List of counties in Massachusetts

This is a list of counties, consisting of the 14 Massachusetts counties. Massachusetts has abolished seven of its fourteen county governments, leaving five counties with county-level local government and two, and, with combined county/city government. Vestigial judicial and law enforcement districts still follow the old county boundaries in the counties where county-level government has been disestablished, and the counties are still generally recognized as geographic entities if not political ones.

Eleven other historical counties have existed in Massachusetts, most becoming defunct when their lands were absorbed into the colony of or the state of, both of which were created out of territory originally claimed by Massachusetts colonists. The oldest counties still in Massachusetts are, , and , created in 1643 with the which was absorbed by New Hampshire and bears no relation to the. When these counties were created, they were a part of the, which would remain separate from the and that colony's counties until 1691. , created in 1812, is the most recently created county still in Massachusetts, although bore that distinction until Maine broke off from Massachusetts in 1820. The majority of Massachusetts counties are named in honor of place names, reflecting Massachusetts' colonial heritage.

The term shire town is the statutory term for the Massachusetts town having a county court and administration offices. County seat is the standard term used in general communications by the Massachusetts government.