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103-641: Kent County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Delaware . As of the 2020 census , the population was 181,851, making it the least populous county in Delaware. The county seat is Dover , the state capital of Delaware. It is named for Kent , an English county. Kent County comprises the Dover metropolitan area, which is included in the Philadelphia - Reading - Camden , PA - NJ -DE- MD combined statistical area . In about 1670

206-1054: A city , town , or village . A few counties directly provide public transportation themselves, usually in the form of a simple bus system. However, in most counties, public transportation is provided by one of the following: a special district that is coterminous with the county (but exists separately from the county government), a multi-county regional transit authority, or a state agency. In western and southern states, more populated counties provide many facilities, such as airports, convention centers , museums, recreation centers , beaches, harbors, zoos, clinics, law libraries , and public housing . They provide services such as child and family services, elder services, mental health services, welfare services, veterans assistance services, animal control , probation supervision, historic preservation, food safety regulation, and environmental health services. They have many additional officials like public defenders , arts commissioners, human rights commissioners, and planning commissioners. There may be

309-446: A consolidated city-county or independent city exists, a city council usually governs city/county or city affairs. In some counties, day-to-day operations are overseen by an elected county executive or by a chief administrative officer or county administrator who reports to the board, the mayor, or both. In many states, the board in charge of a county holds powers that transcend all three traditional branches of government. It has

412-587: A hub-and-spoke system. These routes are numbered in the 100-series. DART First State operates a total of nine bus routes within Sussex County . Seven of these routes offer year-round fixed route bus service within Sussex County, serving Georgetown , Lewes , Rehoboth Beach , Millsboro , Bridgeville , Seaford , Laurel , Delmar , and Milford . These bus routes operate Monday through Friday with some Saturday service. These routes are numbered in

515-496: A 20-Ride Pass (DART Pass app only) for $ 26 per zone. DART First State has three fare zones which correspond with the three counties of Delaware. The fare for ADA Paratransit trips is $ 4 while the fare for non-ADA Demand Response Trips is $ 6. A County Connector fee of $ 4 is charged on paratransit trips that cross into another county. Paratransit fares must be paid in cash with exact change or with paratransit strip tickets. DART First State offers $ 2 paratransit strip tickets available as

618-420: A Guaranteed Ride Home and a rewards program . The program is supported by state and federal funds as part of Delaware's efforts to maintain air quality . Most DART First State bus routes have a base fare of $ 2 per zone. Routes 61 and 62 have a base fare of $ 1. Cash fares must be paid in exact change. DART First State bus fares may also be paid with DART Pass, a smartphone app. A reduced fare of $ 0.80 per zone

721-424: A county fire department and a county police department – as distinguished from fire and police departments operated by individual cities, special districts, or the state government. For example, Gwinnett County, Georgia , and its county seat, the city of Lawrenceville , each have their own police departments. (A separate county sheriff's department is responsible for security of the county courts and administration of

824-537: A discount off the regular fare, with the discount increasing the more expensive the card is. For example, the Gold DARTCard cost $ 9.60 and had a value of $ 12 for a 20% discount; while the Platinum DARTCard cost $ 65 and had a value of $ 108 for a 40% discount. The reduced fare DARTCard cost $ 14 and had a value of $ 46 for a 70% discount. DARTCards were not rechargeable and a new one must be purchased once

927-434: A family was $ 60,949. Males had a median income of $ 43,418 versus $ 35,603 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 24,194. About 9.3% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the poverty line , including 21.0% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2020 census , there were 181,851 people living in the county; according to the 2021 American Community Survey , its racial makeup

1030-480: A female householder with no husband present, and 28.80% were non-families. 23.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.06. In the county, the population was spread out, with 27.30% under the age of 18, 10.10% from 18 to 24, 29.80% from 25 to 44, 21.20% from 45 to 64, and 11.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age

1133-465: A few counties bear names of Native American , French, or Spanish origin. Counties are most often named for people, often political figures or early settlers, with over 2,100 of the 3,144 total so named. The most common county name, with 31, is Washington County , for America's first president, George Washington . Up until 1871, there was a Washington County within the District of Columbia , but it

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1236-400: A land area of 20,057 square miles (51,947 km ). The least extensive county is Kalawao County, Hawaii , with a land area of 11.991 square miles (31.058 km ). The least extensive county equivalent in the 50 states is the independent city of Falls Church, Virginia , with a land area of 1.999 square miles (5.177 km ). If U.S. territories are included,

1339-453: A large number of counties, and many Western states were sparsely populated when counties were created by their respective state legislatures. The five counties of Rhode Island and eight of the 14 counties of Massachusetts no longer have functional county governments, but continue to exist as legal and census entities. Connecticut abolished county governments in 1960, leaving its eight counties as mere legal and census entities. In 2022,

1442-888: A matter of U.S. state law , so the specific governmental powers of counties may vary widely between the states, with many providing some level of services to civil townships , municipalities , and unincorporated areas . Certain municipalities are in multiple counties ; New York City is uniquely partitioned into five counties, referred to at the city government level as boroughs . Some municipalities have been consolidated with their county government to form consolidated city-counties , or have been legally separated from counties altogether to form independent cities . Conversely, counties in Connecticut and Rhode Island , eight of Massachusetts's 14 counties , and Alaska's Unorganized Borough have no government power, existing only as geographic distinctions. The United States Census Bureau uses

1545-542: A per capita income of $ 30,804. An estimated 12.2% of the population lived at or below the poverty line. Kent County is home to an Amish community residing to the west of Dover, consisting of 9 church districts and about 1,650 people. The Amish first settled in Kent County in 1915 after migrations from Wisconsin, Montana, Alabama, and Ohio. The area is home to several Amish businesses selling items such as Amish food, furniture, quilts, and handmade crafts. Every September,

1648-415: A population over 100,000; 137 counties have a population over 500,000; 45 counties have a population over 1,000,000; and 14 counties have a population over 2,000,000. At the other extreme, 35 counties have a population under 1,000; 307 counties have a population under 5,000; 709 counties have a population under 10,000; and 1,492 counties have a population between 10,000 and 50,000. At the 2000 U.S. Census ,

1751-455: A result, farmers did not need as many slaves as did owners of tobacco plantations. Delaware had a high proportion of free blacks among its African-American population by the early 19th century. In the 1960s, Dover was a center of manufacturing of spacesuits worn by NASA astronauts in the Apollo moon flights by ILC Dover , now based in the small town of Frederica . The suits, dubbed the "A7L,"

1854-432: A strip of 6 tickets for $ 12. Until February 2021, DART First State offered a stored value card called DARTCard that could be used to pay for single-ride bus fares or a Daily Pass. DARTCards were available in six denominations (Gold, Blue, Yellow, Green, Purple, and Platinum) ranging from $ 9.60 to $ 65 for regular fares along with a $ 14 Red DARTCard for reduced fares for senior citizens and disabled persons. DARTCards provided

1957-428: Is Lake . Words from Native American languages, as well as the names of Native American leaders and tribes, lend their names to many counties. Quite a few counties bear names of French or Spanish origin, such as Marquette County being named after French missionary Father Jacques Marquette . The county's equivalent in the state of Louisiana, the parish (Fr. paroisse civile and Sp. parroquia ) took its name during

2060-572: Is 343 sq mi (890 km ), whereas in Utah it is 2,427 sq mi (6,290 km ). The most extensive county or county equivalent is the Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska , with a land area of 145,505 square miles (376,856 km ). All nine of the most extensive county equivalents are in Alaska. The most extensive county is San Bernardino County, California , with

2163-544: Is an unusual case because it encompasses multiple entire counties in one city. Each of those counties is coextensive with one of the five boroughs of the city: Manhattan (New York County), The Bronx (Bronx County), Queens (Queens County), Brooklyn (Kings County), and Staten Island (Richmond County). DART First State Although most of its bus routes run in and around Wilmington and Newark in New Castle County , DART operates bus route networks in

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2266-436: Is available for senior citizens, Medicare card holders, and disabled persons. Kids below 46" (limit two per adult) and the blind ride for free. A student fare of $ 1 per zone is available, with a student ID required for students age 17 and older. DART First State does not issue transfers. DART First State offers a Daily Pass for $ 4 per zone, a 7-Consecutive Day Pass for $ 16 per zone, a 30-Consecutive Day Pass for $ 60 per zone, and

2369-500: Is either done at the state level or at the municipal level. In Connecticut and parts of Massachusetts, regional councils have been established to partially fill the void left behind by the abolished county governments. The regional councils' authority is limited compared with a county government—they have authority only over infrastructure and land use planning, distribution of state and federal funds for infrastructure projects, emergency preparedness, and limited law enforcement duties. In

2472-509: Is elected at-large. The current members of the Kent County Levy Court are: The county row offices are held by: Politically, Kent County is a swing county in local, state, and federal elections. The county is often used in state politics to determine a party or candidate's strength in statewide elections and is often considered a bellwether county, having voting for the winner of the national presidential election in 17 out of

2575-399: Is greater than the populations of 41 U.S. states, and is only slightly smaller than the combined population of the 10 least populous states and Washington, D.C. It also makes the population of Los Angeles County 17.4 times greater than that of the least populous state, Wyoming. The second most populous county is Cook County, Illinois , with a population of 5,275,541. Cook County's population

2678-527: Is land and 212 square miles (550 km) (26.6%) is water. Kent County, like all of Delaware's counties, is subdivided into Hundreds . There are several explanations given for how the Hundreds were arrived at, either being an area containing 100 families, an area containing 100 people, or an area that could raise 100 militiamen. Kent County was originally apportioned into six Hundreds: Duck Creek, Little Creek, Dover, Murderkill, Milford and Mispillion. In 1867,

2781-455: Is larger than that of 28 individual U.S. states and the combined populations of the six smallest states. The least populous county is Loving County, Texas , with 64 residents in 2020. Eight county equivalents in the U.S. territories have no human population: Rose Atoll , Northern Islands Municipality , Baker Island , Howland Island , Jarvis Island , Johnston Atoll , Kingman Reef , and Navassa Island . The remaining three islands in

2884-782: Is no formal level of government (municipality, public education, or otherwise) existing below that of the county in the state. In most Midwestern and Northeastern states, counties are further subdivided into townships or towns , which sometimes exercise local powers or administration. Throughout the United States, counties may contain other independent, self-governing municipalities . In New England, counties function at most as judicial court districts and sheriff's departments (presently, in Connecticut only as judicial court districts—and in Rhode Island , they have lost both those functions and most others but they are still used by

2987-540: Is operated under contract by Transdev . DART Connect is a microtransit service operated by DART First State in the city of Newark in New Castle County and the Georgetown and Millsboro areas in Sussex County. The service operates similar to a rideshare and provides on-demand service using minibuses, as opposed to a traditional bus service that follows a published schedule. Rides can be booked using

3090-410: Is rarely a county responsibility, execution of capital punishment is never a county responsibility, and the state's responses to prisoners' appeals are the responsibility of the state attorney general , who has to defend before the state appellate courts the prosecutions conducted by locally elected district attorneys in the name of the state. Furthermore, county-level trial court judges are officers of

3193-562: Is simultaneously a city, which is a municipality (municipal corporation), and a county, which is an administrative division of a state, having the powers and responsibilities of both types of entities. The city limit or jurisdiction is synonymous with the county line, as the two administrative entities become a non-dichotomous single entity. For this reason, a consolidated city-county is officially remarked as name of city – name of county (i.e., Augusta–Richmond County in Georgia). The same

Kent County, Delaware - Misplaced Pages Continue

3296-506: Is true of the boroughs of New York City , each of which is coextensive with a county of New York State. For those entities in which the city uses the same name as the county, city and county of name may be used (i.e., City and County of Denver in Colorado). Similarly, some of Alaska 's boroughs have merged with their principal cities, creating unified city-boroughs. Some such consolidations and mergers have created cities that rank among

3399-652: The Alaska Constitutional Convention wanted to avoid the traditional county system and adopted their own unique model with different types of boroughs varying in powers and duties. In some states, these powers are partly or mostly devolved to the counties' smaller divisions usually called townships , though in New York, New England and Wisconsin they are called "towns". The county may or may not be able to override its townships on certain matters, depending on state law. The newest county in

3502-792: The American Public Transportation Association in 2003. DART First State traces its origins back to June 30, 1864, when the Wilmington City Railroad Company began trolley service powered by horses and mules along city streets in Wilmington . The Wilmington City Railroad Company introduced electric trolley service in 1888, the first such service in Delaware. Motor buses were first introduced in 1925. The electric trolleys were replaced with trackless electric trolleys in 1938. Bus service operated by Delaware Coach Company replaced

3605-531: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Paratransit trips that begin and end within 3 ⁄ 4 mile (1.2 km) of fixed-route bus service when such service operates are considered ADA Paratransit trips while all other trips are considered non-ADA Demand Response trips. DART First State, through DelDOT, funds the segment of the Wilmington/Newark Line of SEPTA Regional Rail within

3708-458: The City and County of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ; City and County of San Francisco, California ; and Lynchburg-Moore County, Tennessee A consolidated city-county may still contain independent municipalities maintaining some governmental powers that did not merge with the rest of the county. For example, the government of Jacksonville–Duval County, Florida , still provides county-level services to

3811-822: The Delaware Beaches and to Ocean City, Maryland daily from May to September. DART First State operates four intercounty bus routes which connect the three counties. These routes are numbered in the 300-series. All year-round intercounty routes terminate at the Dover Transit Center , running to Wilmington , Middletown , Georgetown , and the Lewes Transit Center . During the summer months, an additional route connecting Wilmington with Lewes via Christiana Mall, Odessa, and North Dover runs on weekends and holidays. DART First State directly operates all these routes except Route 303, which

3914-636: The Delaware Park horse racing track and casino. There are 37 park and ride lots located throughout the state of Delaware, primarily in New Castle County, that allow motorists to park and transfer to DART First State buses or meet a carpool . There are also 12 park and pool lots in the state where motorists can park and meet a carpool. Delaware Commute Solutions was formed by DART First State in 1997 in order to reduce traffic and encourage alternative transportation arrangements. It helps form carpools and vanpools and offers commuter programs, such as

4017-950: The Dover area and the Resort Transit bus service at the Delaware Beaches , which both began in 1990. In 1994, the Delaware Transit Corporation (DTC) was created by the Delaware General Assembly to manage and operate DART, the Delaware Administration for Specialized Transportation, the Delaware Railroad Administration, and the Commuter Services Administration. DTC operates DART First State bus service throughout

4120-438: The Dover area of Kent County ; seven year-round bus routes serving Georgetown and Sussex County ; and additional seasonal routes connecting Rehoboth Beach , other beach towns in Sussex County, and Ocean City, Maryland . In 2023, the system had a ridership of 8,034,800, or about 34,600 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024. DART was awarded the prestigious Public Transportation System Outstanding Achievement Award by

4223-569: The English began to settle in the valley of the St. Jones River , earlier known as Wolf Creek. On June 21, 1680, the Duke of York chartered St. Jones County, which was carved out of New Amstel/New Castle and Hoarkill/Sussex counties. St. Jones County was transferred to William Penn on August 24, 1682, and became part of Penn's newly chartered Delaware Colony. Penn ordered a court town to be laid out, and

Kent County, Delaware - Misplaced Pages Continue

4326-603: The Mid-Atlantic and Midwest , counties typically provide, at a minimum, courts, public utilities , libraries, hospitals, public health services, parks, roads, law enforcement, and jails. There is usually a county registrar, recorder, or clerk (the exact title varies) who collects vital statistics , holds elections (sometimes in coordination with a separate elections office or commission), and prepares or processes certificates of births, deaths, marriages, and dissolutions (divorce decrees). The county recorder normally maintains

4429-566: The New York City Borough of Manhattan), with 72,033 persons per square mile (27,812 persons/km ) in 2015. The Yukon–Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska , is both the most extensive and the least densely populated county or county equivalent with 0.0380 persons per square mile (0.0147 persons/km ) in 2015. In the 50 states (plus the District of Columbia), a total of 981 counties have a population over 50,000; 592 counties have

4532-576: The Province of Maine founded York County . Massachusetts followed in 1643. Pennsylvania and New York delegated significant power and responsibility from the colony government to county governments and thereby established a pattern for most of the United States, although counties remained relatively weak in New England . When independence came, the framers of the Constitution left

4635-437: The U.S. Minor Outlying Islands ( Midway Atoll , Palmyra Atoll and Wake Island ) have small non-permanent human populations. The county equivalent with the smallest non-zero population counted in the census is Swains Island, American Samoa (17 people), although since 2008 this population has not been permanent either. The most densely populated county or county equivalent is New York County, New York (coextensive with

4738-582: The USGS counts Guam's election districts (villages) as county equivalents. The U.S. Census Bureau counts the 3 main islands in the U.S. Virgin Islands as county equivalents, while the USGS counts the districts of the U.S. Virgin Islands (of which there are 2) as county equivalents. Common sources of county names are names of people, geographic features, places in other states or countries, and animals. Quite

4841-552: The United States , a county or county equivalent is an administrative or political subdivision of a U.S. state or other territories of the United States which consists of a geographic area with specific boundaries and usually some level of governmental authority. The term " county " is used in 48 states, while Louisiana and Alaska have functionally equivalent subdivisions called parishes and boroughs , respectively. Counties and other local governments exist as

4944-689: The United States Census Bureau and some other federal agencies for some federal functions), and most of the governmental authority below the state level is in the hands of towns and cities . In several of Maine's sparsely populated counties, small towns rely on the county for law enforcement, and in New Hampshire several social programs are administered at the state level. In Connecticut, Rhode Island, and parts of Massachusetts, counties are now only geographic designations, and they do not have any governmental powers. All government

5047-496: The census of 2000, there were 126,697 people, 47,224 households, and 33,623 families living in the county. The population density was 215 people per square mile (83 people/km). There were 50,481 housing units at an average density of 86 per square mile (33/km). The racial makeup of the county was 73.49% White , 20.66% Black or African American , 0.64% Native American , 1.69% Asian , 0.04% Pacific Islander , 1.27% from other races , and 2.22% from two or more races. 3.21% of

5150-471: The county seat ("parish seat" in Louisiana, "borough seat" in Alaska, or " shire town " in several New England counties). The county seat usually resides in a municipality. However, some counties may have multiple seats or no seat. In some counties with no incorporated municipalities, a large settlement may serve as the county seat. The power of county governments varies widely from state to state, as does

5253-478: The median land area of U.S. counties was 622 sq mi (1,610 km ), which is two-thirds of the median land area of a ceremonial county of England , and a little more than a quarter of the median land area of a French département . Counties in the western United States typically have a much larger land area than those in the eastern United States. For example, the median land area of counties in Georgia

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5356-403: The poverty line , including 14.80% of those under age 18 and 8.80% of those age 65 or over. As of the 2010 census , there were 162,310 people, 60,278 households, and 42,290 families living in the county. The population density was 276.9 inhabitants per square mile (106.9/km). There were 65,338 housing units at an average density of 111.5 per square mile (43.1/km). The racial makeup of the county

5459-491: The 200-series. Bus service in Sussex County is operated under contract by Transdev . During the summer months, DART operates expanded service on four of its year-round routes in addition to two summer-only routes, collectively branded as "Beach Bus" services. These buses hub at the Rehoboth Beach Park and Ride and Lewes Transit Center park and ride lots, offering connecting service to coastal communities along

5562-451: The 50 states and District of Columbia. There are an additional 100 county equivalents in the territories of the United States . The average number of counties per state is 62, with a range from the three counties of Delaware to the 254 counties of Texas . Southern and Midwestern states generally tend to have more counties than Western or Northeastern states, as many Northeastern states are not large enough in area to warrant

5665-461: The 50 states and the District of Columbia. If the 100 county equivalents in the U.S. territories are counted, then the total is 3,244 counties and county-equivalents in the United States. The idea of counties originated with the counties of England . English (after 1707, British ) colonists brought to their colonies in North America a political subdivision that they already used in

5768-522: The Amish Country Bike Tour, one of the largest cycling events in Delaware, takes place in the area. In recent years, increasing development has led to the decline in the number of Amish living in the community. School districts include: Tertiary institutions: Wesley College merged into DSU in 2021. 39°06′N 75°30′W  /  39.10°N 75.50°W  / 39.10; -75.50 County (United States) In

5871-997: The British metropole : the counties. Counties were among the earliest units of local government established in the Thirteen Colonies that would become the United States. Virginia created the first counties in order to ease the administrative workload in Jamestown . The House of Burgesses divided the colony first into four "incorporations" in 1617 and finally into eight shires (or counties) in 1634: James City , Henrico , Charles City , Charles River , Warrosquyoake , Accomac , Elizabeth City , and Warwick River . America's oldest intact county court records can be found at Eastville, Virginia , in Northampton (originally Accomac) County , dating to 1632. Maryland established its first county, St. Mary's in 1637. In 1639,

5974-767: The DART Connect app or over the phone. Fares are the same as traditional bus service. DART Connect service is offered Monday-Friday year-round. DART Connect service began in the Georgetown and Millsboro areas on April 12, 2021, replacing Flex Routes 901F and 902F. In August 2023, DART Connect service began in Newark, replacing the UNICITY bus service that ended service on September 29, 2023. DART First State offers paratransit service for people with disabilities who are unable to use fixed-route bus service in accordance with

6077-875: The Delaware Authority for Regional Transit (DART) in 1969 to take over bus service in the Wilmington area from the Delaware Coach Company. DART bus service originally operated under the Greater Wilmington Transportation Authority, but in 1971 the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) became the governing agency of DART. The Delaware Transit Authority oversaw the Central Delaware Transit (CDT) bus service in

6180-458: The Delaware legislature split Murderkill Hundred into North Murderkill Hundred and South Murderkill Hundred. In 1869, the legislature formed Kenton Hundred from parts of Little Creek and Duck Creek Hundred. Today the county contains eight Hundreds. Kent County has a humid subtropical climate ( Cfa ) according to the Köppen climate classification . The Trewartha climate classification considers

6283-622: The Dover area. In 2017, the agency received a $ 1 million grant from the FTA for ten battery electric buses, eight of which would be used in New Castle County while the other two would be used in Sussex County. The FTA gave DART First State a $ 2.6 million grant to purchase more electric buses in 2019. DART First State's fleet of battery electric buses are manufactured by Proterra and Gillig . DART First State operates thirty fixed route bus routes throughout New Castle County , serving Wilmington , Newark , New Castle , and Middletown . The majority of

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6386-405: The Dover area. In addition, DART First State operates inter-county service to Wilmington , Newark , Georgetown , and Lewes , along with seasonal service to Lewes and Rehoboth Beach . Kent County contains the following public-use and military airports: Kent County is governed by the Kent County Levy Court, which consists of seven members, six of whom are elected by district and the seventh who

6489-655: The U.S. Census Bureau began to also count Connecticut's Councils of Governments , which took over some of the regional powers from the state's former county governments, as county equivalents. Territories of the United States do not have counties; instead, the United States Census Bureau also divides them into county equivalents. The U.S. Census Bureau counts American Samoa 's districts and atolls as county equivalents. American Samoa locally has places called "counties", but these entities are considered to be " minor civil divisions " (not true counties) by

6592-473: The U.S. Census Bureau recognized the state's nine Councils of Governments as replacement for the state's eight legacy counties for all statistical purposes; full implementation was completed in 2024. The average U.S. county population was 104,435 in 2019, while the median county, which is Nicholas County, West Virginia , had a population of 25,965 in 2019. The most populous county is Los Angeles County, California , with 10,014,009 residents in 2020. This number

6695-479: The U.S. Census Bureau treats American Samoa's three districts and two atolls as county equivalents). American Samoa's counties are treated as minor civil divisions. Most territories are directly divided into municipalities or similar units, which are treated as equivalent of counties for statistical purposes: The U.S. Census Bureau counts all of Guam as one county equivalent (with the FIPS code 66010), while

6798-690: The U.S. Census Bureau. The number of counties per state ranges from the three counties of Delaware to the 254 counties of Texas . County populations also vary widely: in 2017, according to the Census Bureau, more than half the U.S. population was concentrated in just 143 of the more than 3,000 counties, or just 4.6% of all counties; the five most populous counties, ordered from most to least, are Los Angeles County, California ; Cook County, Illinois ; Harris County, Texas ; Maricopa County, Arizona ; and San Diego County, California . As of 2022 , there are 3,144 counties and county-equivalents in

6901-648: The US 13 corridor through Farmington, Harrington, Felton, Wyoming, Dover, Cheswold, and Clayton and the Indian River Subdivision branches from the Delmarva Subdivision at Harrington and runs east to Houston and Milford along the DE 14 corridor. There is no passenger rail service in the county. DART First State operates bus service within Kent County. There are several local bus routes that serve

7004-489: The United States is the city and county of Broomfield, Colorado , established in 2001 as a consolidated city-county , previously part of four counties. The newest county equivalents are the Alaskan census areas of Chugach and Copper River , both established in 2019, and the Alaskan boroughs of Petersburg established in 2013, Wrangell established in 2008, and Skagway established in 2007. A consolidated city-county

7107-406: The age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were married couples living together, 14.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.8% were non-families, and 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.09. The median age was 36.6 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 53,183 and the median income for

7210-402: The board. These positions may include county clerk , county treasurer , county surrogate, sheriff , and others. District attorneys or state attorneys are usually state-level as opposed to county-level officials, but in many states, counties and state judicial districts have coterminous boundaries. The site of a county's administration, and often the county courthouse , is generally called

7313-410: The city and the county at least nominally exist, they are properly classified as counties in their own right. Likewise, the boroughs of New York City are coextensive with counties and are therefore by definition also not county equivalents. There are technically no counties in U.S. territories. American Samoa has its own counties , but the U.S. Census Bureau does not treat them as counties (instead,

7416-523: The climate oceanic ( Do ) because only seven months average above 50 °F (above 10 °C.) All months average above freezing and Dover has three months averaging above 22 °C (72 °F). The hardiness zone is 7b. [1] The following state highways are located in Kent County: The Delmarva Central Railroad operates two freight lines through Kent County. The Delmarva Subdivision runs north–south along

7519-421: The county (which merely implements state law). A typical criminal defendant will be arraigned and subsequently indicted or held over for trial before a trial court in and for a particular county where the crime occurred, kept in the county jail (if he is not granted bail or cannot make bail), prosecuted by the county's district attorney, and tried before a jury selected from that county. But long-term incarceration

7622-463: The county jail.) In several southern states, public school systems are organized and administered at the county level. As of 2024 , there were 2,999 counties, 64 Louisiana parishes , 19 organized boroughs and 11 census areas in Alaska, 9 Councils of Government in Connecticut, 41 independent cities , and the District of Columbia for a total of 3,144 counties and county equivalents in

7725-611: The courthouse was built in 1697. The town of Dover, named after the town of Dover in England's Kent, was finally laid out in 1717, in what was then known as the Lower Counties. It was designated as the capital of Delaware in 1777. In 1787 Delaware was first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution , and became "the First State." Through much of the late 18th century, the economy of Kent County was based on small grain farms. As

7828-484: The exceptions of routes 61 and 62, operated by Transdev . DART First State operates ten fixed route bus routes within the Dover area in Kent County serving points within Dover along with other communities in Kent County including Camden , Wyoming , Felton , Harrington , and Smyrna . These bus routes operate Monday through Friday with some Saturday service out of the Dover Transit Center in downtown Dover as

7931-399: The four independent municipalities within its borders: Atlantic Beach , Baldwin , Jacksonville Beach , and Neptune Beach . The term county equivalents is used by the United States Census Bureau to describe divisions that are comparable to counties but called by different names: Consolidated city-counties are not designated county equivalents for administrative purposes; since both

8034-461: The general law of the state or by a charter specific to that county. States may allow only general-law counties, only charter counties, or both. Generally, general-law local governments have less autonomy than chartered local governments. Counties are usually governed by an elected body, variously called the county commission , board of supervisors , commissioners' court , county council , county court , or county legislature . In cases in which

8137-626: The geographically largest cities in the world, though often with population densities far below those of most urban areas. There are 40 consolidated city-counties in the U.S., including Augusta–Richmond County; the City and County of Denver, Colorado; the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii ; Indianapolis–Marion County, Indiana ; Jacksonville–Duval County, Florida ; Louisville–Jefferson County, Kentucky ; Lexington–Fayette County, Kentucky ; Kansas City–Wyandotte County, Kansas ; Nashville–Davidson County, Tennessee ; New Orleans–Orleans Parish, Louisiana ;

8240-405: The judicial branch of the state government rather than county governments. In many states, the county controls all unincorporated lands within its boundaries. In states with a township tier, unincorporated land is controlled by the townships. Residents of unincorporated land who are dissatisfied with county-level or township-level resource allocation decisions can attempt to vote to incorporate as

8343-521: The last 19 presidential elections. In the 2016 general elections, Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump won Kent County with 49.81% of the vote compared to Democratic Nominee Hillary Clinton 's 44.91% out of 74,260 votes cast. In the 2016 Delaware Gubernatorial Election, Democratic nominee John Carney won 49.68% of the vote compared to Republican Colin Bonini 's 48.05%. In the 2020 presidential election, Delaware native Joe Biden took 51.19% of

8446-560: The least extensive county equivalent is Kingman Reef , with a land area of 0.01 square miles (0.03 km ). In some states, a municipality may be in only one county and may not annex territory in adjacent counties, but in the majority of states, the state constitution or state law allows municipalities to extend across county boundaries. At least 32 states include municipalities in multiple counties . Dallas , for example, contains portions of five counties, while numerous other cities comprise portions of four counties. New York City

8549-416: The legislative power to enact laws for the county; it has the executive power to oversee the executive operations of county government; and it has quasi-judicial power with regard to certain limited matters (such as hearing appeals from the planning commission if one exists). In many states, several important officials are elected separately from the board of commissioners or supervisors and cannot be fired by

8652-686: The matter to the states. Subsequently, state constitutions conceptualized county governments as arms of the state. Louisiana instead adopted the local divisions called parishes that dated back to both the Spanish colonial and French colonial periods when the land was dominated by the Catholic Church . In the twentieth century, the role of local governments strengthened and counties began providing more services, acquiring home rule and county commissions to pass local ordinances pertaining to their unincorporated areas . In 1955, delegates to

8755-521: The next most common source of county names are geographic features and locations, with some counties even being named after counties in other states, or for places in other countries, such as the United Kingdom (the latter is most common in the area of the original Thirteen Colonies in the case of the United Kingdom, or in places which had a large number of immigrants from a particular area for other countries). The most common geographic county name

8858-424: The official record of all real estate transactions. Other key county officials include the coroner / medical examiner , treasurer , assessor , auditor , comptroller , and district attorney . In most states, the county sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer in the county. However, except in major emergencies where clear chains of command are essential, the county sheriff normally does not directly control

8961-448: The police departments of city governments, but merely cooperates with them (e.g., under mutual aid pacts). Thus, the most common interaction between county and city law enforcement personnel is when city police officers deliver suspects to sheriff's deputies for detention or incarceration in the county jail. In most states, the state courts and local law enforcement are organized and implemented along county boundaries, but nearly all of

9064-399: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 13.3% were of German , 11.3% United States or American, 10.9% Irish , 10.0% English and 5.4% Italian ancestry. 92.5% spoke English and 3.3% Spanish as their first language. There were 47,224 households, out of which 35.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.90% were married couples living together, 13.80% had

9167-582: The relationship between counties and incorporated cities. The powers of counties arise from state law and vary widely. In Connecticut and Rhode Island , counties are geographic entities, but not governmental jurisdictions. At the other extreme, Maryland counties and the county equivalent City of Baltimore handle almost all services, including public education , although the state retains an active oversight authority with many of these services. Counties in Hawaii also handle almost all services since there

9270-691: The routes hub in downtown Wilmington, with many of those routes serving the Wilmington Transit Center adjacent to the Wilmington train station . Other major bus hubs in New Castle County include Newark Transit Hub in Newark and the Christiana Mall Park & Ride at the Christiana Mall . Most routes operate Monday through Saturday with some Sunday service. These routes have 1- and 2-digit numbers. All of these routes are directly operated by DART First State, with

9373-524: The state along with contracting with SEPTA Regional Rail to provide commuter rail service along the Wilmington/Newark Line in New Castle County. DART First State was named "Most Outstanding Public Transportation System" in 2003 by the American Public Transportation Association . In 2016, DART First State received a $ 2 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for six battery electric buses to be used in

9476-581: The state of Delaware. SEPTA operates the service under contract with DART First State. Signage at the Delaware stations differs from that at other SEPTA Regional Rail stations, as the stations are owned by DART First State and not SEPTA. These trains originate in Philadelphia and operate to Wilmington station in Wilmington , with an intermediate stop at Claymont station . Some weekday rush-hour trains continue on to Newark station in Newark , with an intermediate stop at Churchmans Crossing station , located near

9579-556: The state's French and Spanish colonial periods. Before the Louisiana Purchase and granting of statehood, government was often administered in towns where major church parishes were located. Of the original 19 civil parishes of Louisiana that date from statehood in 1807, nine were named after the Roman Catholic parishes from which they were governed. The structure and powers of a county government may be defined by

9682-421: The substantive and procedural law adjudicated in state trial courts originates from the state legislature and state appellate courts. In other words, most criminal defendants are prosecuted for violations of state law, not local ordinances, and if they, the district attorney, or police seek reforms to the criminal justice system, they will usually have to direct their efforts towards the state legislature rather than

9785-399: The term "county equivalent" to describe places that are comparable to counties, but called by different names. Louisiana parishes, the organized boroughs of Alaska, independent cities, and the District of Columbia are equivalent to counties for administrative purposes. Alaska's Unorganized Borough is further divided into 11 census areas that are statistically equivalent to counties. In 2024,

9888-471: The trackless electric trolleys in 1958 and would operate for over a decade. Delaware was also served by several private bus operators. Among these was Short Line, which provided seasonal service to Rehoboth Beach along with service to Oxford , Kennett Square , and West Chester in Pennsylvania . These private bus services were discontinued in the early 1960s. The Delaware General Assembly created

9991-416: The value is used up. DARTCards were available from DART First State by purchasing over the phone, by mail, or online; they were also available at select retailers across the state. SEPTA Trail Passes on a SEPTA Key card were formerly allowed to be used on buses in northern New Castle County. On January 1, 2021, SEPTA Key cards were no longer accepted on DART First State buses, as the fareboxes cannot read

10094-742: The vote compared to Trump's 47.12%, out of 87,025 votes cast. Trump lost the county in 2024, making him the first Republican in 100 years to win the presidency without the county. In the Delaware General Assembly , 8 of the 41 seats in the Delaware State House of Representatives. As of March 2020, Democrats held 4 seats and Republicans held 4 seats. In the Delaware State Senate, 5 senate districts represent parts of Kent County. As of March 2020 there were 3 Republican seats and 2 Democratic seats. As of

10197-414: Was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.60 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 40,950, and the median income for a family was $ 46,504. Males had a median income of $ 32,660 versus $ 24,706 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 18,662. About 8.10% of families and 10.70% of the population were below

10300-410: Was 58.8% non-Hispanic white, 28.4% Black or African American, 0.8% Native American, 2.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 4.1% multiracial, and 7.8% Hispanic or Latino of any race. In 2021, there were 66,720 households and an average of 2.63 people per household. Among its population, 88.2% were living in the same residency one year ago. The median household income for the county was $ 63,715; the county had

10403-414: Was 67.8% white, 24.0% black or African American, 2.0% Asian, 0.6% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 2.0% from other races, and 3.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 5.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 17.5% were German , 15.4% were Irish , 11.5% were English , 7.2% were Italian , and 5.9% were American . Of the 60,278 households, 35.6% had children under

10506-440: Was dissolved by the District of Columbia Organic Act . Jefferson County , for Thomas Jefferson , is next with 26. The most recent president to have a county named for him was Warren G. Harding , reflecting the slowing rate of county creation since New Mexico and Arizona became states in 1912. The most common names for counties not named after a president are Franklin (25), Clay (18), and Montgomery (18). After people,

10609-489: Was first flown on the Apollo 7 mission in October 1967, and was the suit worn by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Apollo 11 mission. The company still manufactures spacesuits to this day—the present-day Space Shuttle "soft" suit components (the arms and legs of the suit). According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 798 square miles (2,070 km), of which 586 square miles (1,520 km)

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