Counties of Alberta

The Canadian province of Alberta consists of a number of counties, which form the upper tier of local government in the province, alongside some regional municipalities. Most counties are predominantly rural while many are urban, suburban, or a mix thereof; all counties, however, have at least a small number of incorporated municipalities, which form the lower tier of local government in the province. Most counties also possess unincorporated communities which rely solely on their respective county for the provision of all local government services.

As all 75 of the provinces counties form a single contiguous area (that is, they all border each other), Alberta can be said to consist of only one county area. However, many of the most rural and/or natural areas of the province, especially in the north (near the tar sands) and west (the foothills of the Rocky Mountains do not constitute part of any county, and either possess no local government at all or are part of a unitary authority (either a municipal district or a regional district).

All 75 counties each have their own county constabulary, a local civilian law enforcement agency responsible for policing all areas of the county, including all municipalities within the county which contract with the respective county constabulary to provide policing at the municipal level.

The Alberta Provincial Police (APP) has jurisdiction in all 75 counties regarding investigations and operations at the provincial level, but otherwise leaves policing to each county's constabulary. On the other hand, unitary authorities (regional and municipal districts), which each have local governments of their own, contract with the APP to provide local policing, and all unincorporated areas of the province outside any county or unitary authority are under the full jurisdiction of the APP as well.