Welcome to the RealCounties Map
The historic counties are the long-standing counties of Britain and Ireland — places such as Yorkshire, Surrey, Fife, Pembrokeshire, Antrim and many more.
They are not council areas or lieutenancy areas. Those are different public boundaries used for different purposes.
This map helps you see the historic counties clearly, search for places and postcodes, and compare county boundaries with council areas, lieutenancy areas and other public boundaries.
- Search a place or postcode
- Click any historic county to see its details
- Turn on comparison layers to see where boundaries align, differ and overlap
Get monthly county map updates: Join the free County Progress Report.
What are the historic counties?
The historic counties are the long-standing named and bounded counties of Britain and Ireland. They developed over many centuries and remain an important part of local identity, history, culture, records, sport, genealogy and everyday speech.
They should not be confused with council areas, lieutenancy areas, regions or other public boundaries. Those areas are used for different purposes and have changed many times.
A place can therefore be in a historic county and also in a different council area or lieutenancy area. These are not contradictions — they are different layers of place.
RealCounties provides this map as a public reference and educational resource, so that anyone can see the historic counties clearly, compare them with other boundaries, and understand why different maps and organisations may describe the same place in different ways.
Sources and standards
This map conforms to the Historic Counties Standard.
- Contains border data provided by the Historic County Borders Project © Historic Counties Trust.
- Contains OpenStreetMap data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
- Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.
- Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right 2026.
RealCounties Map
Search for a place or postcode, or click any historic county on the map.
Turn on one comparison layer at a time to see where boundaries align, differ and overlap.
Government-selected reorganisation proposals using current whole council areas.
Choose distance, area or route, then click points on the map.
Help keep the county map free and accurate
Join the free monthly County Progress Report for updates on new features, boundary research, public signage, and progress for Britain and Ireland’s historic counties.
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