The list of county secession proposals in the United States includes proposed new
counties to be formed from existing counties within a given state that have not yet been formed. For counties that want to secede from their current state and to join or create another, see
List of U.S. state partition proposals.
Perdido County,
Alabama would contain northern
Baldwin County, divided by
a straight line extending westward from the northwestern tip of
Florida, and western
Escambia County, west of Big Escambia Creek. (The
Flomaton area is excluded via a prominent power line easement, from Big Escambia Creek to the Florida state line.) The southwestern tip of
Conecuh County, also west of Big Escambia Creek, may be included as well. The headwaters of the
Perdido River rise near the center of this proposed county. The Perdido County seat would be
Atmore. The county has been proposed by city of Atmore backers, who believe that their growing city of over 10,000 residents should be a county seat. Furthermore, county backers believe that Atmore belongs in the
Mobile-Daphne-Fairhope metropolitan combined statistical area, which would become much more likely within its own exurban-leaning county.
Brewton would remain the county seat of rural-leaning Escambia County. In addition to the incorporated city of Atmore, Perdido County would include the unincorporated communities of Blacksher,
Canoe,
Freemanville,
Huxford,
Nokomis,
Perdido and
Tensaw.
Alaska
Chugiak and
Eagle River are communities along the
Glenn Highway between
Anchorage and the
Matanuska-Susitna Valley. Originally farming and homesteading communities with a distinct identity, they became better known starting in the 1970s as
bedroom communities of Anchorage, and are currently located within its city limits (see below). In the wake of the
incorporation of the Greater Anchorage Area
Borough (in 1964) and subsequent efforts to merge the GAAB with Anchorage's city government (which began in 1966), Chugiak and Eagle River residents began their own efforts to attempt to secede from the GAAB. The culmination of these efforts, the Chugiak-Eagle River Borough, incorporated on August 27, 1974, with an area of 820 square miles (2,100 km2) and an estimated population of 5,832, before the incorporation was invalidated by the
Alaska Supreme Court on April 14, 1975.[1] Five months later, the reconstituted GAAB and existing cities within its boundaries
merged to form the Municipality of Anchorage. The population of Eagle River increased greatly during the 1980s and 1990s. This has led to renewed discussion during the 21st century on the part of Chugiak and Eagle River residents to secede from Anchorage.
Arizona
Russell Pearce, a state legislator, has proposed a bill which would ease county splits, as part of his effort to split off the
East Valley portion of
Maricopa County. Two such attempts were made: the first one in the early 1990s included the cities and towns of
Mesa (county seat),
Chandler,
Gilbert,
Queen Creek,
Tempe, and
Guadalupe, while a second attempt in the early 2000s included the same cities and towns except for Tempe and Guadalupe. County splitting rules were made more restrictive after the formation of
La Paz County in 1983, which required a significant state investment to keep the county running as the result of its small tax base.[2]
In the late 1930s, differences between mining and ranching interests in
Cochise County spurred a proposal to split the county, with the new county's seat at
Willcox, which the state Legislature ultimately rejected.
In the 1980s, a bill was passed in the state legislature to create an all Indian county out of the northern halves of
Navajo and
Apache Counties, and the northeastern half of
Coconino County. Non-Indian communities in the southern region of these counties felt that the Navajo and Hopi Nations do not pay a fair share in local taxes. The bill was vetoed by then governor
Bruce Babbitt, who placed a five-year moratorium on its consideration. Subsequent attempts to revive the bill failed and the issue has not resurfaced in recent years.[5]
Sitgreaves County, to be formed from the southern portions of
Navajo and
Apache Counties.[6]
Butte County: In 1897, James C. Goodwin, with the support of
Charles T. Hayden and others, introduced a bill at the Territorial Legislature to split Maricopa County into two, with
Tempe being the county seat.[7][8] There have also been proposals, introduced in 1900 and 1913, to divide Maricopa County, with
Mesa as the new county's seat.[8]
Mogollon County, Hohokam County, and O'odham County, to be formed from parts of
Maricopa County. Proposals were introduced in 2023 by Republicans
Alexander Kolodin and
Jake Hoffman. Proposals to split Maricopa County had previously existed, but gained more support and attention following the
2020 presidential election.[9]
Prior to the formation of
Orange County, residents of
Anaheim in 1870 pushed a bill in the state assembly for the creation of an Anaheim County. The proposal had the support of
San Francisco.[10]
An attempt in the late 19th century (1870-80?) to create San Antonio County in present-day Los Angeles and
San Bernardino counties.
In 1974, a referendum was held in
El Dorado County for the secession of South Lake Tahoe County around the
South Lake Tahoe. The referendum failed 46–54. Consequent proposals for a Tahoe County or High Sierra County in El Dorado,
Placer County,
Nevada County, and
Sierra County have occasionally resurfaced when issues in the
Central Valley basin conflict with issues in the more mountainous Lake Tahoe region.[11]
Mission County, to be formed from the northern portion of
Santa Barbara County.[12] A formal proposal was resoundingly rejected by voters in 2006.[13] An earlier attempt in 1978 would have produced Los Padres County.
In 1988, there was a serious effort, including a vote on the subject, to divide
San Bernardino County into its urban southwestern corner, which would have retained the name, and a new Mojave County to comprise the vast, sparsely populated northern and eastern portions.[14]
Platte County, authorized to be formed from
Weld County in 1872 but never organized and then repealed in 1874.
Delaware
After 2000, a fourth Appoquinimink County was proposed to be carved out of
New Castle County. The effort intended to end the zoning restrictions of the Unified Development Code on the undeveloped farmland.[20] The proposed boundaries extended beyond the
Appoquinimink Hundred to include all land south of the
C&D Canal, with
Middletown as the proposed seat.
Florida
Two attempts to form a separate county combining parts of
Levy and
Marion Counties took place. The first one was Bloxham County, and the second was Call County.
In 1960,
Miami Beach and other municipalities along the Atlantic coast, unhappy with the government structure introduced by the 1957 adoption of a charter in
Dade County, unsuccessfully sought to break away as a separate county.[21] In 1999, a bill was introduced in the Florida Legislature that would have allowed the City of
Hialeah to vote on seceding from Miami-Dade County to form a new county.[22]
Due to major differences between the south end of the county (the tourist heavy side including the first and third largest communities in the county,
Navarre and
Gulf Breeze) and the north end (the more agriculture-based side, but where the political power is concentrated), some individuals have suggested that the south end of
Santa Rosa County should break off as its own. However, while this has been suggested by some, no major or organized effort has been made to enact such actions. Names like Fairpoint County (after the
peninsula the county would be focused upon) and Reagan County (for President
Reagan) have been proposed, but no name has been really pushed as part of these suggestions.[24]
Milton County or New Milton County has been proposed since the early 2000s and calls for separating the northern portion from Atlanta dominated
Fulton County. Residents of north Fulton County have sought to essentially re-create the original Milton County formed in 1857 . The proposed plan included some of Georgia's largest cities such as Roswell (7th), Sandy Springs (8th), Johns Creek (12th), Alpharetta (13th), Milton (54th), as well as Mountain Park.[26]
A February 2009 study completed in collaboration between the University of Georgia's Carl Vinson Institute of Government and Georgia State University's Andrew Young School of Policy Studies gave a positive analysis of the financial viability of the proposed Milton County.[27]
Hawaii
In 2006, residents of unincorporated west
Hawaii County, which currently encompasses all of
Hawaii Island, met to propose the formation of Cook County. The recent movement reportedly has the support of at least one state senator.
Idaho
Selway County, proposed to be formed from parts of
Idaho County and
Lewis County. It was rejected in a 1917 referendum.
Illinois
Lincoln County: Southern
Cook County communities, upset at
Chicago-centric policies of the county government, petitioned in 2004 to split off the southern portion of the county. The southern communities argue they are in financial ruin due to Cook County policies limiting their ability to attract business, but in reverse, those against the proposal note the split was proposed mainly for the leaders of those communities to evade responsibility to Cook County for persistent
political corruption,
cronyism, and
nepotism.[28][29]
Marquette County: proposed county to be formed from
Hancock County, which made progress in the state legislature in 1844.[30]
Indiana
In 1979 a group called Citizens for Secession attempted to prompt leaders to move
Cass County, Michigan to Indiana and change the name to Michiana County.[31]
Kansas
Garfield County: in 1887, the area around
Ravanna and
Eminence split from
Buffalo County (now split among
Lane,
Finney, and
Gray counties) and organized into Garfield County. Both towns were of equal influence, and contested the award of county seat. An election that year, which involved 20
Dodge City deputies including
Bat Masterson, found Ravanna to have the lead. However, Eminence discovered that illegal votes had been cast for Ravanna, and in 1889 the state supreme court overturned 60 votes, awarding Garfield County seat to Eminence. In a doomsday move, Ravanna countered by hiring surveyors to determine that the new county's land area was under the minimum allowed at the time. In 1893 the Kansas state legislature invalidated the county and annexed it to
Finney. Today, both Ravanna and Eminence are
ghost towns.[32][33][34][35]
Troy Parish, proposed in 1890, to be carven from
Catahoula Parish.
Massachusetts
Throughout the history of
Worcester County, the largest by area in the state stretching north–south and border-to-border between
New Hampshire and
Connecticut and
Rhode Island, residents of the northern part of the county have pushed for a split. This never occurred, and is now a moot point, as in Massachusetts and
Connecticut, county governments in those states have been dissolved, with responsibilities assumed by the state and municipalities within those counties, which now exist solely for historical and regional demarcation purposes.
There appears to have been a proposal to split
Pine County in 2000 in an attempt to reintroduce
Buchanan County, which prompted a change in county formation laws.
[4][5][37]
Nevada
Residents of
Nye County, mainly in
Pahrump and
Tonopah, have pushed as recently as 2001 for a north–south county split, perhaps with the northern portion merging with
Esmeralda County. While laws making it easier to form new counties have passed since then, this split has not occurred.[38] Nye is the largest county in Nevada and the third largest in the entire U.S., although over 90% is federal land.
New Jersey
The municipalities of western
Essex County have discussed secession from the county, to create a new West Essex County, spurred mainly by a belief that tax laws benefit the eastern portions of the county at the expense of the western municipalities. Currently, this idea is essentially a dead movement.
Rio Grande County, proposed in 1927 to be created from parts of
Catron County and all of
Socorro County. It failed when the proposal was deemed unconstitutional.
South Valley County, proposed in 1995 to be created from
Bernalillo County. It then failed in referendum.
New York
Adirondack County, to be formed from northern
Essex and southern
Franklin counties.
In 1818, residents of the
Barnesville greater area petitioned the state legislature for a new county seated at the city and formed from parts of
Belmont,
Guernsey, and
Monroe counties. The proposal was rejected.[41]
Oklahoma
Shaffer County, proposed in 1913 by Governor
Lee Cruce to be created from
Creek County,
Payne County, and
Lincoln County. A vote held on the proposal on February 7, 1914, but failed to pass.
In 1984,
Wilbur Ternyik promoted an effort to form the new McCall County out of the western portions of
Lane County and
Douglas County. The effort was stopped by its promoter at the request of the governor. Lane County is the size of
Connecticut, or of
Delaware and
Rhode Island combined; 4,620 square miles.[42] "At the time we were being treated like a bunch of garbage, and we'd had enough of it," said Ternyik in 2005. Though the effort was not successful, Ternyik credited the effort with getting the county to treat their coastal constituents "a lot nicer," in part due to nervousness about losing timber revenue.[43]
In 2005, Keith Stanton began a petition to form a new county from the western portion of Lane County. The proposed county was to be named Siuslaw County. Stanton's petition was unsuccessful.[44][43] According to Stanton, a new Siuslaw County was introduced in the
legislature in 1913, at the behest of the timber industry, for reasons similar to those he noted in 2005; and some Mapleton residents revived the idea in 1975, but backed off when the county agreed to improve services.[45][46]
South Carolina
Birch County, to be formed from portions of
Lexington and
Richland counties in the
Midlands region of the state. Proposed in 2013, one-third of voters in the proposed county's area would have to petition the
South Carolina Legislature to create a referendum on county creation. Two-thirds of voters in the proposed area would then be required to approve the referendum.
Neshoba County, to be formed from part of
Shelby County. Its formation was threatened in 1990 by rural communities after the city of
Memphis proposed that the city's
financially struggling school district merge with that of the county. The merger actually took place at the start of the 2013–14 school year, with some of the towns in question forming their own school districts in response.
Catoctin County, to be formed from western
Loudoun County, in response to the voiding of zoning measures intended to slow growth in the area.
During the
desegregation era, the town of
Ivor threatened to secede from
Southampton County after a consolidated and integrated county high school was built in the late 1950s.[47]
in 1964, from eastern portions of King and Snohomish counties[51]
in the 1970s, from the rural eastern portions of
King and
Pierce counties,[52] and
in 2016, from the rural northwestern portions of
Kittitas County
Cedar County: from eastern King County.[52] A petition in support of the county collected 23,765 signatures, however the
Washington Supreme Court ruled unanimously in 1998 that the state government was not obligated to act upon the petition and that the number of signatures was insufficient per the
Washington State Constitution.[53] It said that signatures from half the registered voters of the affected area are required to propose a new county, shelving many county secession movements in the state. Prior to the ruling, Washington county secession movements had interpreted the law to require signatures from only half of those who voted in the most recent election.
Freedom County: from northern
Snohomish County.[52] Claiming frustration at what they believed to be a corrupt Snohomish County
government, on April 23, 1995, the would-be commissioners of Freedom County submitted to the Washington
Secretary of State a
petition with 12,679
signatures calling for the secession of the northern half of Snohomish County, excluding
Marysville and the
TulalipIndian reservation.[54] The 1998 decision against the proposed Cedar County was described as a "major setback" for this proposal as well.[53]
Independence County: from the eastern portion of Whatcom County. Both Pioneer and Independence movements cite poor services and oppressive property regulations, plus favoritism towards
Bellingham as reasons for their proposals. Both are rumored to be backed by land developers.[55]
Pioneer County: from northern
Whatcom County.[52] The 1998 decision against the proposed Cedar County was described as a "major setback" for this proposal as well.[53]
Puget Sound County: from southern King County; proposed in 1996[52]
Skykomish County: from southeastern Snohomish and northeastern King counties.[52] The 1998 decision against the proposed Cedar County was described as a "major setback" for this proposal as well.[53]
Whitehorse County: from northern Snohomish County in the 1970s[52][56]
Wisconsin
Century County was proposed in 1997 for creation after the year 2000. The name was selected to represent "a new county for a new century."[57]
Montgomery County, proposed in 1846, to be created from
Iowa County.
Tuskola County was proposed in 1850, which would be split off of
Washington County. The proposed borders lie within modern
Washington and
Ozaukee counties.[58]
Wyoming
Wind River County, to be formed from eastern
Fremont County, with county seat at
Riverton. Riverton and
Lander, which as county seat would remain in Fremont County, are rival towns.[59]
^Ross, Winston (September 30, 2005). "Some folks in western Lane are ready to form a spinoff "Siuslaw County": Coastal residents consider carving out own county". The Register-Guard.
^Stanton, Keith (November 7, 2005). "Siuslaw area could manage on its own as a county". The Register-Guard.
The list of county secession proposals in the United States includes proposed new
counties to be formed from existing counties within a given state that have not yet been formed. For counties that want to secede from their current state and to join or create another, see
List of U.S. state partition proposals.
Perdido County,
Alabama would contain northern
Baldwin County, divided by
a straight line extending westward from the northwestern tip of
Florida, and western
Escambia County, west of Big Escambia Creek. (The
Flomaton area is excluded via a prominent power line easement, from Big Escambia Creek to the Florida state line.) The southwestern tip of
Conecuh County, also west of Big Escambia Creek, may be included as well. The headwaters of the
Perdido River rise near the center of this proposed county. The Perdido County seat would be
Atmore. The county has been proposed by city of Atmore backers, who believe that their growing city of over 10,000 residents should be a county seat. Furthermore, county backers believe that Atmore belongs in the
Mobile-Daphne-Fairhope metropolitan combined statistical area, which would become much more likely within its own exurban-leaning county.
Brewton would remain the county seat of rural-leaning Escambia County. In addition to the incorporated city of Atmore, Perdido County would include the unincorporated communities of Blacksher,
Canoe,
Freemanville,
Huxford,
Nokomis,
Perdido and
Tensaw.
Alaska
Chugiak and
Eagle River are communities along the
Glenn Highway between
Anchorage and the
Matanuska-Susitna Valley. Originally farming and homesteading communities with a distinct identity, they became better known starting in the 1970s as
bedroom communities of Anchorage, and are currently located within its city limits (see below). In the wake of the
incorporation of the Greater Anchorage Area
Borough (in 1964) and subsequent efforts to merge the GAAB with Anchorage's city government (which began in 1966), Chugiak and Eagle River residents began their own efforts to attempt to secede from the GAAB. The culmination of these efforts, the Chugiak-Eagle River Borough, incorporated on August 27, 1974, with an area of 820 square miles (2,100 km2) and an estimated population of 5,832, before the incorporation was invalidated by the
Alaska Supreme Court on April 14, 1975.[1] Five months later, the reconstituted GAAB and existing cities within its boundaries
merged to form the Municipality of Anchorage. The population of Eagle River increased greatly during the 1980s and 1990s. This has led to renewed discussion during the 21st century on the part of Chugiak and Eagle River residents to secede from Anchorage.
Arizona
Russell Pearce, a state legislator, has proposed a bill which would ease county splits, as part of his effort to split off the
East Valley portion of
Maricopa County. Two such attempts were made: the first one in the early 1990s included the cities and towns of
Mesa (county seat),
Chandler,
Gilbert,
Queen Creek,
Tempe, and
Guadalupe, while a second attempt in the early 2000s included the same cities and towns except for Tempe and Guadalupe. County splitting rules were made more restrictive after the formation of
La Paz County in 1983, which required a significant state investment to keep the county running as the result of its small tax base.[2]
In the late 1930s, differences between mining and ranching interests in
Cochise County spurred a proposal to split the county, with the new county's seat at
Willcox, which the state Legislature ultimately rejected.
In the 1980s, a bill was passed in the state legislature to create an all Indian county out of the northern halves of
Navajo and
Apache Counties, and the northeastern half of
Coconino County. Non-Indian communities in the southern region of these counties felt that the Navajo and Hopi Nations do not pay a fair share in local taxes. The bill was vetoed by then governor
Bruce Babbitt, who placed a five-year moratorium on its consideration. Subsequent attempts to revive the bill failed and the issue has not resurfaced in recent years.[5]
Sitgreaves County, to be formed from the southern portions of
Navajo and
Apache Counties.[6]
Butte County: In 1897, James C. Goodwin, with the support of
Charles T. Hayden and others, introduced a bill at the Territorial Legislature to split Maricopa County into two, with
Tempe being the county seat.[7][8] There have also been proposals, introduced in 1900 and 1913, to divide Maricopa County, with
Mesa as the new county's seat.[8]
Mogollon County, Hohokam County, and O'odham County, to be formed from parts of
Maricopa County. Proposals were introduced in 2023 by Republicans
Alexander Kolodin and
Jake Hoffman. Proposals to split Maricopa County had previously existed, but gained more support and attention following the
2020 presidential election.[9]
Prior to the formation of
Orange County, residents of
Anaheim in 1870 pushed a bill in the state assembly for the creation of an Anaheim County. The proposal had the support of
San Francisco.[10]
An attempt in the late 19th century (1870-80?) to create San Antonio County in present-day Los Angeles and
San Bernardino counties.
In 1974, a referendum was held in
El Dorado County for the secession of South Lake Tahoe County around the
South Lake Tahoe. The referendum failed 46–54. Consequent proposals for a Tahoe County or High Sierra County in El Dorado,
Placer County,
Nevada County, and
Sierra County have occasionally resurfaced when issues in the
Central Valley basin conflict with issues in the more mountainous Lake Tahoe region.[11]
Mission County, to be formed from the northern portion of
Santa Barbara County.[12] A formal proposal was resoundingly rejected by voters in 2006.[13] An earlier attempt in 1978 would have produced Los Padres County.
In 1988, there was a serious effort, including a vote on the subject, to divide
San Bernardino County into its urban southwestern corner, which would have retained the name, and a new Mojave County to comprise the vast, sparsely populated northern and eastern portions.[14]
Platte County, authorized to be formed from
Weld County in 1872 but never organized and then repealed in 1874.
Delaware
After 2000, a fourth Appoquinimink County was proposed to be carved out of
New Castle County. The effort intended to end the zoning restrictions of the Unified Development Code on the undeveloped farmland.[20] The proposed boundaries extended beyond the
Appoquinimink Hundred to include all land south of the
C&D Canal, with
Middletown as the proposed seat.
Florida
Two attempts to form a separate county combining parts of
Levy and
Marion Counties took place. The first one was Bloxham County, and the second was Call County.
In 1960,
Miami Beach and other municipalities along the Atlantic coast, unhappy with the government structure introduced by the 1957 adoption of a charter in
Dade County, unsuccessfully sought to break away as a separate county.[21] In 1999, a bill was introduced in the Florida Legislature that would have allowed the City of
Hialeah to vote on seceding from Miami-Dade County to form a new county.[22]
Due to major differences between the south end of the county (the tourist heavy side including the first and third largest communities in the county,
Navarre and
Gulf Breeze) and the north end (the more agriculture-based side, but where the political power is concentrated), some individuals have suggested that the south end of
Santa Rosa County should break off as its own. However, while this has been suggested by some, no major or organized effort has been made to enact such actions. Names like Fairpoint County (after the
peninsula the county would be focused upon) and Reagan County (for President
Reagan) have been proposed, but no name has been really pushed as part of these suggestions.[24]
Milton County or New Milton County has been proposed since the early 2000s and calls for separating the northern portion from Atlanta dominated
Fulton County. Residents of north Fulton County have sought to essentially re-create the original Milton County formed in 1857 . The proposed plan included some of Georgia's largest cities such as Roswell (7th), Sandy Springs (8th), Johns Creek (12th), Alpharetta (13th), Milton (54th), as well as Mountain Park.[26]
A February 2009 study completed in collaboration between the University of Georgia's Carl Vinson Institute of Government and Georgia State University's Andrew Young School of Policy Studies gave a positive analysis of the financial viability of the proposed Milton County.[27]
Hawaii
In 2006, residents of unincorporated west
Hawaii County, which currently encompasses all of
Hawaii Island, met to propose the formation of Cook County. The recent movement reportedly has the support of at least one state senator.
Idaho
Selway County, proposed to be formed from parts of
Idaho County and
Lewis County. It was rejected in a 1917 referendum.
Illinois
Lincoln County: Southern
Cook County communities, upset at
Chicago-centric policies of the county government, petitioned in 2004 to split off the southern portion of the county. The southern communities argue they are in financial ruin due to Cook County policies limiting their ability to attract business, but in reverse, those against the proposal note the split was proposed mainly for the leaders of those communities to evade responsibility to Cook County for persistent
political corruption,
cronyism, and
nepotism.[28][29]
Marquette County: proposed county to be formed from
Hancock County, which made progress in the state legislature in 1844.[30]
Indiana
In 1979 a group called Citizens for Secession attempted to prompt leaders to move
Cass County, Michigan to Indiana and change the name to Michiana County.[31]
Kansas
Garfield County: in 1887, the area around
Ravanna and
Eminence split from
Buffalo County (now split among
Lane,
Finney, and
Gray counties) and organized into Garfield County. Both towns were of equal influence, and contested the award of county seat. An election that year, which involved 20
Dodge City deputies including
Bat Masterson, found Ravanna to have the lead. However, Eminence discovered that illegal votes had been cast for Ravanna, and in 1889 the state supreme court overturned 60 votes, awarding Garfield County seat to Eminence. In a doomsday move, Ravanna countered by hiring surveyors to determine that the new county's land area was under the minimum allowed at the time. In 1893 the Kansas state legislature invalidated the county and annexed it to
Finney. Today, both Ravanna and Eminence are
ghost towns.[32][33][34][35]
Troy Parish, proposed in 1890, to be carven from
Catahoula Parish.
Massachusetts
Throughout the history of
Worcester County, the largest by area in the state stretching north–south and border-to-border between
New Hampshire and
Connecticut and
Rhode Island, residents of the northern part of the county have pushed for a split. This never occurred, and is now a moot point, as in Massachusetts and
Connecticut, county governments in those states have been dissolved, with responsibilities assumed by the state and municipalities within those counties, which now exist solely for historical and regional demarcation purposes.
There appears to have been a proposal to split
Pine County in 2000 in an attempt to reintroduce
Buchanan County, which prompted a change in county formation laws.
[4][5][37]
Nevada
Residents of
Nye County, mainly in
Pahrump and
Tonopah, have pushed as recently as 2001 for a north–south county split, perhaps with the northern portion merging with
Esmeralda County. While laws making it easier to form new counties have passed since then, this split has not occurred.[38] Nye is the largest county in Nevada and the third largest in the entire U.S., although over 90% is federal land.
New Jersey
The municipalities of western
Essex County have discussed secession from the county, to create a new West Essex County, spurred mainly by a belief that tax laws benefit the eastern portions of the county at the expense of the western municipalities. Currently, this idea is essentially a dead movement.
Rio Grande County, proposed in 1927 to be created from parts of
Catron County and all of
Socorro County. It failed when the proposal was deemed unconstitutional.
South Valley County, proposed in 1995 to be created from
Bernalillo County. It then failed in referendum.
New York
Adirondack County, to be formed from northern
Essex and southern
Franklin counties.
In 1818, residents of the
Barnesville greater area petitioned the state legislature for a new county seated at the city and formed from parts of
Belmont,
Guernsey, and
Monroe counties. The proposal was rejected.[41]
Oklahoma
Shaffer County, proposed in 1913 by Governor
Lee Cruce to be created from
Creek County,
Payne County, and
Lincoln County. A vote held on the proposal on February 7, 1914, but failed to pass.
In 1984,
Wilbur Ternyik promoted an effort to form the new McCall County out of the western portions of
Lane County and
Douglas County. The effort was stopped by its promoter at the request of the governor. Lane County is the size of
Connecticut, or of
Delaware and
Rhode Island combined; 4,620 square miles.[42] "At the time we were being treated like a bunch of garbage, and we'd had enough of it," said Ternyik in 2005. Though the effort was not successful, Ternyik credited the effort with getting the county to treat their coastal constituents "a lot nicer," in part due to nervousness about losing timber revenue.[43]
In 2005, Keith Stanton began a petition to form a new county from the western portion of Lane County. The proposed county was to be named Siuslaw County. Stanton's petition was unsuccessful.[44][43] According to Stanton, a new Siuslaw County was introduced in the
legislature in 1913, at the behest of the timber industry, for reasons similar to those he noted in 2005; and some Mapleton residents revived the idea in 1975, but backed off when the county agreed to improve services.[45][46]
South Carolina
Birch County, to be formed from portions of
Lexington and
Richland counties in the
Midlands region of the state. Proposed in 2013, one-third of voters in the proposed county's area would have to petition the
South Carolina Legislature to create a referendum on county creation. Two-thirds of voters in the proposed area would then be required to approve the referendum.
Neshoba County, to be formed from part of
Shelby County. Its formation was threatened in 1990 by rural communities after the city of
Memphis proposed that the city's
financially struggling school district merge with that of the county. The merger actually took place at the start of the 2013–14 school year, with some of the towns in question forming their own school districts in response.
Catoctin County, to be formed from western
Loudoun County, in response to the voiding of zoning measures intended to slow growth in the area.
During the
desegregation era, the town of
Ivor threatened to secede from
Southampton County after a consolidated and integrated county high school was built in the late 1950s.[47]
in 1964, from eastern portions of King and Snohomish counties[51]
in the 1970s, from the rural eastern portions of
King and
Pierce counties,[52] and
in 2016, from the rural northwestern portions of
Kittitas County
Cedar County: from eastern King County.[52] A petition in support of the county collected 23,765 signatures, however the
Washington Supreme Court ruled unanimously in 1998 that the state government was not obligated to act upon the petition and that the number of signatures was insufficient per the
Washington State Constitution.[53] It said that signatures from half the registered voters of the affected area are required to propose a new county, shelving many county secession movements in the state. Prior to the ruling, Washington county secession movements had interpreted the law to require signatures from only half of those who voted in the most recent election.
Freedom County: from northern
Snohomish County.[52] Claiming frustration at what they believed to be a corrupt Snohomish County
government, on April 23, 1995, the would-be commissioners of Freedom County submitted to the Washington
Secretary of State a
petition with 12,679
signatures calling for the secession of the northern half of Snohomish County, excluding
Marysville and the
TulalipIndian reservation.[54] The 1998 decision against the proposed Cedar County was described as a "major setback" for this proposal as well.[53]
Independence County: from the eastern portion of Whatcom County. Both Pioneer and Independence movements cite poor services and oppressive property regulations, plus favoritism towards
Bellingham as reasons for their proposals. Both are rumored to be backed by land developers.[55]
Pioneer County: from northern
Whatcom County.[52] The 1998 decision against the proposed Cedar County was described as a "major setback" for this proposal as well.[53]
Puget Sound County: from southern King County; proposed in 1996[52]
Skykomish County: from southeastern Snohomish and northeastern King counties.[52] The 1998 decision against the proposed Cedar County was described as a "major setback" for this proposal as well.[53]
Whitehorse County: from northern Snohomish County in the 1970s[52][56]
Wisconsin
Century County was proposed in 1997 for creation after the year 2000. The name was selected to represent "a new county for a new century."[57]
Montgomery County, proposed in 1846, to be created from
Iowa County.
Tuskola County was proposed in 1850, which would be split off of
Washington County. The proposed borders lie within modern
Washington and
Ozaukee counties.[58]
Wyoming
Wind River County, to be formed from eastern
Fremont County, with county seat at
Riverton. Riverton and
Lander, which as county seat would remain in Fremont County, are rival towns.[59]
^Ross, Winston (September 30, 2005). "Some folks in western Lane are ready to form a spinoff "Siuslaw County": Coastal residents consider carving out own county". The Register-Guard.
^Stanton, Keith (November 7, 2005). "Siuslaw area could manage on its own as a county". The Register-Guard.