Nine counties in California are named for saints, tied with Louisiana for the largest number. They are Alameda, Butte, El Dorado, Fresno, Los Angeles, Orange, Placer, Sacramento, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Tehama. Of the 58 counties in California, 14 are governed under a charter. A charter county is granted limited home rule powers. Still, they may be chartered as provided in Article XI, Section 3 of the California Constitution. Ĭalifornia counties are general law counties by default.

As such, the State Legislature may delegate any of the functions of the State to the counties but likewise can reassume any delegated duties. The counties of California are local arms of the State of California, described by the Supreme Court of California as agents ('the county is merely a political subdivision of state government, exercising only the powers of the state, granted by the state…'') and the property they hold is held on behalf of all the people of the state. California is home to San Bernardino County, the largest county in the contiguous United States, as well as Los Angeles County, the most populous county in the United States. The most recent county to form was Imperial County, in 1907. Another fourteen counties were formed through further subdivision from 1861 to 1893. These were further sub-divided to form sixteen additional counties by 1860.

The state was first divided into 27 counties on February 18, 1850. state of California is divided into 58 counties.

California counties map