Counties of California

    Counties were first created by the legislatures of the various colonies and by the states as they were formed. The 1849 Constitution of the State of California directed the legislature to provide for a system of county and town government and for the election of county boards of supervisors. There were 27 counties named in 1850. 


    The State of California today is divided into 58 counties. These are political subdivisions of the state. San Joaquin County is a General Law County. This means the county operates under the general law of the State of California. Some counties are Charter Counties. A Charter is a set of laws prepared by the local people to reflect the needs of specific needs of the county.

List of California Counties