Bielsk County () is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Podlaskie Voivodeship, north-eastern Poland. It came into being on 1 January 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat and largest town is Bielsk Podlaski, which lies south of the regional capital Białystok. The only other town in the county is Brańsk, lying west of Bielsk Podlaski. The county covers an area of . As of 2019 its total population is 54,590, out of which the population of Bielsk Podlaski is 25,290, that of Brańsk is 3,767, and the rural population is 25,533. Neighbouring counties Bielsk County is bordered by Białystok County to the north, Hajnówka County to the east, Siemiatycze County to the south and Wysokie Mazowieckie County to the west. Administrative division The county is subdivided into eight gminas (two urban and six rural). These are listed in the following table, in descending order of population. History 15th century On 18 January 1493, Brańsk received a city charter based on Magdeburg rights from the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Alexander Jagiellon. It was the first city in Podlaskie to receive such a charter. On 18 November 1495, Bielsk Podlaski received a city charter based on Magdeburg rights from the Grand Duke of Lithuania, Alexander Jagiellon. 16th century On 1 July 1569, the Union of Lublin was signed between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland forming the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. One of the terms of the treaty transferred the Podlaskie Voivodeship from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to the Polish Crown. 18th century On 24 October 1795, the Third Partition of Poland assigned Bielsk County and most of Podlaskie to Prussia 19th century On 7–9 July 1807, the Treaties of Tilsit were signed between Imperial Russia, the First French Empire and Prussia. The treaties repartitioned former Polish territory and assigned Bielsk County and most of eastern Podlaskie from Prussia to Imperial Russia. It was, from 1796 to 1915, subdivided into 8 Volost. włość oleksińska – Oleksin włość dubiażyńska – Dubiażyn włość klejnicka – Klejniki włość łosińska – Łosinka włość maleszewska – Malesze włość nowoberezowska – Nowe Berezowo włość orleńska – Orla włość pasynkowska – Pasynki 20th century On 15 August 1915, the Gorlice-Tarnów Offensive by the German forces on the Eastern Front of World War I caused Bielsk County to come under the control of