One Illinois County Has a Crazy Total Of 134 Municipalities In It

Here's another reason Illinois can legitimately claim to be a little different from the rest of the country:

One Illinois county contains more incorporated municipalities than any other county in America.

According to a recent report from World Atlas, Cook County is home to 134 incorporated municipalities, more than any other county in the entire United States. And yes, that includes Chicago, but keep in mind that Chicago is just one of the 134.

In other words, inside the boundaries of Cook County are 133 other communities that have their own local governments, mayors, budgets, zoning rules and municipal services. That's a whole lot of government packed into one county.

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134 Municipalities Is A Lot Of Cities, Towns, And Villages

World Atlas puts the number in some perspective. Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, which includes Pittsburgh, comes in second with 130 municipalities. St. Louis County and Los Angeles County follow with 88 each.

There is, however, the fun little technicality here is that they aren't all technically “cities.” Illinois municipalities can be cities or villages, and Cook County also has one incorporated town, Cicero. So “134 cities” isn't quite accurate. “134 municipalities” is the better description.

And there's another wrinkle.

You may find older sources giving Cook County a slightly different number. That's because the roster has changed over the years, and counting municipalities can get complicated when communities cross county lines. Cook County's own government currently says it contains 134 municipalities, while some older county financial documents listed 131.

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So, How Exactly Did Cook County Get So Many?

A lot of it goes back to the explosive growth of Chicago and its suburbs during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

As communities developed beyond Chicago's borders, many chose to incorporate independently rather than be swallowed up by a larger neighbor. That allowed them to maintain control over things like zoning, taxation, police and other local services.

The result is a county where 134 separate municipalities coexist inside about 946 square miles. That's roughly one municipality for every seven square miles.

Not bad for a place that already has plenty of reasons to be complicated.