Formed June 2, 1685 (6th county)
Bristol County (579,210), Taunton (59,400), New Bedford (101,089)
The stone courthouse was built in 1892. It is located on Taunton Green between Court Street and Broadway. United States Highway 44 is the south arch of Taunton Green. Frank Irving Cooper was the designer of the building. A 2011 District Courthouse supports the county. There are also augmenting courthouses in Attleboro, Fall River and New Bedford. Attleboro, Fall River, New Bedford, and Taunton have all served as the county seat. Bristol County is named for Bristol, Rhode Island. Taunton is named for Taunton, England. Bristol County was the birthplace of 3 Massachusetts Governors, Marcus Morton, Oliver Ames, and John L. Bates. The county was established on June 2, 1685 as the 6th county. Its southern border is the Atlantic Ocean.
Bristol County government consists of an administrator, a treasurer and a clerk (executive). It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.) Twelve District Court Judges, Seven Probate/Juvenile Court Judges and a court clerk serve Bristol County (judicial.) Bristol County is in the southeast part of the state. Boston, Massachusetts is north and Providence, Rhode Island is west of the county. The county center is 8.4 miles South-Southwest of Taunton nearer Dighton. The county is surrounded clockwise by Norfolk, Plymouth, Barnstable, and Dukes counties and the Atlantic Ocean and Rhode Island.
The area of the county is 556 square miles. It is 7 out of 14 in the state. It ranks 6 out of 14 in population in the state. It has a density of 1041.7 persons per square mile making it 5 out of 14 in the state. Bristol County has 57.3% of its population in its incorporated areas. Interstate Highway 95 cuts the northwest corner of the county from Norfolk County, north, to Rhode Island, west. Interstate Highway 195 crosses east to west from Plymouth County to Rhode Island. Interstate Highway 495 goes east to northwest from Plymouth County to Norfolk County. United States Highway 1 parallels Interstate Highway 95 from Norfolk County to Rhode Island. United States Highway 6 parallels Interstate Highway 195 from Plymouth County to Rhode Island. United States Highway 44 travels east to west from Plymouth County to Rhode Island. The county is a slight zig zag line. Taunton is in the northeast part of the county. New Bedford is on the southeast corner of the county. Taunton is the county seat and New Bedford is the largest city. Taunton is 10.3% of the county population while New Bedford is 17.5% of the county population. The county seat is pronounced TAWN-TON. This county is in the Providence-New Bedford-Fall River Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Attleboro
Fall River
New Bedford
Taunton
