Rural districts of Germany

Germany is divided into 401 administrative districts. There are 294 **rural districts** (), listed here. There are also 107 urban districts (**' / **') listed in List of German urban districts.

Urban districts are large towns or cities which handle their own local government. Rural districts provide services for the smaller towns and villages in an area. In some states the towns and villages in a district are joined into ämter (although "amt" is not always the name used). This is because the towns and villages in the area are too small to provide the local services (for example fire brigade or cemeteries). If the "Amt" system is used towns or settlements might be "amtfrei" that is, not part of an amt because the town can handle its own local affairs.

In some states there is another level of government, the Regierungsbezirk or governmental district. Several urban and rural districts are joined to make a regierungsbezirk, which does some of their jobs, especially things like land-use planning which can affect several districts.

## List

|Landkreis|Bundesland (State)|Capital|
| --- | --- | --- |
|Aachen|North Rhine-Westphalia|Aachen¹|
|Ahrweiler|Rhineland-Palatinate|Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler|
|Aichach-Friedberg|Bavaria|Aichach|
|Alb-Donau|Baden-Württemberg|Ulm¹|
|Altenburger Land|Thuringia|Altenburg|
|Altenkirchen|Rhineland-Palatinate|Altenkirchen|
|Altmarkkreis Salzwedel|Saxony-Anhalt|Salzwedel|
|Altötting|Bavaria|Altötting|
|Alzey-Worms|Rhineland-Palatinate|Alzey|
|Amberg-Sulzbach|Bavaria|Amberg¹|
|Ammerland|Lower Saxony|Westerstede|
|Anhalt-Bitterfeld|Saxony-Anhalt|Köthen (Anhalt)|
|Annaberg|Saxony|Annaberg-Buchholz|
|Ansbach|Bavaria|Ansbach¹|
|Aschaffenburg|Bavaria|Aschaffenburg¹|
|Aue-Schwarzenberg|Saxony|Aue|
|Augsburg|Bavaria|Augsburg¹|
|Aurich|Lower Saxony|Aurich|
|Bad Doberan|Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania|Bad Doberan|
|Bad Dürkheim|Rhineland-Palatinate|Bad Dürkheim|
|Bad Kissingen|Bavaria|Bad Kissingen|
|Bad Kreuznach|Rhineland-Palatinate|Bad Kreuznach|
|Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen|Bavaria|Bad Tölz|
|Bamberg|Bavaria|Bamberg¹|
|Barnim|Brandenburg|Eberswalde|
|Bautzen|Saxony|Bautzen|
|Bayreuth|Bavaria|Bayreuth¹|
|Bentheim|Lower Saxony|Nordhorn|
|Berchtesgadener Land|Bavaria|Bad Reichenhall|
|Bergstraße|Hesse|Heppenheim|
|Bernkastel-Wittlich|Rhineland-Palatinate|Wittlich|
|Biberach|Baden-Württemberg|Biberach|
|Birkenfeld|Rhineland-Palatinate|Birkenfeld|
|Böblingen|Baden-Württemberg|Böblingen|
|Bodenseekreis|Baden-Württemberg|Friedrichshafen|
|Börde|Saxony-Anhalt|Haldensleben|
|Borken|North Rhine-Westphalia|Borken|
|Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald|Baden-Württemberg|Freiburg¹|
|Burgenlandkreis|Saxony-Anhalt|Naumburg|
|Calw|Baden-Württemberg|Calw|
|Celle|Lower Saxony|Celle|
|Cham|Bavaria|Cham|
|Chemnitzer Land|Saxony|Glauchau|
|Cleves (_Kleve_)|North Rhine-Westphalia|Cleves (_Kleve_)|
|Cloppenburg|Lower Saxony|Cloppenburg|
|Coburg|Bavaria|Coburg¹|
|Cochem-Zell|Rhineland-Palatinate|Cochem|
|Coesfeld|North Rhine-Westphalia|Coesfeld|
|Cuxhaven|Lower Saxony|Cuxhaven|
|Dachau|Bavaria|Dachau|
|Dahme-Spreewald|Brandenburg|Lübben|
|Darmstadt-Dieburg|Hesse|Darmstadt¹|
|Deggendorf|Bavaria|Deggendorf|
|Delitzsch|Saxony|Delitzsch|
|Demmin|Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania|Demmin|
|Diepholz|Lower Saxony|Diepholz|
|Dillingen|Bavaria|Dillingen|
|Dingolfing-Landau|Bavaria|Dingolfing|
|Dithmarschen|Schleswig-Holstein|Heide|
|Döbeln|Saxony|Döbeln|
|Donau-Ries|Bavaria|Donauwörth|
|Donnersbergkreis|Rhineland-Palatinate|Kirchheimbolanden|
|Düren|North Rhine-Westphalia|Düren|
|Ebersberg|Bavaria|Ebersberg|
|Eichsfeld|Thuringia|Heilbad Heiligenstadt|
|Eichstätt|Bavaria|Eichstätt|
|Eifelkreis Bitburg-Prüm|Rhineland-Palatinate|Bitburg|
|Elbe-Elster|Brandenburg|Herzberg|
|Emmendingen|Baden-Württemberg|Emmendingen|
|Emsland|Lower Saxony|Meppen|
|Ennepe-Ruhr Rural District|North Rhine-Westphalia|Schwelm|
|Enz|Baden-Württemberg|Pforzheim¹|
|Erding|Bavaria|Erding|
|Erlangen-Höchstadt|Bavaria|Erlangen¹|
|Esslingen|Baden-Württemberg|Esslingen am Neckar|
|Euskirchen|North Rhine-Westphalia|Euskirchen|
|Forchheim|Bavaria|Forchheim|
|Freiberg|Saxony|Freiberg|
|Freising|Bavaria|Freising|
|Freudenstadt|Baden-Württemberg|Freudenstadt|
|Freyung-Grafenau|Bavaria|Freyung|
|Friesland|Lower Saxony|Jever|
|Fulda|Hesse|Fulda|
|Fürstenfeldbruck|Bavaria|Fürstenfeldbruck|
|Fürth|Bavaria|Zirndorf|
|Garmisch-Partenkirchen|Bavaria|Garmisch-Partenkirchen|
|Germersheim|Rhineland-Palatinate|Germersheim|
|Gießen|Hesse|Gießen|
|Gifhorn|Lower Saxony|Gifhorn|
|Göppingen|Baden-Württemberg|Göppingen|
|Goslar|Lower Saxony|Goslar|
|Gotha|Thuringia|Gotha|
|Göttingen|Lower Saxony|Göttingen|
|Greiz|Thuringia|Greiz|
|Groß-Gerau|Hesse|Groß-Gerau|
|Günzburg|Bavaria|Günzburg|
|Güstrow|Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania|Güstrow|
|Gütersloh|North Rhine-Westphalia|Gütersloh|
|Hamelin-Pyrmont (_Hameln-Pyrmont_)|Lower Saxony|Hamelin (_Hameln_)|
|Hanover (_Hannover_)|Lower Saxony|Hanover (_Hannover_)|
|Harburg|Lower Saxony|Winsen|
|Harz|Saxony-Anhalt|Halberstadt|
|Haßberge|Bavaria|Haßfurt|
|Havelland|Brandenburg|Rathenow|
|Heidenheim|Baden-Württemberg|Heidenheim|
|Heilbronn|Baden-Württemberg|Heilbronn¹|
|Heinsberg|North Rhine-Westphalia|Heinsberg|
|Helmstedt|Lower Saxony|Helmstedt|
|Herford|North Rhine-Westphalia|Herford|
|Hersfeld-Rotenburg|Hesse|Bad Hersfeld|
|Hildburghausen|Thuringia|Hildburghausen|
|Hildesheim|Lower Saxony|Hildesheim|
|Hochsauerland|North Rhine-Westphalia|Meschede|
|Hochtaunuskreis|Hesse|Bad Homburg|
|Hof|Bavaria|Hof|
|Hohenlohe|Baden-Württemberg|Künzelsau|
|Holzminden|Lower Saxony|Holzminden|
|Höxter|North Rhine-Westphalia|Höxter|
|Ilm-Kreis|Thuringia|Arnstadt|
|Jerichower Land|Saxony-Anhalt|Burg|
|Kaiserslautern|Rhineland-Palatinate|Kaiserslautern¹|
|Kamenz|Saxony|Kamenz|
|Karlsruhe|Baden-Württemberg|Karlsruhe¹|
|Kassel|Hesse|Kassel¹|
|Kelheim|Bavaria|Kelheim|
|Kitzingen|Bavaria|Kitzingen|
|Konstanz|Baden-Württemberg|Konstanz|
|Kronach|Bavaria|Kronach|
|Kulmbach|Bavaria|Kulmbach|
|Kusel|Rhineland-Palatinate|Kusel|
|Kyffhäuserkreis|Thuringia|Sondershausen|
|Lahn-Dill|Hesse|Wetzlar|
|Landsberg|Bavaria|Landsberg|
|Landshut|Bavaria|Landshut¹|
|Lauenburg|Schleswig-Holstein|Ratzeburg|
|Leer|Lower Saxony|Leer|
|Leipziger Land|Saxony|Borna|
|Lichtenfels|Bavaria|Lichtenfels|
|Limburg-Weilburg|Hesse|Limburg|
|Lindau|Bavaria|Lindau|
|Lippe|North Rhine-Westphalia|Detmold|
|Löbau-Zittau|Saxony|Zittau|
|Lörrach|Baden-Württemberg|Lörrach|
|Lüchow-Dannenberg|Lower Saxony|Lüchow|
|Ludwigsburg|Baden-Württemberg|Ludwigsburg|
|Ludwigslust|Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania|Ludwigslust|
|Lüneburg|Lower Saxony|Lüneburg|
|Main-Kinzig|Hesse|Gelnhausen|
|Main-Spessart|Bavaria|Karlstadt am Main|
|Main-Tauber|Baden-Württemberg|Tauberbischofsheim|
|Main-Taunus|Hesse|Hofheim|
|Mainz-Bingen|Rhineland-Palatinate|Ingelheim|
|Mansfeld-Südharz|Saxony-Anhalt|Sangerhausen|
|Marburg-Biedenkopf|Hesse|Marburg|
|Märkischer Kreis|North Rhine-Westphalia|Lüdenscheid|
|Märkisch-Oderland|Brandenburg|Seelow|
|Mayen-Koblenz|Rhineland-Palatinate|Koblenz¹|
|Mecklenburg-Strelitz|Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania|Neustrelitz|
|Meißen|Saxony|Meißen|
|Merzig-Wadern|Saarland|Merzig|
|Mettmann|North Rhine-Westphalia|Mettmann|
|Miesbach|Bavaria|Miesbach|
|Miltenberg|Bavaria|Miltenberg|
|Minden-Lübbecke|North Rhine-Westphalia|Minden|
|Mittlerer Erzgebirgskreis|Saxony|Marienberg|
|Mittweida|Saxony|Mittweida|
|Mühldorf|Bavaria|Mühldorf|
|Muldentalkreis|Saxony|Grimma|
|Munich (_München_)|Bavaria|Munich¹ (_München_)|
|Müritz|Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania|Waren|
|Neckar-Odenwald|Baden-Württemberg|Mosbach|
|Neuburg-Schrobenhausen|Bavaria|Neuburg|
|Neumarkt|Bavaria|Neumarkt|
|Neunkirchen|Saarland|Ottweiler|
|Neustadt (Aisch)-Bad Windsheim|Bavaria|Neustadt (Aisch)|
|Neustadt (Waldnaab)|Bavaria|Neustadt (Waldnaab)|
|Neu-Ulm|Bavaria|Neu-Ulm|
|Neuwied|Rhineland-Palatinate|Neuwied|
|Niederschlesischer Oberlausitzkreis|Saxony|Niesky|
|Nienburg|Lower Saxony|Nienburg|
|Nordfriesland|Schleswig-Holstein|Husum|
|Nordhausen|Thuringia|Nordhausen|
|Nordvorpommern|Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania|Grimmen|
|Nordwestmecklenburg|Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania|Grevesmühlen|
|Northeim|Lower Saxony|Northeim|
|Nürnberger Land|Bavaria|Lauf an der Pegnitz|
|Oberallgäu|Bavaria|Sonthofen|
|Oberbergischer Kreis|North Rhine-Westphalia|Gummersbach|
|Oberhavel|Brandenburg|Oranienburg|
|Oberspreewald-Lausitz|Brandenburg|Senftenberg|
|Odenwaldkreis|Hesse|Erbach|
|Oder-Spree|Brandenburg|Beeskow|
|Offenbach|Hesse|Dietzenbach|
|Oldenburg|Lower Saxony|Wildeshausen|
|Olpe|North Rhine-Westphalia|Olpe|
|Ortenaukreis|Baden-Württemberg|Offenburg|
|Osnabrück|Lower Saxony|Osnabrück¹|
|Ostalbkreis|Baden-Württemberg|Aalen|
|Ostallgäu|Bavaria|Marktoberdorf|
|Osterholz|Lower Saxony|Osterholz-Scharmbeck|
|Ostholstein|Schleswig-Holstein|Eutin|
|Ostprignitz-Ruppin|Brandenburg|Neuruppin|
|Ostvorpommern|Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania|Anklam|
|Paderborn|North Rhine-Westphalia|Paderborn|
|Parchim|Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania|Parchim|
|Passau|Bavaria|Passau¹|
|Peine|Lower Saxony|Peine|
|Pfaffenhofen|Bavaria|Pfaffenhofen a.d.Ilm|
|Pinneberg|Schleswig-Holstein|Pinneberg|
|Plön|Schleswig-Holstein|Plön|
|Potsdam-Mittelmark|Brandenburg|Belzig|
|Prignitz|Brandenburg|Perleberg|
|Rastatt|Baden-Württemberg|Rastatt|
|Ravensburg|Baden-Württemberg|Ravensburg|
|Recklinghausen|North Rhine-Westphalia|Recklinghausen|
|Regen|Bavaria|Regen|
|Regensburg|Bavaria|Regensburg¹|
|Rems-Murr|Baden-Württemberg|Waiblingen|
|Rendsburg-Eckernförde|Schleswig-Holstein|Rendsburg|
|Reutlingen|Baden-Württemberg|Reutlingen|
|Rhein-Erft-Kreis|North Rhine-Westphalia|Bergheim|
|Rheingau-Taunus|Hesse|Bad Schwalbach|
|Rhein-Hunsrück|Rhineland-Palatinate|Simmern|
|Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis|North Rhine-Westphalia|Bergisch-Gladbach|
|Rheinkreis Neuss|North Rhine-Westphalia|Neuss|
|Rhein-Lahn|Rhineland-Palatinate|Bad Ems|
|Rhein-Neckar|Baden-Württemberg|Heidelberg¹|
|Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis|Rhineland-Palatinate|Ludwigshafen¹|
|Rhein-Sieg|North Rhine-Westphalia|Siegburg|
|Rhön-Grabfeld|Bavaria|Bad Neustadt|
|Riesa-Großenhain|Saxony|Großenhain|
|Rosenheim|Bavaria|Rosenheim¹|
|Rotenburg|Lower Saxony|Rotenburg|
|Roth|Bavaria|Roth bei Nürnberg|
|Rottal-Inn|Bavaria|Pfarrkirchen|
|Rottweil|Baden-Württemberg|Rottweil|
|Rügen|Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania|Bergen|
|Saale-Holzland|Thuringia|Eisenberg|
|Saale-Orla|Thuringia|Schleiz|
|Saalfeld-Rudolstadt|Thuringia|Saalfeld|
|Saalekreis|Saxony-Anhalt|Merseburg|
|Saarbrücken|Saarland|Saarbrücken|
|Saarlouis|Saarland|Saarlouis|
|Saarpfalz|Saarland|Homburg|
|Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge|Saxony|Pirna|
|Salzlandkreis|Saxony-Anhalt|Bernburg|
|Sankt Wendel|Saarland|Sankt Wendel|
|Schaumburg|Lower Saxony|Stadthagen|
|Schleswig-Flensburg|Schleswig-Holstein|Schleswig|
|Schmalkalden-Meiningen|Thuringia|Meiningen|
|Schwäbisch Hall|Baden-Württemberg|Schwäbisch Hall|
|Schwalm-Eder|Hesse|Homberg|
|Schwandorf|Bavaria|Schwandorf|
|Schwarzwald-Baar|Baden-Württemberg|Villingen-Schwenningen|
|Schweinfurt|Bavaria|Schweinfurt¹|
|Segeberg|Schleswig-Holstein|Bad Segeberg|
|Siegen-Wittgenstein|North Rhine-Westphalia|Siegen|
|Sigmaringen|Baden-Württemberg|Sigmaringen|
|Soest|North Rhine-Westphalia|Soest|
|Soltau-Fallingbostel|Lower Saxony|Bad Fallingbostel|
|Sömmerda|Thuringia|Sömmerda|
|Sonneberg|Thuringia|Sonneberg|
|Spree-Neiße|Brandenburg|Forst|
|Stade|Lower Saxony|Stade|
|Starnberg|Bavaria|Starnberg|
|Steinburg|Schleswig-Holstein|Itzehoe|
|Steinfurt|North Rhine-Westphalia|Steinfurt|
|Stendal|Saxony-Anhalt|Stendal|
|Stollberg|Saxony|Stollberg|
|Stormarn|Schleswig-Holstein|Bad Oldesloe|
|Straubing-Bogen|Bavaria|Straubing¹|
|Südliche Weinstraße|Rhineland-Palatinate|Landau¹|
|Südwestpfalz|Rhineland-Palatinate|Pirmasens¹|
|Teltow-Fläming|Brandenburg|Luckenwalde|
|Tirschenreuth|Bavaria|Tirschenreuth|
|Torgau-Oschatz|Saxony|Torgau|
|Traunstein|Bavaria|Traunstein|
|Trier-Saarburg|Rhineland-Palatinate|Trier¹|
|Tübingen|Baden-Württemberg|Tübingen|
|Tuttlingen|Baden-Württemberg|Tuttlingen|
|Uckermark|Brandenburg|Prenzlau|
|Uecker-Randow|Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania|Pasewalk|
|Uelzen|Lower Saxony|Uelzen|
|Unna|North Rhine-Westphalia|Unna|
|Unstrut-Hainich|Thuringia|Mühlhausen|
|Unterallgäu|Bavaria|Mindelheim|
|Vechta|Lower Saxony|Vechta|
|Verden|Lower Saxony|Verden|
|Viersen|North Rhine-Westphalia|Viersen|
|Vogelsbergkreis|Hesse|Lauterbach|
|Vogtlandkreis|Saxony|Plauen¹|
|Vulkaneifel|Rhineland-Palatinate|Daun|
|Waldeck-Frankenberg|Hesse|Korbach|
|Waldshut|Baden-Württemberg|Waldshut-Tiengen|
|Warendorf|North Rhine-Westphalia|Warendorf|
|Wartburgkreis|Thuringia|Eisenach|
|Weilheim-Schongau|Bavaria|Weilheim|
|Weimarer Land|Thuringia|Apolda|
|Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen|Bavaria|Weißenburg|
|Weißeritzkreis|Saxony|Dippoldiswalde|
|Werra-Meißner|Hesse|Eschwege|
|Wesel|North Rhine-Westphalia|Wesel|
|Wesermarsch|Lower Saxony|Brake|
|Westerwaldkreis|Rhineland-Palatinate|Montabaur|
|Wetteraukreis|Hesse|Friedberg|
|Wittenberg|Saxony-Anhalt|Wittenberg|
|Wittmund|Lower Saxony|Wittmund|
|Wolfenbüttel|Lower Saxony|Wolfenbüttel|
|Wunsiedel|Bavaria|Wunsiedel|
|Würzburg|Bavaria|Würzburg|
|Zollernalbkreis|Baden-Württemberg|Balingen|
|Zwickauer Land|Saxony|Werdau|
|colspan=3|1: _Seat of the district's administration, but not part of the district (being an urban district)_||

## Related pages

- Districts of Germany
- List of German districts
- Local government of Germany
- Urban districts of Germany