Jamaica’s 14 Parishes: What Each Is Known For

Jamaica is divided into 14 parishes, grouped into three historic counties: Cornwall in the west, Middlesex in the middle and Surrey in the east. Parishes are what Jamaicans use to say where they’re from and where things are, so knowing a few makes directions, news and hotel addresses much easier to follow. Each parish has a capital town, and two of them, Kingston and Montego Bay, have city status. Here’s the full list, then what each parish means for a visitor.

All 14 parishes at a glance

Areas are from the Jamaica Information Service’s parish profiles. Kingston is the smallest parish and Hanover the second smallest. St. Ann and St. Elizabeth are the two largest, almost exactly the same size.

Free Jamaica trip checklist

Want the printable version?

Get my free Jamaica trip checklist, then guides for the part of the island you're visiting.

Leave this empty

First name

Email address

When are you travelling? (optional)Choose…In the next 3 monthsIn 3–6 monthsIn 6–12 monthsNot sure yet

Get the checklist

Unsubscribe any time.

Cornwall: the west

St. James is home to Montego Bay, Sangster International Airport and the biggest cluster of all-inclusive resorts on the island, from the Hip Strip to Rose Hall. See my Montego Bay guide.

Hanover, created in 1725, runs along the coast west of Montego Bay to Lucea, with large resorts around Green Island and the northern end of Negril’s beach.

Westmoreland has most of Negril, including Seven Mile Beach and the West End cliffs, plus the busy market town of Savanna-la-Mar. Negril straddles the Westmoreland and Hanover border; my Negril guide covers both sides.

St. Elizabeth, one of the oldest parishes, is the heart of the south coast: Treasure Beach, Black River and farming country. See my Treasure Beach guide.

Trelawny, set up in 1770 and named after Governor William Trelawny, has Falmouth, the cruise port and Cockpit Country inland.

Middlesex: the middle

St. Ann is called the Garden Parish, and it’s where you’ll find Ocho Rios, Runaway Bay and many of the north coast’s best-known resorts and attractions. See my Ocho Rios guide.

St. Mary, east of Ocho Rios, is greener and quieter, with Oracabessa and the capital, Port Maria. It was one of the first parts of the island the Spanish occupied.

St. Catherine was formed in 1867 from four smaller parishes. Its capital, Spanish Town, is full of history, and Portmore sits just across the harbor from Kingston.

Clarendon, named after the Earl of Clarendon, is mostly farmland and small towns, with May Pen as its capital.

Manchester, formed in 1814, is cool hill country around Mandeville, a common stop on the road to the south coast.

Surrey: the east

Kingston is the capital of Jamaica and the smallest parish, but the busiest. Most of what visitors call Kingston, including New Kingston and Half Way Tree, is actually in St. Andrew, which also climbs up into the Blue Mountains. See Kingston for tourists.

Portland, named after the Duke of Portland, is the lush, rainy northeast around Port Antonio, with waterfalls, rivers and quiet beaches.

St. Thomas, in the far southeast, is the least visited parish. Its capital is Morant Bay, and it’s home to Bath Botanical Gardens, established in 1779 and the second oldest in the Western Hemisphere.

My take: most first-time visitors only see St. James, Westmoreland, Hanover and St. Ann, because that’s where the resorts are. If you have a spare day, a trip into a different parish, such as St. Elizabeth on the south coast or Portland in the east, shows you a very different Jamaica.