Blog · October 14, 2026 · Illinois
Reading the Bethalto Plat Map for a lot
Lots in Bethalto trace back to recorded plats filed with the county.
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 Bethalto cites a lot number, the Bethalto plat map is where those numbers come from. What this Bethalto guide covers: where to request a copy, how a plat differs from a parcel map, and the details that matter to buyers.
Getting started with the Bethalto plat map
For land around Hartford, the deed or parcel record often names the subdivision and plat reference; that makes the request quick.
Getting to the right map
Your first stop is the Madison County parcel viewer; it includes every assessed parcel from South Roxana to Roxana. Around South Roxana, type a street address, an owner's name or a parcel number, and the viewer zooms to the match. For a home near South Roxana, the parcel card usually lists the owner of record, acreage on the tax roll, the parcel number and sometimes recent sales.
Next door to Madison County
Madison County touches Bond County, Clinton County, Jersey County, Macoupin County, and Montgomery County, all with their own assessor records. Acreage along the edge near Wood River may show up across two assessors' files, so check the adjacent map too. With a lot near Hartford, our state page links each bordering county map across Illinois.
Bethalto, IL: the basics
Bethalto is part of Madison County, Illinois, which means parcel data comes from the county. If the land is near South Roxana, city or town hall handles things like zoning, permits and utilities for lots inside the boundary, and the county still keeps the parcel and deed records. Acreage past the town limits out by Hartford generally falls under county rules rather than the town's.
Recorded plat or GIS layer
When the two disagree for a lot near East Alton, go with the plat and a surveyor's work.
Backing up the map with records
The map is an index, not the title: recorded deeds, plats and easements for land near Wood River are filed with the county Recorder of Deeds (in many counties the County Clerk and Recorder). With a lot near Hartford, have ready the instrument number shown in the record panel and the lookup takes minutes.
Reading the legal description
Illinois uses the Public Land Survey System, which means a tract near Hartford is described by section, township and range. Each section is nominally a mile square, about 640 acres, with 36 sections to a township, though sections near South Roxana can be irregular. Keep the legal description for land near South Roxana before you request a deed or survey.
Getting answers from the right desk
Deeds, mortgages and recorded plats for land near South Roxana come from the county Recorder of Deeds (in many counties the County Clerk and Recorder), usually searchable by name or document number. Questions about what you can build around Alton go to planning, building or health offices, depending on whether the land is inside town limits.
Reading the plat sheet
Recorded easements around Alton limit where you can build or fence; check the plat notes and any covenants.
Metes and bounds instead
Acreage around South Roxana outside a subdivision is often described by metes and bounds or survey description; look for a recorded survey for land near East Alton.
Requesting the plat
For property near Alton, many recorder offices offer an online index, while others require a visit or a request; small fees are common.
Getting your bearings
Edwardsville serves as the county seat, home to the main records offices. Smaller places on the map include Wood River, East Alton, Roxana, and Alton. Around 262,752 people call Madison County home (Census Bureau estimate, 2023) spread over about 716 square miles. Madison County dates to 1812, so old deeds can run back a long way. Landmarks such as Mississippi River and Horseshoe Lake make handy reference points on the map near South Roxana.
What the map can't tell you
Tax maps are drawn for assessment, not measured on the ground, so a fence near South Roxana often sits a few yards off the line on screen. Records update in batches, so a recent sale near Roxana may not show yet.
Replats and vacations
Lots near South Roxana can be combined or reconfigured by a replat, search the index for replats of the same subdivision; street vacations near Roxana show up in the records too.
Questions about the Bethalto plat map
Are old plats online near Wood River?
For a parcel near Alton, it varies; some offices have scanned older plats and some haven't; call before you visit.
How do I read lot and block in Bethalto?
Closer to Hartford, lot and block refer to a numbered lot within a block on a recorded subdivision plat; the deed names the subdivision.
How do I get a copy of a plat in Bethalto?
For most people, copies come from the county Recorder of Deeds (in many counties the County Clerk and Recorder), often through an online index; use the plat reference from the deed or parcel record.
What is a replat for land near East Alton?
It depends, but lot splits in Bethalto go through the planning office, often with a surveyor's drawing.
How do I save a parcel from the viewer around Hartford?
Some viewers offer PDF export, and it's worth keeping the parcel ID visible for land near Wood River.
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.