Biłgoraj County () is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Lublin Voivodeship, eastern Poland. It was established on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Biłgoraj, which lies south of the regional capital Lublin.
History Contemporary Biłgoraj County's territories before the Partitions of Poland were located at the border of two Voivodeships. Most of the county was part of the Ruthenian Voivodeship (historical region of Red Ruthenia), within the lands of Chełm and Przemyśl. A smaller portion of the county, including the areas of today's towns: Biłgoraj, Goraj, and Frampol, was part of the Lublin Voivodeship.
In 1807, the Duchy of Warsaw was established. The new administrative division was based on departments, subdivided into counties. The territory of today's Biłgoraj County became part of Tarnogród County in 1810, which was incorporated within the Lublin Department.
Congress Poland In 1866, following the failure of the January Uprising, the administrative division of Congress Poland was reformed. Tarnogród County was abolished, and in its place, Biłgoraj County was established.
Second Polish Republic
When Poland regained independence in 1918, Biłgoraj County became one of the 19 counties of the Lublin Voivodeship, which was established on August 14, 1919.
General Governorate for the Occupied Polish Region According to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, the Biłgoraj region, along with the rest of the Polish territories east of the Vistula and San rivers, was to be ceded to the Soviet Union. However, changes were made to the occupiers' arrangements. On October 26, 1939, Biłgoraj County was placed under German civilian administration as Landkreis Biłgoraj.
Polish People's Republic In 1944, the administrative division of Poland was restored to its pre-war shape.
According to the 1952 administrative division, Biłgoraj County was part of the Lublin Voivodeship.
As a result of the administrative reform of 1975, on June 1 of that year, Biłgoraj County was abolished. Its gminas were incorporated into the newly established Zamość Voivodeship.
Third Polish Republic The administrative reform of 1999 restored Biłgoraj County within the borders of the new Lublin Voivodeship.
Geography Biłgoraj County alongside Tomaszów County is the southernmost county in the Lublin Voivodeship. It borders Lublin County and Krasnystaw County to the north, Zamość County and Tomaszów County to the east, Lubaczów County and Przeworsk County to the south, Leżajsk County to the south-west, Nisko County to the west, and Janów County to the north-west.
Protected areas Protected areas of the county include the following categories:
Special Protection Area: Solska Forest (Puszcza Solska).
Landscape parks: Krasnobród Landscape Park, Solska Forest Landscape Park (Park Krajobrazowy Puszczy Solskiej), Szczebrzeszyn Landscape Park.
National Parks: Roztocze National Park.
Nature reserve: Czartowe Pole Nature Reserve, Obary Nature Reserve, Szum Nature Reserve.
Special Area of Conservation: Dolina Dolnej Tanwi (Valley of the Lower Tanew), Uroczyska Puszczy Solskiej.
Rivers Following is a list of rivers, which are at least partially, if not predominantly located within county. +RankNameTotal length (km)Outflow1Tanew114.3San2Łada (Biała Łada)62.8Tanew3Bukowa54.5San4Pór46.7Wieprz5Wirowa36.0Tanew6Złota33.1San7Czarna Łada26.3Łada (Biała Łada)8Sopot24.3Tanew9Gorajka23.0Pór10Szum22.3Tanew11Kurzynka20.2Tanew12Złota Nitka19.2Tanew13Lubienia19.2Tanew14Borowina18.9Tanew15Rakowa18.5Bukowa16Nitka16.4Wirowa17Luchówka15.2Złota18Studzienica14.9Tanew19Niepryszka11.5Szum20Łazowna11.3Tanew21Gruszec10.4Bukowa22Szpisznica10.2Tanew23Ratwica10.0Czarna Łada24Osa9.4Łada (Biała Łada)25Mucha8.7Tanew26Bicz7.7Kurzynka27Smolnik7.4Czarna Łada28Stok7.3Braszczka29Braszczka6.8Czarna Łada30Pasternik6.4Lubienia31Studczek6.2Czarna Łada32Kiełbasówka5.6Ratwica33Czarna5.6Sopot34Nitka5.4Złota Nitka35Potok4.7Luchówka36Szarka3.2Czarna Łada37Świrek2.8Szum
Highest points Wielka Jeżówka – 337,5 meters above sea level, Tłomska Góra – 325 meters above sea level, Sawina – 325 meters above sea level, Łysiec – 325 meters above sea level, Góra Kopczyna – 311,5 meters above sea level.
Towns and villages +Largest towns in Biłgoraj County as of 2025RankNamePopulation1Biłgoraj24,3122Tarnogród3,0413Józefów2,2544Frampol1,2965Goraj8686Turobin792
Administrative division The county is subdivided into 14 gminas (1 urban, 5 urban-rural and 8 rural). These are listed in the following table, in alphabetical order.
+The division of a county into gminasGminaTypeArea (km2)Population (2025)SeatAleksandrówrural54.263,119AleksandrówBiłgorajurban21.1024,312BiłgorajBiłgorajrural262.6413,335BiłgorajBiszczarural106.313,658BiszczaFrampolurban-rural107.615,511FrampolGorajurban-rural67.873,776GorajJózefówurban-rural126.466,179JózefówKsiężpolrural141.286,577KsiężpolŁukowarural148.723,810ŁukowaObszarural113.233,957ObszaPotok Górnyrural111.164,840Potok GórnyTarnogródurban-rural114.256,054TarnogródTereszpolrural144.013,734TereszpolTurobinurban-rural162.195,311Turobin
Demographics As of 2025, the county had a total population of 94,173 residents, accounting for almost 4,8% of the Lublin Voivodeship's total population, making it the 7th most populous county in the voivodeship (including city counties). Around 65% of the county's population lives in rural areas, while 35% resides in urban zones.
The total fertility rate in 2025 was estimated at 0,895 children per woman. Biłgoraj County's population reached its peak in 1998. The total population is expected to decline by 30% by 2060.
In 2025, about 46,293 of the county's residents were men, and 47,880 were women. Approximately 16.7% (15,700) of the population was age of 17 or less; 58.1% (54,711) were between the ages of 18 and 64 for men, and 18 and 59 for women; and 25.2% (23,762) were above the age of 64 for men and 60 for women. In the same year, the county had a population density of 56.129 people per square kilometer. +Vital statisticsYearPopulationMenWomenUrbanRural Live births Deaths totalNatural changeTotal fertility rate202594,17346,29347,88032,56361,6104711063 -592 0,895202495,21946,84048,37932,91062,3095441074-5300,985202396,15847,32348,83532,42363,7355631062-4990,988202297,05547,73349,32232,76464,2916911106 -4151,185202197,77148,09649,67533,06364,7087101432-7221,1702020100,33349,45450,87933,32367,0108261261-4351,2042019100,91949,76551,15433,55167,3688651030-1651,2402018101,43550,00551,43033,67167,7648841094-2101,2342017101,94950,25451,69533,87668,0739551063-1081,3162016102,27250,39151,88133,87468,3989511067-1161,2942015102,64750,57652,07134,23268,4159541050-961,2842014102,94150,68552,25634,35568,5869061008-1021,2022013103,36650,92252,44434,63568,7318851032-1471,1642012103,56951,04452,52534,73268,8371040103731,3542011103,72751,11752,61034,76668,9619741101-1271,2492010103,00550,78552,22034,38668,61910501016341,3162009103,22650,86552,36134,36368,86311021164-621,3992008103,62350,98952,63434,57169,05211041057471,4152007103,75951,12552,63434,47769,28210431062-191,3342006104,00151,30952,69234,50069,50110391069-301,3432005104,42351,55252,87134,46069,963N/A N/A N/A N/A 2004104,64851,71752,93134,31270,336N/A N/A N/A N/A 2003104,87751,79553,08234,24270,635N/A N/A N/A N/A 2002104,87451,81253,06233,95770,917N/A N/A N/A N/A 2001105,03151,90153,13033,82071,211N/A N/A N/A N/A 2000105,44852,13953,30933,95071,498N/A N/A N/A N/A 1999105,37552,06453,31133,86571,510N/A N/A N/A N/A 1998106,30152,71853,58334,69771,604N/A N/A N/A N/A 1997106,22352,66853,55534,42171,802N/A N/A N/A N/A 1996106,12752,61053,51734,22971,898N/A N/A N/A N/A 1995105,96052,50453,45634,04571,915N/A N/A N/A N/A +Population projectionsYearPopulationMenWomen202594,67446,55648,118203091,25344,78646,467203587,22042,75044,470204082,98040,62942,351204578,68438,49240,192205074,39236,36838,024205570,12434,25835,866206065,86032,11733,743 Politics
The executive board The executive body of Biłgoraj County is the executive board. It consists of the starosta (head of the board), the deputy starosta, and other members. The board is elected by the district council. The current board was elected on May 6, 2024. Andrzej Szarlip — Starosta of Biłgoraj County, Beata Strzałka — Deputy Starosta of Biłgoraj County, Tomasz Rogala — Full-time Member of the County Board, Bartłomiej Świtała — Full-time Member of the County Board, Jan Małysza — Member of the Board, Małgorzata Liwosz-Rudy — Secretary of Biłgoraj County.
The district council The Biłgoraj District Council is a subregional-level elected legislature. The current council was elected on April 7, 2024. +CompositionPolitical partyMembersAffiliationLaw and Justice (PiS)12Government Third Way (PSL-PL2050)3OppositionKWW — Biłgorajszczyzna3KWW — Prawicowa Polska Marcina Romanowskiego3Total21—
National elections Biłgoraj County is part of Sejm constituency no. 7 (Chełm) for the lower house of the Polish Parliament.
For the upper house of the Parliament of Poland, Biłgoraj County is part of the Senate constituency of Zamość.
For elections to the European Parliament, Biłgoraj County is part of the Lublin constituency.
Symbols Since June 27, 2000, the county symbol is three silver bars, above which is a half-bear, half-eagle with a golden crown around its neck. This is a combination of the Korczak (three silver bars) coat of arms, used by the founder of Biłgoraj, Adam Gorajski, and the symbolism of the Przemyśl Land (eagle) and the Chełm Land (bear).
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