Blog · October 14, 2026 · Illinois
Reading the Bureau County Flood Zone Map for a parcel
Flood zones are set by FEMA, and checking one near Coal Hollow takes a few minutes.
Main page: Bureau County, IL GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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Ahead of any purchase around Big Bureau Creek, check the Bureau County flood zone map: the zone on that map shapes insurance, building rules and resale. What this Bureau County guide covers: finding the address on FEMA's map, reading the zone codes, and pairing it with the Bureau County ArcGIS parcel map.
Where the Bureau County flood zone map lives
For a tract near Limerick, the official source is FEMA's Flood Map Service Center: enter the street address, and pick the FIRMette or map view. Rural land near Lone Tree with no street number can still be found: zoom in from US Route 34 then click the parcel area.
Where the parcel data lives
Begin with the Bureau County ArcGIS parcel map; it includes each assessed parcel in the county, Limerick included. When a rural tract has no street number, follow US Route 34 on the aerial until the lines appear, then click inside the one you want, whether the land is near Clarion or elsewhere in the county. For land near Coal Hollow, the parcel card usually lists the owner of record, acreage on the tax roll, a parcel ID and sometimes recent sales.
Bureau County in a few facts
Princeton holds the county offices, which is where the courthouse records live. You'll also find Coal Hollow, Clarion, Kasbeer, and Limerick, each with its own cluster of lots. Roughly 32,729 people call Bureau County home (Census estimate, 2023) on about 869 square miles. Bureau County was formed in 1837, which matters when you trace an old farm's title. Landmarks such as Big Bureau Creek help you orient on the aerial around Kasbeer.
Questions to ask before you buy
Near Lone Tree, ask the seller about past flood claims before closing; an insurance quote early keeps the budget honest.
Decoding the flood zone labels
For land near Coal Hollow, any A or V zone are Special Flood Hazard Areas, meaning a 1% or greater chance of flooding each year. Closer to Limerick, shaded Zone X marks moderate flood hazard, between the 1% and 0.2% annual chance floods; unshaded X means minimal mapped risk.
Which office to call
Anything recorded against property around Coal Hollow sit in the index kept by the county Recorder of Deeds (in many counties the County Clerk and Recorder), usually searchable by name or document number. Zoning, permits and septic questions near Clarion need the planning or permitting office, and the answer depends on jurisdiction.
When a parcel crosses a boundary
Bureau County borders Henry County, LaSalle County, Lee County, Marshall County, and Putnam County; every one of them runs a separate parcel map. Acreage along the edge near Princeton may be split across two assessors' files, so check the adjacent map before you assume the acreage. For a tract near Coal Hollow, our state page lists every neighboring county map for Illinois.
Beyond the mapped zones
Low-lying fields near Kasbeer aren't always studied in detail, so walk the land after rain. Marshy spots near Clarion can limit building too; check the National Wetlands Inventory mapper for a first look.
Use the county map alongside FEMA
If only part of a parcel near Clarion is shaded, the location of the house or building pad decides a lot.
How land is described here
Illinois is laid out under the Public Land Survey System, which means a tract near Kasbeer is described by section, township and range. Each section is nominally a mile square, about 640 acres, and a township holds 36 of them, though real sections near Big Bureau Creek vary in size. Keep the legal description for land near Lone Tree before you request a deed or survey.
Lenders and permits
For a tract near Clarion, get the Elevation Certificate if one exists: it can change the insurance price a lot. Remodeling a house in a zone near Coal Hollow often needs a floodplain permit; call the permitting office early.
Where the recorded documents are
Before you sign anything, get the recorded deed through the county Recorder of Deeds (in many counties the County Clerk and Recorder); the viewer just points to it, which applies near Princeton as much as anywhere. Long-held tracts around Coal Hollow may go back through several deeds, so a title company earns its fee if money is changing hands.
Quick answers
Does the county parcel map show flood zones near Lone Tree?
It depends, but the parcel map near Princeton might show FEMA zones; confirm a lot near Coal Hollow on FEMA's map either way.
Do I need to worry about flooding in Zone X around Lone Tree?
Good question; X zones around Princeton are lower risk, not no risk, and floods still happen outside high-risk zones.
Is AE a high-risk flood zone around Lone Tree?
AE is a Special Flood Hazard Area with a published base flood elevation, so builders near Lone Tree design to that elevation.
How can I tell if a house near Coal Hollow is in a flood zone?
It depends, but search the address near Big Bureau Creek on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, and the zone code appears on the map.
Who do I call about a parcel near Kasbeer?
In and around Lone Tree, values are the Supervisor of Assessments, working with township assessors's job; recorded documents belong to the county Recorder of Deeds (in many counties the County Clerk and Recorder).
Open the official Bureau 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.