# US Dopers: Do you know what county you live in? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 16, 2011, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963 "2011-08-16T22:21:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/81 "2011-08-17T16:30:17Z")
Boroughs in Alaska are “county equivalents,” not counties. Don’t take away the one distinction of San Bernardino County that is actually positive. God alone knows that so much of California has gone down the toilet. I’m retired from CalTrans, District 8, which consists of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties. I did so much research at both counties I practically had my own parking space. I can even bore you with anecdotes, such as the fact that the West half of Riverside County used to belong to San Bernardino County, the East half used to be part of San Diego County. That makes for fun when doing land research that predates the formation of Riverside County. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/82 "2011-08-17T16:59:03Z")
I’m a County employee. So Yes, I know my employers name. But I’ve always known what county I lived or worked in. Montgomery Co. in MD. Guilford, Watauga, Forsyth, and Rutherford Counties in NC and Lee Co. FL. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/83 "2011-08-17T17:11:30Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > I didn’t know New Jersey had tornadoes. [We do have alterts, and the occasional twister](http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/06/national_weather_service_issue_3.html) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/84 "2011-08-17T17:14:29Z")
Apparently none of us use public libraries. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/85 "2011-08-17T17:17:32Z")
Another resident of the 2nd most populous county. I also just found out, through Wikipedia, that there are Cook counties in Georgia and Minnesota, as well as New South Wales and New Zealand. Neat. I know the counties where my mother (DuPage) and sister (Kane) live, too. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/86 "2011-08-17T17:23:58Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I live in the largest county (by area) in the US. Oh yeah? Well just wait until I contact my County Extension Office. … and yes, I do know which one. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/87 "2011-08-17T17:31:05Z")
> [@the lone cashew](#): > > I have no idea where I live. Does anyone know how I might find out? I’m probably being whooshed, but according to Wikipedia, Traverse City [is not only in Grand Traverse County, it’s the county seat](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traverse_City,_Michigan). ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/88 "2011-08-17T18:07:39Z")
There are at least two cities in the area that straddle the county lines. There are neighborhoods where one side of the street is one county and the other side is the other. I could see someone there being unsure of which side of the line they’re on. But I would have assumed that most people knew which county they lived in. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/89 "2011-08-17T18:32:30Z")
It’s easy because I live in Washington, DC; not Potterville, DC (those guys suck). ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/90 "2011-08-17T18:52:20Z")
Woohoo! I’m the first and only “no” vote! Do I win something? In my case, I’ve lived in three apartments in the Boston area in as many years. Each has been in a different city and county. Off the top of my head the three counties are Norfolk, Essex, and Middlesex, but off the top of my head I can’t tell you which one I live in currently. I could guess if I had to, and hopefully a After looking it up: Actually I was wrong even on the three counties I listed. It’s actually Suffolk, Norfolk, and Middlesex. And next week I’m moving again… Every other time in my life I knew the county. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/91 "2011-08-17T18:56:16Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Norfolk County MA. That’s where I grew up! I grew up in the town where the County Courthouse is (hint: not Norfolk). Forgot to say I know where I live now: Wilson County TN. Counties are much more important here than they were back in Mass. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/92 "2011-08-18T00:12:48Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#): > > Well, I live in the City and County and \*State \*of New York. Don’t think it gets easier to remember than that. 😃 Yes, it was a very small joke. The official name is [The City and County of San Francisco](http://www.sfgov.org/) and we function as both a city and a county. We have a Mayor, but are governed legislatively by the Board of Supervisors. We also have both a Police Chief and a Sheriff (who has been serving for 31 years and 8 terms, possibly because no one realizes that we have a Sheriff). ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/93 "2011-08-18T00:49:33Z")
I didn’t know when I lived in Detroit, but I moved away when I was eight. Still, in a large city, I could see not knowing your county. We moved from Detroit to the afore-mentioned Ingham county, more rural, and where the county is more relevant. I’ve known the various counties I’ve lived in ever since. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/94 "2011-08-18T00:58:04Z")
> [@Invisible\_Chimp](#): > > Multnomah County, Oregon Same. ---
**Author:** ![StephenG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@StephenG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StephenG)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/95 "2011-08-18T01:09:48Z")
> [@missred](#): > > usually, you go to your county’s DMV for tags and sometimes emissions and/or safety inspection. If you run afoul of the law, you will initially wind up in the county jail and a hearing in front of a county judge … county hospital for anything that isn’t immediately life threatening. If you want agriculture or soil information, your county ag agent is the one to call. That is if s/he isn’t too busy this time of year organizing things at the county fair. 🙂 As mentioned above, counties in Massachusetts work slightly differently. They do vote for county officials (I can’t remember who that includes, besides the sheriff), and the courts/jails are at the county level. The Registry of Motor Vehicles works at the state level, with no correspondence to counties. I have no idea if my county has an ag agent, and I’m pretty sure there’s no fair. 🙂 Most services (e.g., garbage pickup, water) are at the town level, and property tax (and whatever the vehicle tax is called) is remitted to the town. I think the only county-level service might be the courts and sheriff, and we have town-based jails and police, too. All that being said, I still can’t fathom not knowing one’s county, as it’s an oft-used descriptor. -Former resident of Norfolk county, current resident of Halton region, ON (which does a lot more in the way of services) ---
**Author:** ![StephenG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@StephenG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StephenG)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/96 "2011-08-18T01:22:31Z")
[quote=“Skammer, post:91, topic:592963”] That’s where I grew up! I grew up in the town where the County Courthouse is (hint: not Norfolk). /QUOTE] Dedham, of course. I’ve driven by it several times. But wait, doesn’t Quincy have a courthouse, too? For those who live where the city and county share names and duties, I can see not knowing the county name. ---
**Author:** ![JoThrive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@JoThrive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoThrive)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/97 "2011-08-18T01:54:09Z")
Yes, I know what county I live in. It’s Natrona County, in Wyoming. ---
**Author:** ![DadWagonDriver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/edb3f5/32.png) [@DadWagonDriver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DadWagonDriver)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/98 "2011-08-18T03:03:07Z")
> [@AClockworkMelon](#): > > Maricopa County, Arizona. Me too! Formerly of Macomb and Kalamazoo counties in Michigan. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/99 "2011-08-18T03:06:00Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > [Hijack]Is he well liked there or controversial?[/Hijack] He’s liked by old people who are worried about Mexican drug cartels attacking the Sun City Shuffleboard league. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2011, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963/100 "2011-08-18T03:22:51Z")
I live in Mecosta County, Michigan. > [@dalej42](#): > > Thanks to the idiot sheriff, I think everyone in the United States knows of my county, Maricopa, in Arizona. Your Sheriff kicks ass.GO JOE! Wait…I live in Osceola County,Michigan. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-dopers-do-you-know-what-county-you-live-in/592963.md?page=6)