List of county councils in England


There are currently 21 county councils in England, all of which serve areas known as non-metropolitan counties. The county councils serve as the upper-tier authorities in a two-tier arrangement; their areas are divided into a number of non-metropolitan districts, which each have a district council.
The first county councils were created in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888. There was a significant reform of the number, powers and jurisdictions of county councils in 1974. County councils were also established for the metropolitan counties created in 1974, but the metropolitan county councils were all abolished in 1986. From 1995 onwards numerous unitary authorities have been created.

Current

Local authorityEstablishedDistrict councilsAdministrationWebsiteHeadquarters
Cambridgeshire County Council19745Liberal DemocratsNew Shire Hall, Alconbury Weald
Derbyshire County Council18898ReformCounty Hall, Matlock
Devon County Council18898Coalition:
County Hall, Exeter
East Sussex County Council18895ConservativeCounty Hall, Lewes
Essex County Council188912ConservativeCounty Hall, Chelmsford
Gloucestershire County Council18896No Overall ControlShire Hall, Gloucester
Hampshire County Council188911ConservativeCastle Hill, Winchester
Hertfordshire County Council188910Liberal Democrats County Hall, Hertford
Kent County Council188912ReformCounty Hall, Maidstone
Lancashire County Council188912ReformCounty Hall, Preston
Leicestershire County Council18897No Overall ControlCounty Hall, Glenfield
Lincolnshire County Council19747ReformCounty Offices, Lincoln
Norfolk County Council18897ConservativeCounty Hall, Norwich
Nottinghamshire County Council18897ReformCounty Hall, West Bridgford
Oxfordshire County Council18895Liberal DemocratsCounty Hall, Oxford
Staffordshire County Council18898ReformCounty Buildings, Stafford
Suffolk County Council19745ConservativeEndeavour House, Ipswich
Surrey County Council188911ConservativeWoodhatch Place, Reigate
Warwickshire County Council18895No Overall ControlShire Hall, Warwick
West Sussex County Council18897ConservativeCounty Hall, Chichester
Worcestershire County Council19986No Overall ControlCounty Hall, Worcester
The unitary authority which calls itself Rutland County Council is legally a district council which also performs county functions rather than a county council, despite its corporate branding. The unitary authorities of Bristol City Council, Buckinghamshire Council, Dorset Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, and Herefordshire Council share their geographic name with a ceremonial county but are likewise legally district councils that also perform county functions.