United States Administrative Divisions

The United States is divided into 1 federal district, 50 states, 6 territories, and 6 other units across 2 types, which form the top-level administrative units. These are further divided into 3,142 counties. Major federal districts include Alabama, Alaska, and Arizona.

The United States has 2 administrative levels. Level 1: 1 federal district, 50 states, 6 territories, and 6 other units across 2 types. Level 2: 3,142 counties.

The United States operates as a federal republic with 50 states. Most states are subdivided into counties or county equivalents. Note that U.S. Armed Forces – Americas, U.S. Armed Forces – Europe, U.S. Armed Forces – Pacific, and 1 others do not have sub-divisions at the next level.

In the United States, federal districts and states both sit at administrative level 1 but serve different functions. Federal district — there is 1 — is typically a larger city or urban area that governs itself independently. States — there are 50 — group multiple smaller municipalities under a shared administration.

Administrative boundaries in the United States change as governments reorganize regions, merge municipalities, or create new administrative units to reflect population shifts and political decisions. Changes most commonly affect the counties level, where the United States currently has 3,142 units. Businesses that rely on American administrative data should use a regularly updated reference dataset to avoid mismatches in geocoding, tax jurisdiction mapping, and compliance reporting.