Where is Howard County?

7 Howard Counties in 7 states · 492,030 people (2025)

There are 7 counties named Howard County in the United States, in Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska and Texas. The most populous is Howard County, Maryland (county seat: Ellicott City), with 339,183 people in 2025. 2 of them are named after Tilghman Howard, American politician (1797-1844).

All 7 Howard Counties

Sorted by state. Each link opens the county's map.

State	County seat	Population 2025	Land area (sq mi)	Established	Named after
Howard County, Arkansas	Nashville	12,306	587	1873	–
Howard County, Indiana	Kokomo	83,904	293	1844	Tilghman Howard
Howard County, Iowa	Cresco	9,415	473	1851	Tilghman Howard
Howard County, Maryland	Ellicott City	339,183	251	1851	John Eager Howard
Howard County, Missouri	Fayette	10,180	464	1816	Benjamin Howard
Howard County, Nebraska	St. Paul	6,538	569	1871	Oliver Otis Howard
Howard County, Texas	Big Spring	30,504	901	1876	Volney Howard

Questions about Howard Counties

How many Howard Counties are there?

There are 7 Howard Counties in the United States, in Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska and Texas.

Which Howard County is the largest?

By population, Howard County, Maryland (339,183 people in 2025). By land area, Howard County, Texas (901 sq mi).

Which Howard County is the oldest?

Howard County, Missouri, established in 1816. The newest is Howard County, Texas (1876).

Why are there so many Howard Counties?

2 of the 7 are named after Tilghman Howard, American politician (1797-1844). Many counties took their names from the same founders, presidents and generals as new states were organized.

How do I find out which Howard County an address is in?

Open the county map of the state: it has a search box for cities, towns and ZIP codes. On a phone, the "what county am I in" tool on our sister site uses your location.

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