This is a list of counties in Connecticut. There are currently eight counties in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Four of them were originally create in 1666, during the first consolidation of the colony of Connecticut from a number of smaller colonies. Two more counties were created during colonial times, and only two counties, Middlesex and Tolland counties, have been created since American independence, both in 1785. The majority of Connecticut counties are named for locations in England, where many early Connecticut settlers originated. Although Connecticut is divided into counties, there is no county government in Connecticut and local government consists of cities and towns. County government was abolished in Connecticut in 1960, although the names remain for geographical purposes. Counties are, however, still used by the state to organize its judicial and state marshall system. Connecticut's court jurisdictions still adhere to the county boundaries, except for Fairfield, Hartford and New Haven, which have been further subdivided into several jurisdictions.