Haliburton County was originally organized in 1874 as the Provisional County of Haliburton, with townships being withdrawn from other counties and districts:
| Transferred from | Townships |
|---|---|
| Victoria County | Anson, Hindon, and Lutterworth |
| Peterborough County | Bruton, Cardiff, Dysart, Dudley, Glamorgan, Guilford, Harburn, Harcourt, Minden, Monmouth, Snowden, and Stanhope |
| Nipissing District | Clyde, Eyre, Havelock, Lawrence, Livingstone, McClintock, Nightingale, and Sherborne |
Haliburton County now consists of the following municipalities:
- Township of Algonquin Highlands
- The United Townships of Dysart, Dudley, Harcourt, Guilford, Harburn, Bruton, Havelock, Eyre and Clyde (often referred to as the Municipality of Dysart et al)
- Municipality of Highlands East
- Township of Minden Hills
Communities in the county include Haliburton, Minden, Wilberforce, Gooderham, Irondale, Cardiff, West Guilford, Eagle Lake and Fort Irwin.