. Hover a shape for its name or click it to jump to its row in the list below.
Printable Blank Map of Washington with All Counties
Download the Washington outline as SVG or PNG, or print it to PDF, in several variants: blank boundary, with counties lines, color-filled and labeled. Free to use (CC0).
Washington County Rankings: Population & Land Area
Comparative demographic and territorial distribution across Washington's largest administrative subdivisions based on the 2020 US Census Decennial count.
Top 10 Most Populous Counties
| # | County | Seat | Population | % State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King County | Seattle | 2,269,697 | 29.5% |
| 2 | Pierce County | Tacoma | 921,147 | 12.0% |
| 3 | Snohomish County | Everett | 827,953 | 10.7% |
| 4 | Spokane County | Spokane | 539,340 | 7.0% |
| 5 | Clark County | Vancouver | 503,306 | 6.5% |
| 6 | Thurston County | Olympia | 294,792 | 3.8% |
| 7 | Kitsap County | Port Orchard | 275,612 | 3.6% |
| 8 | Yakima County | Yakima | 256,738 | 3.3% |
| 9 | Whatcom County | Bellingham | 226,852 | 2.9% |
| 10 | Benton County | Prosser | 206,868 | 2.7% |
Top 10 Largest Counties by Land Area
| # | County | Seat | Land Area | % State |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Okanogan County | Okanogan | 5,266.2 sq mi | 7.9% |
| 2 | Yakima County | Yakima | 4,294.5 sq mi | 6.5% |
| 3 | Chelan County | Wenatchee | 2,921.2 sq mi | 4.4% |
| 4 | Grant County | Ephrata | 2,679.6 sq mi | 4.0% |
| 5 | Stevens County | Colville | 2,477.1 sq mi | 3.7% |
| 6 | Lewis County | Chehalis | 2,402.8 sq mi | 3.6% |
| 7 | Lincoln County | Davenport | 2,310.6 sq mi | 3.5% |
| 8 | Kittitas County | Ellensburg | 2,297.3 sq mi | 3.5% |
| 9 | Ferry County | Republic | 2,203.2 sq mi | 3.3% |
| 10 | Whitman County | Colfax | 2,159.3 sq mi | 3.2% |
How Local Government Operates in Washington: Board of County Commissioners & Home Rule Charters
Most counties are governed by a 3-member Board of County Commissioners. Seven populous counties (King, Pierce, Snohomish, Whatcom, Clallam, San Juan, Clark) operate under home-rule charters with elected County Executives and County Councils.
Western Puget Sound vs. Eastern Columbia Basin Divide
Washington's 39 counties are separated by the Cascade Mountain rain shadow into two distinct worlds.
Western Washington is anchored by the Puget Sound metropolitan region (King, Pierce, Snohomish, Kitsap, Thurston). King County alone contains nearly 2.3 million residents—over 29% of the state's population—and serves as an international epicenter for technology (Microsoft, Amazon), aerospace (Boeing), and global philanthropy (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation).
East of the Cascades, the landscape transforms into semi-arid steppe and basalt plateaus carved by the Columbia River. Counties like Yakima, Grant, Franklin, and Benton rely on the federal Columbia Basin Project for irrigation, producing the nation's premier crops of apples, cherries, hops, and wine grapes.
Okanogan County in north-central Washington covers 5,268 square miles—larger than the state of Connecticut—spanning from the Pasayten Wilderness across the Methow Valley to the Canadian border.
Okanogan County encompasses 5,268 square miles of rugged mountain terrain, national forests, and the Colville Indian Reservation, with a population density of under 8 people per square mile.
The Growth Management Act & Home Rule Charter Governance
Washington county administration is defined by nation-leading land protection laws and home-rule flexibility.
In 1990, the Washington State Legislature enacted the landmark Growth Management Act (GMA, RCW Chapter 36.70A). The GMA requires fast-growing counties to coordinate with cities to establish strict Urban Growth Areas (UGAs), conserving timberlands and agricultural zones from unbridled suburban sprawl.
Under Article XI, Section 4 of the state constitution, counties may frame home-rule charters. King County adopted an executive-council charter in 1969, featuring an elected County Executive and a 9-member County Council.
King County operates regional public transit (Metro Transit), the regional wastewater treatment system, and the King County International Airport (Boeing Field), wielding administrative authority that rivals major municipal governments.
The GMA protects millions of acres of working forest lands and salmon habitats by prohibiting urban densities outside designated Urban Growth Areas across 28 participating counties.
Which county of Washington are you in?
Use your device location to see which county of Washington you are in right now.
List of All 39 Counties in Washington
Every county in Washington is listed below with its seat, 2020 Census population, land area and FIPS code. Search by name, seat or FIPS, sort any column, or export the full table as CSV.
County | Seat | 2020 Census Pop | Land Area (sq mi) | FIPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
King County | Seattle | 2,269,697 | 2,115 sq mi | 53033 |
Pierce County | Tacoma | 921,147 | 1,668 sq mi | 53053 |
Snohomish County | Everett | 827,953 | 2,087 sq mi | 53061 |
Spokane County | Spokane | 539,340 | 1,764 sq mi | 53063 |
Clark County | Vancouver | 503,306 | 629 sq mi | 53011 |
Thurston County | Olympia | 294,792 | 723 sq mi | 53067 |
Kitsap County | Port Orchard | 275,612 | 395 sq mi | 53035 |
Yakima County | Yakima | 256,738 | 4,295 sq mi | 53077 |
Whatcom County | Bellingham | 226,852 | 2,108 sq mi | 53073 |
Benton County | Prosser | 206,868 | 1,700 sq mi | 53005 |
Skagit County | Mount Vernon | 129,524 | 1,730 sq mi | 53057 |
Cowlitz County | Kelso | 110,728 | 1,141 sq mi | 53015 |
Grant County | Ephrata | 99,125 | 2,680 sq mi | 53025 |
Franklin County | Pasco | 96,748 | 1,242 sq mi | 53021 |
Island County | Coupeville | 86,851 | 209 sq mi | 53029 |
Lewis County | Chehalis | 82,143 | 2,403 sq mi | 53041 |
Chelan County | Wenatchee | 79,081 | 2,921 sq mi | 53007 |
Clallam County | Port Angeles | 77,166 | 1,739 sq mi | 53009 |
Grays Harbor County | Montesano | 75,634 | 1,902 sq mi | 53027 |
Mason County | Shelton | 65,723 | 960 sq mi | 53045 |
Walla Walla County | Walla Walla | 62,585 | 1,270 sq mi | 53071 |
Whitman County | Colfax | 47,970 | 2,159 sq mi | 53075 |
Stevens County | Colville | 46,450 | 2,477 sq mi | 53065 |
Kittitas County | Ellensburg | 44,310 | 2,297 sq mi | 53037 |
Douglas County | Waterville | 42,933 | 1,819 sq mi | 53017 |
Okanogan County | Okanogan | 42,090 | 5,266 sq mi | 53047 |
Jefferson County | Port Townsend | 32,971 | 1,804 sq mi | 53031 |
Pacific County | South Bend | 23,368 | 934 sq mi | 53049 |
Klickitat County | Goldendale | 22,730 | 1,872 sq mi | 53039 |
Asotin County | Asotin | 22,286 | 636 sq mi | 53003 |
Adams County | Ritzville | 20,609 | 1,925 sq mi | 53001 |
San Juan County | Friday Harbor | 17,786 | 174 sq mi | 53055 |
Pend Oreille County | Newport | 13,400 | 1,400 sq mi | 53051 |
Skamania County | Stevenson | 12,033 | 1,658 sq mi | 53059 |
Lincoln County | Davenport | 10,878 | 2,311 sq mi | 53043 |
Ferry County | Republic | 7,180 | 2,203 sq mi | 53019 |
Wahkiakum County | Cathlamet | 4,424 | 263 sq mi | 53069 |
Columbia County | Dayton | 3,952 | 869 sq mi | 53013 |
Garfield County | Pomeroy | 2,284 | 711 sq mi | 53023 |
Neighboring States Bordering Washington
County maps, lists and printable blank maps for the states that border Washington:
Data Sources & FIPS Codes
Washington uses state FIPS code 53; each county adds a three-digit code to form the five-digit FIPS (now INCITS 31) identifiers in the table. Populations are 2020 Census counts and land areas come from the Census Gazetteer. The map above is drawn from the Census Bureau's generalized 2017 cartographic boundary file (1:10,000,000), so it suits overview and printing, not parcel-level or legal boundary questions; for those, check the local assessor or GIS office.
Questions About Washington Counties
What is the largest county by land area in Washington State?
Okanogan County is the largest county by land area in Washington State, covering 5,268 square miles in north-central Washington along the Canadian border. Its county seat is Okanogan.
What is the most populous county in Washington State?
King County is the most populous county in Washington State, with over 2.26 million residents. Centered on Seattle, it is the economic engine of the Pacific Northwest and the 12th-most populous county in the nation.
How many islands are in San Juan County, Washington?
San Juan County is an archipelago county in the Salish Sea comprising 172 named islands and reefs. Its county seat is Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, accessible only by ferry or aircraft.
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