Żywiec County

Żywiec County Powiat żywiecki
County
Coat of arms
Location within Silesian Voivodeship
Coordinates (Żywiec): 49°41′21″N 19°12′21″E / 49.68917°N 19.20583°E / 49.68917; 19.20583Coordinates: 49°41′21″N 19°12′21″E / 49.68917°N 19.20583°E / 49.68917; 19.20583
Country	Poland
Voivodeship	Silesian
Seat	Żywiec
Gminas	Total 15 (incl. 1 urban) Żywiec Gmina Czernichów Gmina Gilowice Gmina Jeleśnia Gmina Koszarawa Gmina Łękawica Gmina Lipowa Gmina Łodygowice Gmina Milówka Gmina Radziechowy-Wieprz Gmina Rajcza Gmina Ślemień Gmina Świnna Gmina Ujsoły Gmina Węgierska Górka
Area
• Total	1,039.96 km2 (401.53 sq mi)
Population (2006)
• Total	149,492
• Density	140/km2 (370/sq mi)
• Urban	32,078
• Rural	117,414
Car plates	SZY
Website	http://www.starostwo.zywiec.pl/

Żywiec County (Polish: powiat żywiecki) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Silesian Voivodeship, southern Poland, on the Slovak border. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and only town is Żywiec, which lies 64 kilometres (40 mi) south of the regional capital Katowice.

The county covers an area of 1,039.96 square kilometres (401.5 sq mi). As of 2006 its total population is 149,492, out of which the population of Żywiec is 32,078 and the rural population is 117,414.

The county includes part of the protected area known as Żywiec Landscape Park.

Żywiec County is bordered by Cieszyn County to the west, the city of Bielsko-Biała and Bielsko County to the north, Wadowice County to the north-east, and Sucha County to the east. It also borders Slovakia to the south.

The county is subdivided into 15 gminas (one urban and 14 rural). These are listed in the following table, in descending order of population.