Blog · October 14, 2026 · Vermont
The Bennington County Flood Zone Map: a Vermont guide
FEMA's free flood maps and the Bennington County parcel viewer, used together for property near Pownal.
Main page: Bennington County, VT GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, Bennington County facts and neighboring maps).
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Is that lot in Dorset in a flood zone? The Bennington County flood zone map answer comes from FEMA, and it is free to look up. Here's how to read FEMA's map for a Bennington County, VT property and match it to the parcel record.
The sections below go from the FEMA search to the Bennington County parcel record, then cover insurance, permits and map changes near Manchester.
Look up the Bennington County flood zone map step by step
FEMA's official flood maps for Bennington County are free at the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. The site returns the effective Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) panel covering that Landgrove location, which you can view or download. On acreage outside Landgrove, the National Flood Hazard Layer viewer is easier to use, so you can see if the shading reaches a house near Peru. Next, the Vermont Parcel Viewer confirms which Bennington County parcel you're looking at. Match the Bennington County lines and acreage to the FEMA view, since flood maps don't draw property lines in detail.
Step one: the free Bennington County viewer
Bennington County parcels are viewed through a statewide map, the Vermont Parcel Viewer; zoom toward Pownal to reach them. Click any Bennington County parcel near Pownal to open its record: owner, parcel ID and assessed acreage are usually listed. If the official address for the Bennington County, VT map ever changes, our directory page carries the current link for Pownal and the rest of the county.
Getting oriented in Bennington County, VT
From Bennington and Manchester, the seat of the county, the map spreads out to Arlington, Dorset, Glastenbury, and Landgrove. Unincorporated communities in the county, including East Dorset, Manchester Center, and North Pownal, display up as small groups of parcels along the roads. Census Bureau estimates put Bennington County at about 37,183 residents in 2023 on approximately 675 square miles of land. The Bennington County map mixes subdivision lots near Landgrove with farm and wooded tracts farther out. Bennington County was organized in 1778, so deeds for older farms near Glastenbury can run back a long way.
Zone A, AE and X in plain English
On the FIRM covering Bennington County, zones that start with A or V are Special Flood Hazard Areas, meaning FEMA estimates a 1-percent annual chance of flooding. A surveyor working near Landgrove uses the base flood elevation printed for AE zones; unnumbered A zones don't have one. If a Bennington County parcel lists shaded Zone X, it is moderate risk, between the 1-percent and 0.2-percent annual chance lines. Clear, unshaded X near Landgrove is outside the 500-year floodplain.
Unmapped creeks in Bennington County
Small streams and ditches near Landgrove may not be studied in detail, so treat an unmapped channel as a reason to ask questions, not proof the ground stays dry.
Tracts that cross the Bennington County line
Bennington County borders Berkshire County, MA, Franklin County, MA, Rensselaer County, NY, Washington County, NY, and Rutland County, and each keeps its own parcel map and records. Every map bordering Bennington County is listed on our Vermont directory.
Deeds and plats behind the Bennington County map
The parcel layer for Bennington County points back to recorded deeds and plats, kept by the county's recording office (its title varies by state). Copy the parcel number and legal description from the county record well before you request a deed for land near Pownal.
Flood insurance and building rules in Bennington County
The zone lists up again when a loan on a house near Peru is underwritten. When a Bennington County home is mapped in a high-risk zone and carries a federally backed mortgage, the lender must require flood coverage under the Flood Disaster Protection Act, wherever the community joins the NFIP. In Zone X near Landgrove, federal rules don't require a policy, although some lenders require it anyway. Where a structure near Landgrove looks higher than the shading suggests, FEMA's LOMA process allows a review, supported by elevation data from a licensed land surveyor. Adding on to a house near Peru inside the zone usually needs a floodplain permit, and the building office serving Peru explains the steps.
Bennington County, VT: common questions
Who prepares an elevation certificate for a house in Landgrove?
A licensed land surveyor or engineer prepares it, and the building office serving Landgrove may already have one on file for newer construction.
What is a base flood elevation for a Bennington County property?
Near Glastenbury, the BFE is the height floodwater is expected to reach in the 1-percent-annual-chance flood; elevation certificates in Bennington County are measured against it.
Is flood insurance required for a Zone X lot in Landgrove?
Not under federal rules; Zone X in Bennington County is outside the Special Flood Hazard Area, although a lender can still require coverage.
How do I know if a property in Bennington County is in a flood zone?
Look it up at FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, then match the parcel lines in the Vermont Parcel Viewer; for land near Glastenbury, a zone starting with A or V is high risk.
What if FEMA's map is wrong about my house near Glastenbury?
FEMA reviews requests such as a LOMA for Bennington County properties; start with an elevation certificate.
Open the official Bennington County, VT parcel map Bennington County 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.