The council has been under no overall control since the 2021 election, being run by a coalition of the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Derwentside Independents, Green Party, and most of the independents, led by Liberal Democrat councillor Amanda Hopgood.

Elected county councils were established in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888, taking over administrative functions previously carried out by unelected magistrates at the quarter sessions.

[15][a] In 2024 a combined authority was established covering Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland, called the North East Mayoral Combined Authority.

It is chaired by the directly elected Mayor of the North East and oversees the delivery of certain strategic functions across the area.

Much of the county is also covered by civil parishes, which form a lower tier of local government for their areas.

[24] New division boundaries have been drawn up to take effect from the 2025 election, reducing the number of councillors to 98.

[25] The council is based at County Hall at Aykley Heads in the northern suburbs of the city of Durham.

A few years after its creation the council decided to build its own headquarters on a site nearby, also on Old Elvet, which was also given the name Shire Hall.

[27] The council has announced plans to move to the Rivergreen building, also in the Aykley Heads area of Durham, in 2025, with the intention that County Hall would then be redeveloped.