Overview and History of County Government

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History of County Government in the United States
History of County Government in Washington
Growth Management Act
Reference Sources
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History of County Government in the United States

The historical origins of county government in the United States are commonly traced to the shire system in English history, although there are even earlier examples of forms of government similar to counties. Basically, the "shire" or other local unit of government served as an administrative arm or "branch office" of the more remote national government as well as a form of local government.

In early American colonial times, the basic unit of local government in the New England colonies was the town. Counties were established to carry out a variety of functions not performed by smaller towns. When our national government was formed, the Constitution did not provide for local governments, leaving the matter of local government to the states. As the United States grew westward, county government developed as the basic unit of local government with responsibility for delivery of public services in large regions containing widely dispersed rural populations. Early state constitutions generally treated county government as an arm of the state government.

The National Association of Counties (NACo) Web site contains general information about the history of county government in the United States, as well as nationwide county statistics.

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History of County Government in Washington

Counties existed during Washington's territorial days in the mid- to late- 1800's and were recognized in the state constitution adopted in 1889. In Washington, the county was and still is the unit of local government which serves and governs all of the people who do not live in incorporated cities or towns. There are some services and functions which the county provides inside incorporated cities as well.

Historically, the role of counties has been to serve as an administrative arm of the state - maintaining records, providing courts and law enforcement, building roads, assessing property and collecting taxes, and conducting elections. Counties still perform these functions, as well as others, through full-time elected officials including a board of county commissioners (or council members and an executive in charter counties), a sheriff, judges, assessor, treasurer, prosecutor, auditor, superior court clerk, and coroner or medical examiner. In noncharter counties, the commissioners function as both the legislative and executive body.

Today, there are 39 counties in Washington ranging in population from 2,400 to over 1.7 million. Of the 39 counties, 34 operate under the commission form of government provided by state law. Five of the counties have adopted "home rule" charters as provided for in the state constitution and legislation enacted in 1948. The five "home rule" charter counties are Clallam, King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Whatcom. Learn more about County Forms of Government.

An excellent history of counties and other local governments in Washington State can be found in "A History of Washington's Local Governments," Volume I of the Final Report of the Washington State Local Governance Study Commission, January 1988.

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Growth Management Act

The majority of the counties, 29 of 39, plan under the state Growth Management Act (GMA), chapter 36.70A RCW. The State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED) provides a map of counties planning under the GMA, summarizing GMA compliance. Although the GMA provides that counties are regional governments and cities are the primary providers of urban governmental services within urban growth areas, approximately 44% of the state population lives in the unincorporated areas where they likely receive government services from a county.

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Reference Sources

Selected MRSC Library Holdings - History of County Government in Washington [Note: Clicking on this link will take you to a list of documents available on loan through the MRSC library. Once the list appears, you can sort it alphabetically by selecting Sort and then Title from the drop-down menu]