Chrzanów County is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat

Powiat

A powiat is the second-level unit of local government and administration in Poland, equivalent to a county, district or prefecture in other countries. The term powiat is most often translated into English as "county", although other terms are also sometimes used...

) in Lesser Poland Voivodeship

Lesser Poland Voivodeship

Małopolska Voivodeship , or Lesser Poland Voivodeship, is a voivodeship, in southern Poland...

, southern Poland

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Chrzanów

Chrzanów

Chrzanów is a town in south Poland with 39,704 inhabitants . It is situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship and is the capital of Chrzanów County.- To 1809:...

, which lies 40 kilometres (25 mi) west of the regional capital Kraków

Kraków

Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...

. The county contains three other towns: Trzebinia

Trzebinia

Trzebinia is a town in Chrzanów County, Lesser Poland, Poland with an Orlen oil refinery and a major rail junction of the Kraków - Katowice line that connections to Oświęcim and Spytkowice.-History:...

, 8 km (5 mi) north-east of Chrzanów, Libiąż

Libiaz

Libiąż is a town in Chrzanów County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 17,671 inhabitants ....

, 8 km (5 mi) south-west of Chrzanów, and Alwernia

Alwernia

Alwernia is a Polish town situated some 36 km west of Kraków in the Chrzanów district of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship . The town, as well as possessing a large chemical works, is a centre for recreation and tourism.-History:The name of the town is taken from that of the Franciscan hermitage...

, 12 km (7 mi) south-east of Chrzanów.

The county covers an area of 371.49 square kilometres (143.4 sq mi). As of 2006 its total population is 128,103, out of which the population of Chrzanów is 39,797, that of Trzebinia is 18,769, that of Libiąż is 17,604, that of Alwernia is 3,406, and the rural population is 48,527.

Neighbouring counties

Chrzanów County is bordered by Olkusz County

Olkusz County

Olkusz County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, southern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Olkusz, which lies ...

 to the north-east, Kraków County

Kraków County

Kraków County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, southern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat is the city of Kraków, although the city is...

 to the east, Wadowice County

Wadowice County

Wadowice County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, southern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat is the town of Wadowice, the birthplace of...

 to the south, Oświęcim County

Oswiecim County

Oświęcim County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, southern Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Oświęcim, which lies ...

 to the south-west and the city of Jaworzno

Jaworzno

Jaworzno is a city in southern Poland, near Katowice. The east district of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - metropolis with the population of 2 millions. Located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Przemsza river ....

 to the west.

Administrative division

The county is subdivided into five gmina

Gmina

The gmina is the principal unit of administrative division of Poland at its lowest uniform level. It is often translated as "commune" or "municipality." As of 2010 there were 2,479 gminas throughout the country...

s (four urban-rural and one rural). These are listed in the following table, in descending order of population.

Gmina	Type	Area (km²)	Population (2006)	Seat
Gmina Chrzanów Gmina Chrzanów, Lesser Poland Voivodeship Gmina Chrzanów is an urban-rural gmina in Chrzanów County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. Its seat is the town of Chrzanów, which lies approximately west of the regional capital Kraków.-Overview:...	urban-rural	79.3	49,752	Chrzanów Chrzanów Chrzanów is a town in south Poland with 39,704 inhabitants . It is situated in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship and is the capital of Chrzanów County.- To 1809:...
Gmina Trzebinia Gmina Trzebinia Gmina Trzebinia is an urban-rural gmina in Chrzanów County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. Its seat is the town of Trzebinia, which lies approximately north-east of Chrzanów and west of the regional capital Kraków....	urban-rural	105.2	33,959	Trzebinia Trzebinia Trzebinia is a town in Chrzanów County, Lesser Poland, Poland with an Orlen oil refinery and a major rail junction of the Kraków - Katowice line that connections to Oświęcim and Spytkowice.-History:...
Gmina Libiąż Gmina Libiaz Gmina Libiąż is an urban-rural gmina in Chrzanów County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. Its seat is the town of Libiąż, which lies approximately south-west of Chrzanów and west of the regional capital Kraków....	urban-rural	57.2	22,900	Libiąż Libiaz Libiąż is a town in Chrzanów County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 17,671 inhabitants ....
Gmina Alwernia Gmina Alwernia Gmina Alwernia is an urban-rural gmina in Chrzanów County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. Its seat is the town of Alwernia, which lies approximately south-east of Chrzanów and west of the regional capital Kraków....	urban-rural	75.3	12,689	Alwernia Alwernia Alwernia is a Polish town situated some 36 km west of Kraków in the Chrzanów district of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship . The town, as well as possessing a large chemical works, is a centre for recreation and tourism.-History:The name of the town is taken from that of the Franciscan hermitage...
Gmina Babice Gmina Babice Gmina Babice is a rural gmina in Chrzanów County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. Its seat is the village of Babice, which lies approximately south-east of Chrzanów and west of the regional capital Kraków....	rural	54.5	8,803	Babice Babice, Chrzanów County Babice is a village in Chrzanów County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Babice. It lies approximately south-east of Chrzanów and west of the regional capital Kraków....