Blog · October 14, 2026 · Illinois
Alton Plat Map: finding the recorded plat
Lots in the city trace back to recorded plats filed with the county, especially near Granite City.
Main page: Madison County, IL GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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If a legal description for land in Alton cites a lot number, the Alton plat map is where those numbers come from. Covered here for this city: where plats are filed, plat versus tax map, and what to look for on the sheet, especially near Highland.
Who keeps the Alton plat map
For land around Roxana, the deed or parcel record often names the subdivision and plat reference; that makes the request quick.
Pulling up a parcel
Begin with the Madison County parcel viewer; it covers every assessed parcel from Bethalto to Hartford. Without an address in hand, follow Interstate 255 on the aerial and click the parcel itself. For a home near Godfrey, a pop-up or side panel normally shows the owner of record, assessed acreage, a parcel ID and often a sale date.
Before you lean on the lines
Parcel lines are drawn for taxes, not measured on the ground, so the edge of a yard near Roxana often sits several feet off the line on screen. Out toward Hartford, owner names and values update on a schedule, so a deed recorded last month might lag behind.
On site with the map
The parcel map usually runs in a mobile browser, handy when you're parked on a road near Bethalto, though signal can drop in rural spots. A screenshot of the parcel near Roxana with its ID helps when you meet an owner or agent.
Getting answers from the right desk
For assessment questions about property around Hartford belong with the Supervisor of Assessments, working with township assessors, since that office keeps the assessment data. Zoning, permits and septic questions near Bethalto go to planning, building or health offices, depending on whether the land is inside town limits.
Alton and the county around it
The city is part of Madison County, Illinois, so its parcels are on the county's map, especially near Collinsville. For a home near Hartford, city or town hall handles things like zoning, permits and utilities for lots inside the boundary, while the county keeps the tax map. Lots just outside the city limits out by Hartford usually answers to county rules instead.
Where the recorded documents are
The map is an index, not the title: deeds, plats and easements covering ground around Wood River are filed with the county Recorder of Deeds (in many counties the County Clerk and Recorder). If you're looking near Roxana, use the document number from the tax record to skip a name search.
Two different maps
When the two disagree for a lot near Godfrey, trust the recorded documents over the GIS layer.
When a parcel crosses a boundary
Madison County meets Bond County, Clinton County, Jersey County, Macoupin County, and Montgomery County; every one of them runs a separate parcel map. A tract near the line by Godfrey can show up across two assessors' files, so look at the neighboring map before you assume the acreage. Closer to Godfrey, our state page lists every bordering county map for Illinois.
Metes and bounds instead
Rural land near Godfrey that was never subdivided may have no plat at all; the deed and any recorded survey describe it instead.
Details on the Alton plat map
Utility or drainage strips on a lot in this city stay with the land when it sells; read the notes on the sheet, especially near Granite City.
Reading the legal description
Illinois follows the Public Land Survey System, which means a tract near East Alton is described by section, township and range. A standard section is about one square mile, roughly 640 acres, with 36 sections to a township, though corrections make some sections near East Alton odd-sized. Write down the legal description for the tract near Godfrey for any title or survey request.
Places you'll see on the map
Edwardsville serves as the county seat, home to the main records offices. You'll also find East Alton, Wood River, Godfrey, and Bethalto, where town lots give way to larger tracts. About 262,752 people call Madison County home (Census Bureau estimate, 2023) spread over roughly 716 square miles. Madison County dates to 1812, and some chains of title near Godfrey are long. Features like Mississippi River and Horseshoe Lake are easy to spot when you zoom out from Bethalto.
Requesting the plat
Near East Alton, some counties put plat images online, while others require a visit or a request; copy fees are usually small.
Replats and vacations
Lots near Roxana can be combined or reconfigured by a replat, search the index for replats of the same subdivision; vacated streets or alleys also get recorded.
Quick answers
How do I get a copy of a plat near Granite City?
Short answer: recorded plats near East Alton are filed with the county Recorder of Deeds (in many counties the County Clerk and Recorder); small copy fees are common.
What do the dashed lines on a plat mean near Wood River?
Closer to Hartford, dashed lines often mark easements or building lines, so check before you build.
Is a plat map a survey for land near Wood River?
Good question; the plat near Roxana is recorded, while the GIS layer is an approximation.
How do I split a lot near Granite City?
Usually, lot splits in this city go through the planning office; ask staff about the process for land near Troy.
Which office handles records for land near Roxana?
For land near East Alton, assessment goes to the Supervisor of Assessments, working with township assessors and deeds to the county Recorder of Deeds (in many counties the County Clerk and Recorder).
Open the official Madison County, IL 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.