The state of
Texas is divided into 254
counties, more than any other
U.S. state. Texas was originally divided into
municipalities, a unit of local
government under
Spanish and
Mexican rule. When the
Republic of Texas gained its independence in 1836, there were 23 municipalities, which became the original Texas counties. Many of these would later be divided into new counties. The last county to be initially created was
Kenedy County in 1921, but
Loving County is the newest county; it was first created in 1893, abolished in 1897, then re-created in 1931. Most of these recent counties, especially near the northwest, were created from
Bexar County during the 1870s.