The counties of Iran, also called shahrestan (Persian: شهرستان shahrestān), are administrative divisions of larger provinces (ostan). The word shahrestan comes from the Persian words shahr ("city, town") and stān ("province, state"). "County", therefore, is a near equivalent of shahrestan.
Iranian counties are divided into one or more bakhsh (بخش), or districts. A typical county includes both cities (شهر shahr) and rural agglomerations (دهستان dehestān), which are groupings of adjacent villages. One city within the county serves as the capital of that county.
Each county is governed by an office known as farmandari, which coordinates different public events and agencies and is headed by a farmandar, the governor of the county and the highest-ranking official in the division.
Among the provinces of Iran, Fars has the highest number of shahrestans (23), while Semnan and South Khorasan have only 4 shahrestans each; Qom uniquely has one, being coextensive with its namesake county. In 2005, Iran had 324 shahrestans.
To better understand these subdivisions, the following table is useful. Assume that province P is divided into two counties: A and B. County A has 3 districts: Central, X, and Y. The Central district is the district that contains City M, the capital of the county. Each district contains one or more cities and/or one or more RAs (rural agglomerations). In our example, the Central district contains City M, City N, and RA T, which is composed of the villages V1, V2, V3, and V4; district X contains City O and RA U; and district Y has no cities and one RA V. The minimal county consists of only one city as the only district, named Central, of course. The county B in the following table is of such type, containing only one city Q.
The counties are listed below, by province:
Eshtehard CountyKaraj CountyNazarabad CountySavojbolagh CountyTaleghan CountyArdabil CountyBilasavar CountyGermi CountyKhalkhal CountyKowsar CountyMeshginshahr CountyNamin CountyNir CountyParsabad CountySareyn CountyAsaluyeh CountyBushehr CountyDashtestan CountyDashti CountyDayyer CountyDeylam CountyGanaveh CountyJam CountyKangan CountyTangestan CountyChaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province
Ardal CountyBorujen CountyFarsan CountyKiaar CountyKuhrang CountyLordegan CountyShahrekord CountyAhar CountyAjabshir CountyAzarshahr CountyBonab CountyBostanabad CountyCharuymaq CountyHeris CountyHashtrud CountyJolfa CountyKalibar CountyKhodaafarin CountyMalekan CountyMaragheh CountyMarand CountyMianeh CountyOsku CountySarab CountyShabestar CountyTabriz CountyVarzaqan CountyAran-o-Bidgol CountyArdestan CountyBorkhar-o-Meymeh CountyChadegan CountyFalavarjan CountyFereydan CountyFereydunshahr CountyGolpayegan CountyIsfahan CountyKashan CountyKhansar CountyKhomeinishahr CountyLenjan CountyLower Semirom CountyMobarakeh CountyNain CountyNajafabad CountyNatanz CountySemirom CountyShahreza CountyShahinshahr o Meymeh CountyTiran-o-Korun CountyAbadeh CountyArsanjan CountyBavanat CountyDarab CountyEqlid CountyEstahban CountyFarashband CountyFasa CountyFiruzabad CountyGerash CountyJahrom CountyKavar CountyKazerun CountyKherameh CountyKhonj CountyKhorrambid CountyLamerd CountyLarestan CountyMamasani CountyMarvdasht CountyMehr CountyNeyriz CountyPasargad CountyQir-o-Karzin CountyRostam CountySarvestan CountySepidan CountyShiraz CountyZarrindasht CountyAmlash CountyAstara CountyAstane-ye-Ashrafiyeh CountyBandar-e-Anzali CountyFuman CountyLahijan CountyLangrud CountyMasal CountyRasht CountyRezvanshahr CountyRudbar CountyRudsar CountyShaft CountySiahkal CountySome'e-sara CountyTalesh CountyAliabad CountyAqqala CountyAzadshahr CountyBandar-e-gaz CountyBandar-e-Torkaman CountyGalikash CountyGomishan CountyGonbad-e-Kavus CountyGorgan CountyKolaleh CountyKordkuy CountyMaravehtapeh CountyMinudasht CountyRamian CountyAsadabad CountyBahar CountyHamadan CountyKabudrahang CountyMalayer CountyNahavand CountyRazan CountyTuyserkan CountyAbumusa CountyBandar-Abbas CountyBandar-Lengeh CountyBastak CountyGavbandi CountyHajiabad CountyJask CountyKhamir CountyMinab CountyQeshm CountyRudan CountyAbdanan CountyDarrehshahr CountyDehloran CountyEyvan CountyIlam CountyMalekshahi CountyMehran CountyShirvan-o-Chardavol CountyAnar CountyAnbarabad CountyArzuiyeh CountyBaft CountyBam CountyBardsir CountyFahraj CountyGhaleye-Ganj CountyJiroft CountyKahnuj CountyKerman CountyKuhbonan CountyManujan CountyRabar CountyRafsanjan CountyRavar CountyRigan CountyRoudbar-e-Jonub CountyShahr-e-Babak CountySirjan CountyZarand CountyDalaho CountyGilan-e-gharb CountyHarsin CountyIslamabad-e-gharb CountyJavanrud CountyKangavar CountyKermanshah CountyPaveh CountyQasr-e-Shirin CountyRavansar countySahneh CountySarpol-e-Zahab CountySolas-e-Babajani CountySonqor CountyAbadan CountyAhvaz CountyAndika CountyAndimeshk CountyBaghmalek CountyBavi CountyBehbahan CountyDasht-e-Azadegan CountyDezful CountyGuotvand CountyHaftgol CountyHendijan CountyHoveizeh CountyIzeh CountyKhorramshahr CountyLali CountyMahshahr CountyMasjed-Soleyman CountyOmidiyeh CountyRamhormoz CountyRamshir CountyShadegan CountyShush CountyShushtar CountyKohgeluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province
Basht CountyBahmai CountyBoyer-Ahmad CountyCharam CountyDena CountyGachsaran CountyKohgeluyeh CountyBaneh CountyBijar CountyDehgolan CountyDivandarreh CountyKamyaran CountyMarivan CountyQorveh CountySannandaj CountySaqqez CountySarvabad CountyAligudarz CountyAzna CountyBorujerd CountyDelfan CountyDorud CountyDoureh CountyKhorramabad CountyKuhdasht CountyPoldokhtar CountySelseleh CountyAshtian CountyArak CountyDelijan CountyKhomein CountyKhondab CountyKomeijan CountyMahallat CountySaveh CountyShazand CountyTafresh CountyZarandieh CountyMazandaran Province
Amol CountyBabol CountyBabolsar CountyBehshahr CountyChalus CountyGalugah CountyJuybar CountyMahmudabad CountyMiandorud CountyNeka CountyNoshahr CountyNur CountyQaemshahr CountyRamsar CountySari CountySavadkuh CountyTonekabon CountyAbbasabad CountyBojnurd CountyEsfarayen CountyFaroj CountyGermeh CountyJajrom CountyManeh-o-Samalqan CountyShirvan CountyAbyek CountyAlborz CountyBuin-Zahra CountyQazvin CountyTakestan CountyQom CountyBajestan CountyBardaskan CountyChenaran CountyDargaz CountyDavarzan CountyFariman CountyFiruzeh CountyGonabad CountyJowayin CountyJoghatai CountyKalat CountyKashmar CountyKhaf CountyKhalilabad CountyKhoshab CountyMahvelat CountyMashhad CountyNishapur CountyQuchan CountyRashtkhar CountySabzevar CountySarakhs CountyTakht-e-Jolgeh CountyTaybad CountyTorghabe-o-Shandiz CountyTorbat-e-Jam CountyTorbat-e-Heydarieh CountyZave CountyAradan CountyDamghan CountyGarmsar CountyMehdishahr CountyMeyami CountySemnan CountyShahrud County or *Shahrood CountySorkheh CountySistan and Baluchestan Province
Chabahar CountyDalgan CountyHirmand CountyIranshahr CountyKhash CountyKonarak CountyMehrestan CountyNikshahr CountySaravan CountySarbaz CountySib o Soran CountyZabol CountyZahedan CountyZehak CountyBirjand CountyBoshruyeh CountyDarmian CountyFerdows CountyKhusf CountyNehbandan CountyQaen CountySarayan CountySarbisheh CountyTabas CountyZirkouh CountyDamavand CountyFiruzkuh CountyIslamshahr CountyMalard CountyPakdasht CountyPishva CountyRobat-Karim CountyRey CountyShemiranat CountyShahriar CountyShahr-e Qods CountyTehran CountyVaramin CountyBukan CountyChaldoran CountyChaypareh CountyKhoy CountyMahabad CountyMaku CountyMiandoab CountyNaqadeh CountyOshnaviyeh CountyPiranshahr CountyPoldasht CountySalmas CountySardasht CountyShahindej CountyShowt CountyTakab CountyUrmia CountyAbarkuh CountyArdekan CountyBafq CountyBahabad CountyKhatam CountyMehriz CountyMeybud CountySadugh CountyTaft CountyYazd CountyAbhar CountyEejrud CountyKhodabandeh CountyKhorramdarreh CountyMahneshan CountyTarom CountyZanjan County
