# List of United States district and territorial courts

There are 94 active United States district and territorial courts. Each of the 50 states has between one and four district courts, and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico each have a district court.
The insular areas of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands each have one territorial court; these courts are called "district courts" and exercise the same jurisdiction as district courts, but differ from district courts in that territorial courts are Article IV courts, with judges who serve ten-year terms rather than the lifetime tenure of judges of Article III courts, such as the district court judges. American Samoa does not have a district court or a federal territorial court, and so federal matters there are sent to either the District of Columbia or Hawaii.

## Definition

The district courts were established by Congress under Article III of the United States Constitution. The courts hear civil and criminal cases, and each is paired with a bankruptcy court. Appeals from the district courts are made to one of the 13 courts of appeals, organized geographically. The number of district courts in a court of appeals' circuit varies between one and thirteen, depending on the number of states in the region and the number of districts in each state. The formal naming convention for the district courts is "United States District Court for" followed by the district name. Each district court has one or more meeting places at which it holds hearings and conducts business. Many federal courthouses are named after notable judges, such as the Thurgood Marshall United States Courthouse in New York City or the Hugo L. Black United States Courthouse in Birmingham. The largest courthouse is the Thomas F. Eagleton United States Courthouse, which serves the Eastern District of Missouri.
The largest courts by number of judges are the Central District of California and the Southern District of New York, each with 28 judgeships. The smallest are the District for the Northern Mariana Islands and the District of Guam, with one judgeship each.

## Active courts
### Key

| Citation | The abbreviation used to refer to court decisions. |
| Established | The date the district court was established as a court or the date it was subdivided from a larger district. |
| Judges | The number of judgeships authorized for the district. |
| Meeting places | The number of locations at which the court hears cases. |
| Region | Citation | Court of Appeals | Established | Judges | Meeting places | Chief judge |
| Northern District of Alabama | N.D. Ala. | 11th | 1824 | 8 | 8 | R. David Proctor |
| Middle District of Alabama | M.D. Ala. | 11th | 1839 | 3 | 3 | Emily C. Marks |
| Southern District of Alabama | S.D. Ala. | 11th | 1824 | 3 | 2 | Jeff Beaverstock |
| District of Alaska | D. Alaska | 9th | 1958 | 3 | 5 | Sharon L. Gleason |
| District of Arizona | D. Ariz. | 9th | 1910 | 13 | 6 | Jennifer Zipps |
| Eastern District of Arkansas | E.D. Ark. | 8th | 1851 | 5 | 3 | Kristine Baker |
| Western District of Arkansas | W.D. Ark. | 8th | 1851 | 3 | 6 | Susan O. Hickey |
| Central District of California | C.D. Cal. | 9th | 1966 | 28 | 4 | Dolly Gee |
| Eastern District of California | E.D. Cal. | 9th | 1966 | 6 | 3 | Troy L. Nunley |
| Northern District of California | N.D. Cal. | 9th | 1886 | 14 | 4 | Richard Seeborg |
| Southern District of California | S.D. Cal. | 9th | 1850 | 13 | 1 | Dana Sabraw |
| District of Colorado | D. Col. or D. Colo. | 10th | 1876 | 7 | 8 | Philip A. Brimmer |
| District of Connecticut | D. Conn. | 2nd | 1789 | 8 | 5 | Michael P. Shea |
| District of Delaware | D. Del. | 3rd | 1789 | 4 | 1 | Colm Connolly |
| District of the District of Columbia | D.D.C. | D.C. | 1863 | 15 | 1 | James Boasberg |
| Northern District of Florida | N.D. Fla. or N.D. Fl. | 11th | 1847 | 4 | 6 | Mark E. Walker |
| Middle District of Florida | M.D. Fla. or M.D. Fl. | 11th | 1962 | 15 | 8 | Marcia Morales Howard |
| Southern District of Florida | S.D. Fla. or S.D. Fl. | 11th | 1847 | 18 | 5 | Cecilia Altonaga |
| Northern District of Georgia | N.D. Ga. | 11th | 1848 | 11 | 4 | Timothy Batten |
| Middle District of Georgia | M.D. Ga. | 11th | 1926 | 4 | 7 | Leslie Abrams Gardner |
| Southern District of Georgia | S.D. Ga. | 11th | 1848 | 3 | 6 | R. Stan Baker |
| District of Guam | D. Guam | 9th | 1951 | 1 | 1 | Frances Tydingco-Gatewood |
| District of Hawaii | D. Haw. | 9th | 1959 | 4 | 1 | Derrick Watson |
| District of Idaho | D. Idaho | 9th | 1890 | 2 | 4 | David Nye |
| Northern District of Illinois | N.D. Ill. | 7th | 1855 | 23 | 4 | Virginia Mary Kendall |
| Central District of Illinois | C.D. Ill. | 7th | 1978 | 4 | 6 | Sara Darrow |
| Southern District of Illinois | S.D. Ill. | 7th | 1855 | 4 | 4 | Nancy J. Rosenstengel |
| Northern District of Indiana | N.D. Ind. | 7th | 1928 | 5 | 4 | Holly A. Brady |
| Southern District of Indiana | S.D. Ind. | 7th | 1928 | 5 | 5 | Tanya Walton Pratt |
| Northern District of Iowa | N.D. Iowa | 8th | 1882 | 2 | 6 | C. J. Williams |
| Southern District of Iowa | S.D. Iowa | 8th | 1882 | 3 | 6 | Stephanie M. Rose |
| District of Kansas | D. Kan. | 10th | 1861 | 6 | 9 | Eric F. Melgren |
| Eastern District of Kentucky | E.D. Ky. | 6th | 1901 | 6 | 9 | David Bunning |
| Western District of Kentucky | W.D. Ky. | 6th | 1901 | 5 | 4 | Gregory N. Stivers |
| Eastern District of Louisiana | E.D. La. | 5th | 1849 | 12 | 2 | Nannette Jolivette Brown |
| Middle District of Louisiana | M.D. La. | 5th | 1971 | 3 | 1 | Shelly Dick |
| Western District of Louisiana | W.D. La. | 5th | 1881 | 7 | 6 | Terry A. Doughty |
| District of Maine | D. Me. | 1st | 1789 | 3 | 2 | Lance E. Walker |
| District of Maryland | D. Md. | 4th | 1789 | 10 | 4 | George L. Russell III |
| District of Massachusetts | D. Mass. | 1st | 1789 | 13 | 4 | F. Dennis Saylor IV |
| Eastern District of Michigan | E.D. Mich. | 6th | 1863 | 15 | 5 | Sean Cox |
| Western District of Michigan | W.D. Mich. | 6th | 1863 | 4 | 6 | Hala Y. Jarbou |
| District of Minnesota | D. Minn. | 8th | 1858 | 7 | 6 | Patrick J. Schiltz |
| Northern District of Mississippi | N.D. Miss. | 5th | 1838 | 3 | 7 | Debra M. Brown |
| Southern District of Mississippi | S.D. Miss. | 5th | 1838 | 6 | 7 | Halil Suleyman Ozerden |
| Eastern District of Missouri | E.D. Mo. | 8th | 1857 | 9 | 3 | Stephen R. Clark |
| Western District of Missouri | W.D. Mo. | 8th | 1857 | 7 | 5 | Mary Elizabeth Phillips |
| District of Montana | D. Mont. | 9th | 1889 | 3 | 11 | Brian Morris |
| District of Nebraska | D. Neb. | 8th | 1867 | 3 | 3 | Robert F. Rossiter Jr. |
| District of Nevada | D. Nev. | 9th | 1865 | 7 | 6 | Andrew P. Gordon |
| District of New Hampshire | D.N.H. | 1st | 1789 | 3 | 2 | Landya B. McCafferty |
| District of New Jersey | D.N.J. | 3rd | 1789 | 17 | 6 | Renée Marie Bumb |
| District of New Mexico | D.N.M. | 10th | 1910 | 7 | 3 | Kenneth J. Gonzales |
| Eastern District of New York | E.D.N.Y. | 2nd | 1865 | 15 | 4 | Margo Kitsy Brodie |
| Northern District of New York | N.D.N.Y. | 2nd | 1814 | 5 | 8 | Brenda K. Sannes |
| Southern District of New York | S.D.N.Y. | 2nd | 1814 | 28 | 3 | Laura Taylor Swain |
| Western District of New York | W.D.N.Y. | 2nd | 1900 | 4 | 5 | Elizabeth A. Wolford |
| Eastern District of North Carolina | E.D.N.C. | 4th | 1872 | 4 | 7 | Richard E. Myers II |
| Middle District of North Carolina | M.D.N.C. | 4th | 1927 | 4 | 3 | Catherine Eagles |
| Western District of North Carolina | W.D.N.C. | 4th | 1872 | 5 | 5 | Martin Karl Reidinger |
| District of North Dakota | D.N.D. | 8th | 1890 | 2 | 4 | Peter D. Welte |
| District of the Northern Mariana Islands | D.N. Mar. I. | 9th | 1977 | 1 | 1 | Ramona Villagomez Manglona |
| Northern District of Ohio | N.D. Ohio | 6th | 1855 | 11 | 5 | Sara Elizabeth Lioi |
| Southern District of Ohio | S.D. Ohio | 6th | 1855 | 8 | 5 | Sarah D. Morrison |
| Eastern District of Oklahoma | E.D. Ok. or E.D. Okla. | 10th | 1906 | 2 | 8 | Ronald A. White |
| Northern District of Oklahoma | N.D. Ok. or N.D. Okla. | 10th | 1925 | 4 | 5 | John F. Heil III |
| Western District of Oklahoma | W.D. Ok. or W.D. Okla. | 10th | 1906 | 7 | 10 | Timothy D. DeGiusti |
| District of Oregon | D. Or. or D. Ore. | 9th | 1859 | 6 | 7 | Michael J. McShane |
| Eastern District of Pennsylvania | E.D. Pa. | 3rd | 1818 | 22 | 5 | Mitchell S. Goldberg |
| Middle District of Pennsylvania | M.D. Pa. | 3rd | 1901 | 6 | 5 | Matthew W. Brann |
| Western District of Pennsylvania | W.D. Pa. | 3rd | 1818 | 10 | 3 | Mark R. Hornak |
| District of Puerto Rico | D.P.R. | 1st | 1966 | 7 | 3 | Raúl M. Arias-Marxuach |
| District of Rhode Island | D.R.I. | 1st | 1790 | 3 | 1 | John J. McConnell Jr. |
| District of South Carolina | D.S.C. | 4th | 1789 | 10 | 11 | Timothy M. Cain |
| District of South Dakota | D.S.D. | 8th | 1889 | 3 | 5 | Roberto Lange |
| Eastern District of Tennessee | E.D. Tenn. | 6th | 1802 | 5 | 4 | Travis R. McDonough |
| Middle District of Tennessee | M.D. Tenn. | 6th | 1839 | 4 | 3 | William L. Campbell Jr. |
| Western District of Tennessee | W.D. Tenn. | 6th | 1802 | 5 | 3 | Sheryl H. Lipman |
| Eastern District of Texas | E.D. Tex. | 5th | 1857 | 8 | 7 | Amos Mazzant |
| Northern District of Texas | N.D. Tex. | 5th | 1879 | 12 | 7 | David C. Godbey |
| Southern District of Texas | S.D. Tex. | 5th | 1902 | 19 | 7 | Randy Crane |
| Western District of Texas | W.D. Tex. | 5th | 1857 | 13 | 8 | Alia Moses |
| District of Utah | D. Utah | 10th | 1894 | 5 | 4 | Robert J. Shelby |
| District of Vermont | D. Vt. | 2nd | 1791 | 2 | 7 | Christina Reiss |
| District of the Virgin Islands | D.V.I. | 3rd | 1936 | 2 | 2 | Robert A. Molloy |
| Eastern District of Virginia | E.D. Va. | 4th | 1819 | 11 | 4 | Mark Steven Davis |
| Western District of Virginia | W.D. Va. | 4th | 1819 | 4 | 7 | Elizabeth K. Dillon |
| Eastern District of Washington | E.D. Wash. | 9th | 1905 | 4 | 4 | Stanley Bastian |
| Western District of Washington | W.D. Wash. | 9th | 1905 | 7 | 3 | David Estudillo |
| Northern District of West Virginia | N.D. W. Va. | 4th | 1901 | 3 | 5 | Tom Kleeh |
| Southern District of West Virginia | S.D. W. Va. | 4th | 1901 | 5 | 6 | Frank W. Volk |
| Eastern District of Wisconsin | E.D. Wis. | 7th | 1870 | 5 | 3 | Pamela Pepper |
| Western District of Wisconsin | W.D. Wis. | 7th | 1870 | 2 | 5 | James D. Peterson |
| District of Wyoming | D. Wyo. | 10th | 1890 | 3 | 6 | Scott W. Skavdahl |

## Defunct courts

Note: Defunct courts do not include courts consisting of an entire state that were later subdivided.
| Name | Region(s) | Citation | Established | Disestablished |
| District of Edenton | North Carolina | — | 1794 | 1797 |
| District of New Bern | North Carolina | — | 1794 | 1797 |
| District of Wilmington | North Carolina | — | 1794 | 1797 |
| District of East Jersey | New Jersey | — | 1801 | 1802 |
| District of West Jersey | New Jersey | — | 1801 | 1802 |
| District of Potomac | Maryland, Virginia, DC | — | 1801 | 1802 |
| District of Norfolk | Virginia | — | 1801 | 1802 |
| District of Albemarle | North Carolina | — | 1802 | 1872 |
| District of Cape Fear | North Carolina | — | 1802 | 1872 |
| District of Pamptico | North Carolina | — | 1802 | 1872 |
| District of Orleans | Louisiana | — | 1804 | 1812 |
| Eastern District of Illinois | Illinois | E.D. Ill. | 1905 | 1978 |
| District of China | China | — | 1906 | 1943 |
| Eastern District of South Carolina | South Carolina | E.D.S.C. | 1911 | 1965 |
| Western District of South Carolina | South Carolina | W.D.S.C. | 1911 | 1965 |
| District of the Canal Zone | Panama | D.C.Z. | 1914 | 1982 |
| District of Berlin | West Berlin | D.Berlin | 1955 | 1990 |

## Subdivided courts

| Name | Citation | Established | Subdivided |
| District of Alabama | D. Ala. | April 21, 1820 | March 10, 1824 |
| District of Arkansas | D. Ark. | June 15, 1836 | March 3, 1851 |
| District of California | D. Cal. | July 27, 1866 | August 5, 1886 |
| District of Florida | D. Fla. | March 3, 1845 | February 23, 1847 |
| District of Georgia | D. Ga. | September 24, 1789 | August 11, 1848 |
| District of Illinois | D. Ill. | March 3, 1819 | February 13, 1855 |
| District of Indiana | D. Ind. | March 3, 1817 | April 21, 1928 |
| District of Iowa | D. Iowa | March 3, 1845 | July 20, 1882 |
| District of Kentucky | D. Ky. | September 24, 1789 March 8, 1802 | February 13, 1801 February 12, 1901 |
| District of Louisiana | D. La. | April 8, 1812 February 13, 1845 July 27, 1866 | March 3, 1823 March 3, 1849 March 3, 1881 |
| District of Michigan | D. Mich. | July 1, 1836 | February 24, 1863 |
| District of Mississippi | D. Miss. | April 3, 1818 | June 18, 1838 |
| District of Missouri | D. Mo. | March 16, 1822 | March 3, 1857 |
| District of New York | D.N.Y. | September 24, 1789 | April 9, 1814 |
| District of North Carolina | D.N.C. | June 4, 1790 March 3, 1797 | June 9, 1794 April 29, 1802 |
| District of Ohio | D. Ohio | February 19, 1803 | February 10, 1855 |
| District of Pennsylvania | D. Pa. | September 24, 1789 | April 20, 1818 |
| District of Tennessee | D. Tenn. | January 31, 1797 March 8, 1802 | February 13, 1801 April 29, 1802 |
| District of Texas | D. Tex. | December 29, 1845 | February 21, 1857 |
| District of Virginia | D. Va. | September 24, 1789 March 8, 1802 June 11, 1864 | February 13, 1801 February 4, 1819 February 3, 1871 |
| District of Washington | D. Wash. | April 5, 1890 | March 2, 1905 |
| District of West Virginia | D.W.Va. | June 11, 1864 | January 22, 1901 |
| District of Wisconsin | D. Wis. | May 29, 1848 | June 30, 1870 |