“County” can be both capitalized and uncapitalized. The only thing that determines whether there’s a capital letter is whether it’s part of a proper noun. It would help to know when this applies, so this article will explain all there is to understand.
Is “County” Capitalized?
“County” is a regular noun. It does not need to be capitalized when it is written in a normal sentence. You should capitalize it when it is part of a proper noun. This usually happens when it comes after a specific county name (i.e. Lake County or Sherriff’s County).
“County” should mainly be treated as a regular noun. Just like any other nouns, it does not need to be capitalized in most cases. You can write it in a simple sentence like so:
- I belong to that county, and I don’t think I’ll move out of it.
The only time it’s capitalized is if it’s part of a county name:
- This is Jefferson County. Welcome home!
Is “County” Capitalized AP Style?
According to common English style guides, “county” does not need to be capitalized unless it’s part of a proper noun. You can see this in the AP Style guide (which is commonly used in schools and education). “County” only has a capital letter when it’s part of a proper noun.
The AP Style guide is a great way to learn how people commonly write things like this. If you need further clarification, you can also refer to other common guides like the Chicago Manual of Style or The Microsoft Manual of Style.
When to Capitalize “County”
Now you know that county is capitalized when referring to a specific county only, it’s time to look at some examples of how that works.
- I’m not sure I want to go to Madison County anymore. I have heard some pretty bad things about that place.
- It’s not just about Castle County anymore. There are so many other things out there that we need to focus on.
- I hear that Jefferson County struggles to bring any new people in. I wonder what that’s all about.
- County Square is opening up again. I’m so excited to get a chance to visit the old stores that I used to love.
- Garden County is always interesting. If you’ve never taken the time to walk around it, you’re missing out!
“County” is capitalized when it’s part of a proper noun. Another noun (usually a place name) will come before or after it when this is the case.
When to Not Capitalize “County”
And in the interest of being fair, here are some examples to show you how to use “county” without a capital letter.
- I wanted to go to that county to find out what it was like. I just never found the time to travel there.
- I’m not sure this is the county you want to stay in. It doesn’t have any of the things you’re looking for in life.
- You need to include your county in this address line. Otherwise, we won’t know which place you belong to.
- I thought I already told you about the county. Maybe there are some things I didn’t mention, but there weren’t many.
- There was a lot that changed in my life when I was in the county. I wish that those things didn’t have to happen.
“County” is a regular noun. It does not need to be capitalized unless it belongs to a proper noun. It can be included in any simple sentence that doesn’t refer to “county” as a specific place.
Is “County” Capitalized In the US?
“County” is only capitalized in the US when it is part of a proper noun. This is fairly common when you are referring to specific counties in the USA (like Jefferson County). It can be uncapitalized when it is used as a regular noun.
Is “County” Capitalized In the UK?
“County” should be capitalized in the UK in most cases. There is no reason to capitalize it because it’s a regular noun. It is only capitalized as part of a proper noun, but there aren’t many place names in the UK that include “county” as part of the proper usage.
The rules for capitalizing “county” are the same no matter which country you’re from. You should only capitalize it when it’s part of a place name.
You may also like:
Is “City” Capitalized? (Full Explanation)
Is “State” Capitalized? (Full Explanation)
Martin holds a Master’s degree in Finance and International Business. He has six years of experience in professional communication with clients, executives, and colleagues. Furthermore, he has teaching experience from Aarhus University. Martin has been featured as an expert in communication and teaching on Forbes and Shopify. Read more about Martin here.
