Which US State Has Only Three Counties? Quiz Challenge

Quiz challenge

Which state is divided into only three counties?

A Hawaii B Rhode Island C Vermont D Delaware

Select an answer to continue.

County subdivisions play a key role in American local governance, helping manage everything from law enforcement and road maintenance to public records and emergency services. Across the fifty states, county counts vary dramatically based on geography, history, and population growth. While massive states like Texas boast over two hundred county divisions, one of the original Thirteen Colonies manages all of its internal affairs with just three counties.

The correct answer

D) Delaware

The correct answer is D) Delaware.

Delaware holds the distinction of having the fewest counties of any state in the nation, divided into exactly three: New Castle, Kent, and Sussex. Arranged neatly from north to south, these three counties cover the entirety of the First State. New Castle County in the north is the most populous and contains Wilmington, the largest city in the state. Kent County sits in the center and houses the state capital of Dover. Sussex County in the south is the largest by land area and is well known for its Atlantic coastal beach communities.

Why each choice fits—or doesn’t

A) Hawaii

Why it is not the answer: Option A is incorrect. Hawaii is divided into five counties: Hawaii, Honolulu, Kalawao, Kauai, and Maui. While Hawaii shares second place for the fewest counties in the nation alongside Rhode Island, it has two more county divisions than Delaware. In Hawaii, county governments hold significant administrative responsibility because there are no municipal city governments underneath them.

B) Rhode Island

Why it is not the answer: Option B is incorrect. Rhode Island is divided into five geographic counties: Bristol, Kent, Newport, Providence, and Washington. Though Rhode Island is the smallest state in the country by total land area, it contains more counties than Delaware. Furthermore, Rhode Island legally abolished county-level government in 1846, leaving its five counties purely as geographic and judicial administrative boundaries.

C) Vermont

Why it is not the answer: Option C is incorrect. Vermont is divided into fourteen counties. Established during the late eighteenth century, Vermont counties include Addison, Bennington, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Grand Isle, Lamoille, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Washington, Windham, and Windsor. Each county operates with local judicial officers known as assistant judges.

D) Delaware

Correct choice: Option D is correct. Delaware has contained only three counties throughout its entire history as an independent state. These three counties originate from court districts established during colonial rule under British governance and proprietary administrator William Penn in the late seventeenth century.

More context

The unique three-county structure of Delaware stems directly from its colonial origins. Before the American Revolution, the region was officially known as the Three Lower Counties on the Delaware, operating as a semi-autonomous territory under the authority of the Province of Pennsylvania. William Penn formally annexed the three lower counties in 1683, establishing judicial courts at New Castle, St. Jones (later renamed Kent), and Whorekill (later renamed Sussex). In 1701, Penn granted the Three Lower Counties permission to form their own separate assembly, though they continued to share a colonial governor with Pennsylvania until 1776. When Delaware declared its independence from Great Britain in September 1776, it retained those exact three county borders without ever creating additional subdivisions. Historically, Delaware counties were further broken down into administrative units called hundreds, a traditional English legal system division dating back to Saxon times. While hundreds no longer serve any active government function in modern Delaware, their names remain visible on land title records and tax documents across the state today.

Quick facts

Texas holds the record for the most counties in any U.S. state, boasting 254 distinct county divisions.
Kalawao County in Hawaii is the smallest county in the United States by land area, covering just under twelve square miles.
Delaware earned its nickname as The First State because it was the first to ratify the United States Constitution on December 7, 1787.
Delaware is the second smallest state by geographic area in the country, spanning roughly 1,948 square miles.

Sources

Delaware – Census Bureau — U.S. Census Bureau Delaware is divided into three counties: New Castle, Kent, and Sussex.
Rhode Island – Census Bureau — U.S. Census Bureau Rhode Island is divided into five counties.
Vermont – Census Bureau — U.S. Census Bureau Vermont is divided into fourteen counties.