Blog · October 14, 2026 · Idaho
Using a Butte County Plat Book today
In and around Snake River Plain, plat books show ownership by township; the parcel viewer shows it today.
Main page: Butte County, ID GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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Hunting for the latest Butte County plat book? It's a printed atlas of landownership, usually by township, and it's handy for land around Snake River Plain. In this county guide: how the atlas is organized, where to find editions, and the free online map that stays current, at least around Snake River Plain.
The Butte County plat book: start here
On ground around Snake River Plain, a plat book is a privately published atlas, that map ownership across the countryside, often organized by township.
Getting to the right map
Parcels around Snake River Plain appear on the Butte County ArcGIS parcel map, a viewer that needs no account. If the land is near Howe, put in a street address, an owner's name or a parcel number, and the matching parcel lights up. With a lot near Arco, save the parcel ID from that panel; every office in the county will want it.
Where to look for one
Older editions near Arco turn up in libraries and historical societies, useful for family or title research.
A word on accuracy
On ground around Arco, the acreage figure is an assessed number; only a licensed surveyor establishes the real boundary on the ground. Records update in batches, so a fresh transfer around Butte City can take weeks to appear.
Why people still buy them
Farmers, hunters and appraisers near Snake River Plain use plat books for a big-picture view of who owns what.
Next door to Butte County
The county touches Bingham County, Blaine County, Clark County, Custer County, and Jefferson County; every one of them runs a separate parcel map for land near Butte City. Ground near Howe that runs to the line can be split in two county records, so open the neighboring map too. With a lot near Arco, the Platbookmapper state page lists every bordering county map across Idaho.
Who handles what
Deeds, mortgages and recorded plats for land near Snake River Plain come from the County Recorder (the county clerk serves as recorder), sometimes only in person. Building or septic questions for a lot near Moore need the planning or permitting office, depending on whether the land is inside town limits.
On site with the map
The parcel map usually runs in a mobile browser, handy when you're parked on a road near Big Lost River, so load it before you lose signal. A printout of the tract near Howe helps when you meet an owner or agent.
Making your own township pages
Print parcel views near Moore township by township and keep them in a binder for the truck.
The free online alternative
The Butte County ArcGIS parcel map is updated more often than any atlas, including rural land around Big Lost River.
The paper trail behind a parcel
The map is an index, not the title: deeds, plats and easements covering ground around Big Lost River sit with the County Recorder (the county clerk serves as recorder). For a tract near Snake River Plain, have ready the document number from the tax record so staff can find the deed fast.
Places you'll see on the map
Arco holds the county offices, where most land records are kept. You'll also find Butte City, Moore, Howe, and Little Lost River, where town lots give way to larger tracts. Around 2,758 people live in the county (Census estimate, 2023) spread over about 2,236 square miles around Little Lost River. Butte County was formed in 1917, so old deeds can run back a long way. Places such as Little Lost River, Big Lost River, and Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve are easy to spot when you zoom out.
Sections, lots and bearings
Idaho is laid out under the Public Land Survey System, which means a tract near Snake River Plain is described by section, township and range. A standard section is about one square mile, roughly 640 acres, and a township holds 36 of them, though real sections near Snake River Plain vary in size. Copy the legal description from the record for the parcel near Moore when you talk to a surveyor.
Not the same thing
Don't confuse the atlas with a recorded subdivision plat: recorded plats near Big Lost River are filed with the County Recorder (the county clerk serves as recorder), while the atlas is a reference.
Questions about the Butte County plat book
Is there a current Butte County plat book?
Generally, editions come and go.
How do I research old landowners for land near Little Lost River?
If you're looking near Little Lost River, some older atlases have been digitized.
Why does the plat book differ from the deed around Snake River Plain?
It depends, but atlas drawings near Moore are simplified; they're good for orientation.
Can I use a plat book for a boundary near Little Lost River?
In and around Butte City, recorded plats are legal documents at the County Recorder (the county clerk serves as recorder), and plat books are references; use a surveyor for lines.
Does the parcel map work on a phone in Butte County?
Closer to Big Lost River, no app is needed for most county viewers, though rural signal can drop.
Open the official Butte County, ID 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.