Los Angeles County is by far the most populous county in the United States. Figures from the U.S. Census Bureau give an estimated 2008 population of 9,862,049 residents, while the California State government's population bureau lists a 2009 estimate of 10,393,185. The county seat is the city of Los Angeles, the largest city in California.

The county is home to 88 incorporated cities and many unincorporated areas. The southern portion is the most heavily urbanized area and is home to the vast majority of the population which lives along the Southern California coastline and the inland basins and valleys. The northern half is a large expanse of less-populated desert.

One of the most diverse counties in the country, it holds most of the principal cities encompassing the Greater Los Angeles Area and is the core of the five counties that make up the area. In 2004, the county's population was larger than the individual populations of 42 states considered separately. Similar in land area to the state of Connecticut and in population to the state of Michigan, the county is home to over a quarter of all California residents. According to the United States Conference of Mayors, if Los Angeles County were a nation, it would boast a GDP among the twenty largest countries in the world.

Los Angeles County was one of the original counties of California, created at the time of statehood in 1850.

County Website: http://www.lacounty.gov.org