History
The Judiciary Act of 1789 established three circuits, which were groups of judicial districts in which United States circuit courts were established. Each circuit court consisted of two Supreme Court justices and the local district judge; the three circuits existed solely for the purpose of assigning the justices to a group of circuit courts. Some districts (generally the ones most difficult for an itinerant justice to reach) did not have a circuit court; in these districts the district court exercised the original jurisdiction of a circuit court. As new states were admitted to the Union, Congress often did not create circuit courts for them for a number of years.
The Midnight Judges Act reorganized the districts into six circuits, and created circuit judgeships so that Supreme Court justices would no longer have to ride circuit. This Act, however, was repealed in March 1802, and Congress provided that the former circuit courts would be revived as of July 1 of that year. But it then passed the new Judiciary Act of 1802 in April, so that the revival of the old courts never took effect. The 1802 Act restored circuit riding, but with only one justice to a circuit; it therefore created six new circuits, but with slightly different compositions than the 1801 Act. These six circuits later were augmented by others. Until 1866, each new circuit (except the short-lived California Circuit) was accompanied by a newly-created Supreme Court seat.
| State | Judicial District(s) created | Circuit assignment(s) |
|---|---|---|
| New Hampshire | 1789 | Eastern, 1789–1801 1st, 1801– |
| Massachusetts | 1789 | Eastern, 1789–1801 1st, 1801– |
| Maine | 1789 | 1st, 1801–1802 1st, 1820– |
| Rhode Island | 1790 | Eastern, 1790–1801 1st, 1801– |
| Connecticut | 1789 | Eastern, 1789–1801 2nd, 1801– |
| New York | 1789 | Eastern, 1789–1801 2nd, 1801– |
| New Jersey | 1789 | Middle, 1789–1801 3rd, 1801– |
| Pennsylvania | 1789 | Middle, 1789–1801 3rd, 1801– |
| Delaware | 1789 | Middle, 1789–1801 3rd, 1801–1802 4th, 1802–1866 3rd, 1866– |
| Maryland | 1789 | Middle, 1789–1801 4th, 1801– |
| Virginia | 1789 | Middle, 1789–1801 4th, 1801–1802 5th, 1802–1842 4th, 1842– |
| Kentucky | 1789 | 6th, 1801–1802 7th, 1807–1837 8th, 1837–1863 6th, 1863– |
| North Carolina | 1790 | Southern, 1790–1801 5th, 1801–1842 6th, 1842–1863 4th, 1863– |
| South Carolina | 1789 | Southern, 1789–1801 5th, 1801–1802 6th, 1802–1863 5th, 1863–1866 4th, 1866– |
| Georgia | 1789 | Southern, 1789–1801 5th, 1801–1802 6th, 1802–1863 5th, 1863–1981 11th, 1981– |
| Vermont | 1791 | Eastern, 1791–1801 2nd, 1801– |
| Tennessee | 1796 | 6th, 1801–1802 7th, 1807–1837 8th, 1837–1863 6th, 1863– |
| Ohio | 1801 (abolished 1802) | 6th, 1801–1802 |
| Ohio | 1803 | 7th, 1807–1866 6th, 1866– |
| Louisiana | 1812 | 9th, 1837–1842 (Eastern District) 5th, 1842–1863 6th, 1863–1866 5th, 1866– |
| Indiana | 1816 | 7th, 1837– |
| Mississippi | 1817 | 9th, 1837–1863 5th, 1863– |
| Illinois | 1818 | 7th, 1837–1863 8th, 1863–1866 7th, 1866– |
| Alabama | 1819 | 9th, 1837–1842 5th, 1842–1981 11th, 1981– |
| Missouri | 1821 | 8th, 1837–1863 9th, 1863–1866 8th, 1866– |
| Arkansas | 1836 | 9th, 1837–1851 9th, 1851–1863 (Eastern District) 6th, 1863–1866 (Eastern District) 8th, 1866– |
| Michigan | 1837 | 7th, 1837–1863 8th, 1863–1866 6th, 1866– |
| Florida | 1845 | 5th, 1863–1981 11th, 1981– |
| Texas | 1845 | 6th, 1863–1866 5th, 1866– |
| Iowa | 1846 | 9th, 1863–1866 8th, 1866– |
| Wisconsin | 1848 | 8th, 1863–1866 7th, 1866– |
| California | 1850 | California Circuit, 1855–1863 10th, 1863–1866 9th, 1866– |
| Minnesota | 1858 | 9th, 1863–1866 8th, 1866– |
| Oregon | 1859 | 10th, 1863–1866 9th, 1866– |
| Kansas | 1861 | 9th, 1863–1866 8th, 1866–1929 10th, 1929– |
| West Virginia | 1863 | 4th, 1863– |
| Nevada | 1864 | 9th, 1866– |
| Nebraska | 1867 | 8th, 1867– |
| Colorado | 1876 | 8th, 1876–1929 10th, 1929– |
| North Dakota | 1889 | 8th, 1889– |
| South Dakota | 1889 | 8th, 1889– |
| Montana | 1889 | 9th, 1889– |
| Washington | 1889 | 9th, 1889– |
| Idaho | 1890 | 9th, 1890– |
| Wyoming | 1890 | 8th, 1890–1929 10th, 1929– |
| Utah | 1896 | 8th, 1896–1929 10th, 1929– |
| Oklahoma | 1907 | 8th, 1907–1929 10th, 1929– |
| New Mexico | 1912 | 8th, 1912–1929 10th, 1929– |
| Arizona | 1912 | 9th, 1912– |
| District of Columbia | 1948 | District of Columbia Circuit, 1948– |
| Alaska | 1959 | 9th, 1959– |
| Hawaii | 1959 | 9th, 1959– |
| Puerto Rico | 1966 | 1st, 1966– |
| Guam | ||
| Virgin Islands | ||
| Philippines | 1898 | |
| Panama Canal Zone |
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