Blog · October 14, 2026 · Iowa
Creston GIS Map: looking up parcels
Parcel data for the town comes from the county, and the viewer is free for land near Shannon City.
Main page: Union County, IA GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
Platbookmapper is an Amazon Associate. If you buy through an Amazon link on this page, we earn a commission. The link is a product, not the county map.
When land near Arispe catches your eye, the Creston GIS map lays out lines, owner names and parcel numbers. What this Creston guide covers: where that map lives, how to search it, and what to double-check with records.
Opening the Creston GIS map: start here
In most places the county maintains the parcel layer, so for Creston the go-to is the Union County Beacon site.
Getting to the right map
Your first stop is the Union County Beacon site; it maps every tax parcel from Afton to Arispe. Around Afton, type a street address, an owner's name or a parcel number, and the viewer zooms to the match. On ground around Thayer, the record panel usually lists the owner of record, acreage on the tax roll, a parcel ID and in many cases the last transfer.
Field tips
Most viewers work in a phone browser, useful out on a road near Lorimor, though signal can drop in rural spots. A screenshot of the parcel near Cromwell with its ID helps when you meet an owner or agent.
Next door to Union County
Union County touches Adair County, Adams County, Clarke County, Decatur County, and Madison County, all with their own assessor records. A tract near the line by Arispe can be split across two assessors' files, so check the adjacent map before you assume the acreage. Out toward Arispe, the Platbookmapper state page lists every bordering county map across Iowa.
Union County in a few facts
Creston holds the county offices, where most land records are kept. Smaller places on the map include Cromwell, Afton, Arispe, and Shannon City. Around 11,906 people live in Union County (Census Bureau estimate, 2023) on about 424 square miles. Union County was organized in 1851, so old deeds can run back a long way.
Reading the legal description
Iowa uses the Public Land Survey System, which means a tract near Arispe 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 corrections make some sections near Cromwell odd-sized. Keep the legal description for land near Thayer for any title or survey request.
Creston, IA: the basics
The town lies around Cromwell, so its parcels are on the county's map. Creston is also the county seat, which puts the County Recorder close by. In and around Afton, City or town hall handles things like zoning, permits and utilities within town limits, but the county runs assessment and recording. Land beyond the city limits toward Afton usually follows county rules rather than the town's.
The paper trail behind a parcel
The map is an index, not the title: deeds, plats and easements for land near Thayer are kept by the County Recorder. Older tracts around Afton can go back through a long string of deeds, so a title company is worth hiring before a purchase.
Getting answers from the right desk
Questions about value or the owner field for land near Cromwell are handled by the County Assessor, since that office keeps the assessment data. Zoning, permits and septic questions near Shannon City are for the local planning and health departments, depending on whether the land is inside town limits.
What the map can't tell you
Listed acreage is an assessed number; just a licensed surveyor sets the real lines for a parcel near Shannon City. Around Thayer, owner names and values update on a schedule, so a deed recorded last month may not show yet.
Searching the map
For a house in Creston, search the street address; for owner searches, try last name first. For property near Cromwell, searching by parcel number never misses, and it's printed on tax bills.
Troubleshooting the viewer
If the viewer stalls on a phone near Arispe, try a desktop browser or clear the cache; links occasionally change, and our directory page keeps the current one.
What the layers show
For a home near Afton, layer lists often include municipal boundaries, floodplain and sometimes zoning; availability varies.
Owner, value and acreage
If sale dates appear, they help gauge the market in Creston give a rough idea of values; they're not an appraisal.
Saving what you find
Save a screenshot of the lot near Lorimor and its record panel, which helps later when you ask the assessor or a title company.
Frequently asked
Does the Creston parcel viewer cost anything?
Good question; the Union County Beacon site is free and opens without a login; some sites ask you to accept a disclaimer.
What layers does the parcel viewer have near Afton?
Short answer: aerials near Afton are usually available as a basemap.
Where else can I find maps of this town near Lorimor?
Usually, check the Creston website or ask city hall; the county viewer remains the main parcel source.
How do I find who owns a lot near Shannon City?
It depends, but the parcel record for a lot near Shannon City lists the owner of record.
Is the parcel map a survey for land near Arispe?
The map near Arispe is approximate.
Open the official Union County, IA 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.