National Association of Counties

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National Association of Counties

Abbreviation	NACo
Formation	1935
Type	non-governmental organization
Location	Washington, D.C.
Executive Director President	Matthew Chase Denise Winfrey[1]
Website	www.naco.org

The National Association of Counties (NACo) is an organization that represents county governments in the United States.^[2] It is the only national organization that represents county governments in the United States.

Founded in 1935, NACo provides services to the nation's 3,069 counties.

NACo's membership totals more than 2,350 counties, representing more than 80 percent of the nation's population.

With its headquarters on Capitol Hill, NACo is a full-service organization that provides services to its members. These include legislative, research, technical and public affairs assistance, as well as enterprise services. The association acts as a liaison with other levels of government, works to improve public understanding of counties, serves as a national advocate for counties. NACo is involved in a number of special projects that deal with such issues as homeland security, drug abuse, and broader access to health care.

County officials and their staffs also participate through NACo's affiliates. These organizations are composed of officials who share similar responsibilities, interests, or knowledge areas. To keep county officials informed, NACo publishes a biweekly newspaper, County News, with a circulation of 29,000^{[citation needed]}, that focuses on issues and actions in Washington, D.C., and throughout the country.

NACo's committees, whose members include county officials from every region of the country, are charged on an annual basis with evaluating issues and policies. The policy development process leads to the publication of the American County Platform, which NACo uses as a guide to deliver county government's message to the Administration, Congress and the American public.

NACo is considered part of the "Big Seven", a group of organizations that represent local and state government in the United States.^{[citation needed]}