Local government is provided by the Municipality of the County of Richmond.

Named in honour of Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond, who was Governor General of British North America 1818–1819, Richmond County was created in 1835.

The boundaries of the Southern District were defined at the time of its establishment.

The main centre is Arichat, located on Isle Madame.

[5] Forming the majority of the Richmond County census division, the Municipality of the County of Richmond, including its Subdivisions A, B, and C, had a population of 8,509 living in 3,961 of its 5,083 total private dwellings, a change of 0.6% from its 2016 population of 8,458.