The 1997 Dorset County Council election was held on 1 May 1997, on the same day as the 1997 general election and other local elections. This was the first election in which as a result of Local Government Reorganisation there was creation of two new Unitary Authorities in the county; Bournemouth and Poole.[1] The council remained under no overall control.
| Results[2] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Seats | |
| Liberal Democrats | 31 | |
| Conservative Party | 21 | |
| Labour Party | 5 | |
| Other | 1 | |