The inaugural elections to Durham County Council took place in January 1889. Durham was divided into 72 electoral divisions, with candidates in 32 divisions being returned unopposed. The election saw control of the council being taken by Conservative candidates, although these candidates were largely Independent conservatives as opposed to being party activists.
Results.
! colspan="2" style="width:230px"|Party
! style="width:30px"|Seats
! style="width:30px"|Gains
! style="width:30px"|Losses
! style="width:30px"|Net gain/loss
! style="width:30px"|Seats %
! style="width:30px"|Votes %
! style="width:60px"|Votes
! style="width:4em"|+/−
References.
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