Blog · October 14, 2026 · Pennsylvania
Using the Allentown Zoning Map
Zoning decides what can be built where, and the answer for a lot near Macungie starts with the right map.
Main page: Lehigh County, PA GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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Ahead of any building plan near Fountain Hill, pull up the Allentown zoning map before anything else: the zoning district decides setbacks, lot size and uses. Covered here for Allentown: which office sets the rules for a lot, how to match a parcel to its district, and the questions that save a wasted trip.
The Allentown zoning map: start here
Inside town or city limits, the local government adopts its own zoning map, so property inside Allentown is governed there. Outside those limits, near Fountain Hill or Emmaus, the county may have its own zoning, or none at all; ask the county planning office to be sure. To find out which side of the line a parcel is on: ask whether the parcel near Fountain Hill is inside the boundary.
The viewer Lehigh County publishes
Begin with the Lehigh County ArcGIS parcel map; it maps each tax parcel around Catasauqua and Macungie. Closer to Emmaus, type a street address, an owner's name or a parcel number, and the matching parcel lights up. For a home near Coplay, the record panel normally shows the owner of record, assessed acreage, the parcel number and in many cases the last transfer.
Where Allentown fits in
Allentown lies within Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, which means parcel data comes from the county. As the county seat, Allentown hosts the courthouse, handy when you need recorded documents. Around Bethlehem, the municipality handles matters such as zoning, permits and utilities for lots inside the boundary, but the county runs assessment and recording. Acreage past the town limits out by Emmaus generally falls under county rules instead.
Reading the district label
Pull the parcel up on the Lehigh County ArcGIS parcel map, note the parcel number, and use it when you ask the planning office near Macungie. For a home near Emmaus, short codes on the map aren't self-explanatory, so read the ordinance chapter for each; the letters vary from place to place.
Places you'll see on the map
Allentown holds the county offices, where most land records are kept. Smaller places on the map include Emmaus, Catasauqua, Fountain Hill, and Coplay. Roughly 377,754 people call Lehigh County home (Census estimate, 2023) spread over some 345 square miles. The county was formed in 1812, and some chains of title near Fountain Hill are long.
Reading the legal description
Rural deeds near Coplay commonly use metes-and-bounds descriptions, which trace the boundary call by call. Town lots near Fountain Hill are typically described by lot and block, which is simpler to follow. Write down the legal description for the tract near Catasauqua when you talk to a surveyor.
What to ask before you buy
Have the parcel ID ready and describe the plan for the lot near Emmaus; ask what's allowed by right and what needs a permit. Also ask whether the lot near Bethlehem is a legal lot of record, since some older splits don't.
The paper trail behind a parcel
For anything that matters, pull the recorded deed from the Recorder of Deeds; the parcel map near Fountain Hill only summarizes it. For a home near Catasauqua, have ready the document number listed on the parcel record and the lookup takes minutes.
Before you lean on the lines
Listed acreage is a tax-roll number; only a licensed surveyor can set the real boundary on land around Fountain Hill. For a tract near Macungie, owner names and values update on a schedule, so a deed recorded last month might lag behind.
Setbacks, lot size and uses
For any structure near Macungie, the numbers to find are lot size, setbacks, height and coverage. For land near Fountain Hill, overlay districts, whether historic, floodplain or corridor, may apply even when the base zoning looks simple.
Next door to Lehigh County
Lehigh County meets Berks County, Bucks County, Carbon County, Montgomery County, and Northampton County; every one of them runs a separate parcel map. A tract near the line by Catasauqua may be split in two county records, so check the adjacent map as well. Out toward Catasauqua, our state page links every bordering county map for Pennsylvania.
Asking for an exception
In and around Macungie, expect an application, a fee, notice to neighbors and a public hearing.
Building permits and inspections
Even when zoning allows a use near Macungie, you still need building permits and inspections; septic or sewer and driveway access are often reviewed too.
Allentown: common questions
How do variances work near Macungie?
Good question; boards in Allentown grant variances only when strict rules cause a real hardship; neighbors get notice.
What is the zoning on a property near Fountain Hill?
Good question; find the parcel near Catasauqua on the county ArcGIS parcel map, confirm whether it's inside Allentown limits, then ask that planning office for the district; staff can confirm by phone or email.
Are home businesses allowed near Catasauqua?
Generally, home businesses in Allentown are often allowed with conditions, so check before you start.
Does the county parcel map show zoning near Emmaus?
It depends, but a zoning layer may be in the Lehigh County ArcGIS parcel map layer list, but the adopted map from the planning office is the official version.
Where do I ask about an assessment near Bethlehem?
Values are the county assessment office's job; recorded documents belong to the Recorder of Deeds.
Open the official Lehigh County, PA parcel map See it in the Platbookmapper directory
Not a survey. County GIS and tax parcel maps are assessment and planning layers. They are not a substitute for a recorded plat, deed, or licensed survey, especially for fences, setbacks, or boundary disputes.