Where is Nelson County?

3 Nelson Counties in 3 states · 66,919 people (2025)

There are 3 counties named Nelson County in the United States, in Kentucky, North Dakota and Virginia. The most populous is Nelson County, Kentucky (county seat: Bardstown), with 49,036 people in 2025. 2 of them are named after Thomas Nelson, 4th Governor of Virginia 1738-1789.

Map of the United States showing where all 3 Nelson Counties are, labeled by state
Every Nelson County in the United States (red), labeled with its state. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2025. Free to use with attribution (CC BY 4.0).

All 3 Nelson Counties

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

StateCounty seatPopulation 2025Land area (sq mi)EstablishedNamed after
Nelson County, KentuckyBardstown49,0364191784Thomas Nelson
Nelson County, North DakotaLakota2,9639821883–
Nelson County, VirginiaLovingston14,9204711808Thomas Nelson

Questions about Nelson Counties

How many Nelson Counties are there?

There are 3 Nelson Counties in the United States, in Kentucky, North Dakota and Virginia.

Which Nelson County is the largest?

By population, Nelson County, Kentucky (49,036 people in 2025). By land area, Nelson County, North Dakota (982 sq mi).

Which Nelson County is the oldest?

Nelson County, Kentucky, established in 1784. The newest is Nelson County, North Dakota (1883).

Why are there so many Nelson Counties?

2 of the 3 are named after Thomas Nelson, 4th Governor of Virginia 1738-1789. Many counties took their names from the same founders, presidents and generals as new states were organized.

How do I find out which Nelson 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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Other common county names