intercounty

Intercounty is an adjective and occasionally a noun used to describe relations, activities, or organizations that involve more than one county, or occur between counties. The term is formed from inter-, meaning between or among, and county, a subnational administrative division. In governmental and administrative contexts, intercounty refers to collaborative arrangements such as intercounty councils, joint planning bodies, and shared services that span multiple counties. These arrangements aim to coordinate policy, infrastructure, and service delivery across county borders, though they can face challenges from differing budgets, laws, and priorities.

In sports and athletics, intercounty denotes competitions in which teams represent counties rather than towns or clubs. Intercounty matches are common in Gaelic games in Ireland, as well as in cricket, football, and other sports in various countries. In transport and infrastructure, intercounty usage describes services or projects that cross county boundaries, including cross-county routes, transit planning, and funding initiatives that require cooperation between counties.

Usage notes: the term is most common in regions with traditional county structures, and the preferred spelling can be intercounty or inter-county depending on style guides. In modern writing, hyphenation varies by publication.

See also inter-state, cross-border cooperation.