Connecticut counties

Connecticut has no county government — towns run almost everything. Counties are still a useful way to narrow down where you are looking.

• Fairfield County

  Connecticut's southwestern corner, from Greenwich along the Gold Coast up through Danbury and the Housatonic Valley.

  23 towns

  Bethel, Bridgeport, Brookfield, Danbury, Darien, Easton, Fairfield, Greenwich…

• Hartford County

  The Capitol region, covering Hartford and the surrounding river valley suburbs.

  29 towns

  Avon, Berlin, Bloomfield, Bristol, Burlington, Canton, East Granby, East Hartford…

• Litchfield County

  The northwest hills — rural towns, lakes, farms and second-home country.

  26 towns

  Barkhamsted, Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Canaan, Colebrook, Cornwall, Goshen, Harwinton…

• Middlesex County

  The lower Connecticut River valley and shoreline between New Haven and New London.

  15 towns

  Chester, Clinton, Cromwell, Deep River, Durham, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex…

• New Haven County

  Central Connecticut's coast and valley, from Milford through New Haven up to Waterbury.

  27 towns

  Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Branford, Cheshire, Derby, East Haven, Guilford…

• New London County

  Southeastern Connecticut, the Thames River, the casinos and the eastern shoreline.

  21 towns

  Bozrah, Colchester, East Lyme, Franklin, Griswold, Groton, Lebanon, Ledyard…

• Tolland County

  Northeastern-central Connecticut, home to UConn and a string of quiet rural towns.

  13 towns

  Andover, Bolton, Columbia, Coventry, Ellington, Hebron, Mansfield, Somers…

• Windham County

  The Quiet Corner in the northeast, mill towns and open farmland.

  15 towns

  Ashford, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Chaplin, Eastford, Hampton, Killingly, Plainfield…