Blog · October 14, 2026 · Iowa
Using the Creston Plat Map
A recorded plat shows how land near Thayer was divided into lots.
Main page: Union County, IA GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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If a legal description for land in Creston cites a lot number, the Creston plat map is where those numbers come from. Covered here for Creston: where plats are filed, plat versus tax map, and what to look for on the sheet.
Who keeps the Creston plat map
For acreage around Arispe, recorded plats sit with the County Recorder, usually in a plat book or cabinet.
Getting to the right map
The no-cost parcel map for this area is the Union County Beacon site, and it opens in a browser with no account. If you're looking near Cromwell, type a street address, an owner's name or a parcel number, then pick the result to center the map on it. Closer to Thayer, the record panel normally shows the owner of record, acreage on the tax roll, the parcel number and often a sale date.
Offices that can help
If the acreage or value on a parcel near Thayer looks off belong with the County Assessor, since that office keeps the assessment data. Questions about what you can build around Lorimor need the planning or permitting office, depending on whether the land is inside town limits.
City limits and county records
Creston is part of Union County, Iowa, so its parcels are on the county's map. Creston is also the county seat, so deeds and plats are filed in town. For a parcel near Arispe, 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 near Cromwell usually answers to county rules, not municipal ones.
Land on the county line
Union County touches Adair County, Adams County, Clarke County, Decatur County, and Madison County; every one of them runs a separate parcel map. A tract near the line by Lorimor can be split in two county records, so open the neighboring map as well. Out toward Cromwell, our state page lists each neighboring county map for Iowa.
What the map can't tell you
The acreage figure is an estimate; only a licensed surveyor establishes the real corners for a parcel near Thayer. In and around Thayer, records update in batches, so a deed recorded last month might lag behind.
When a plat changes
An amended plat may change lots around Arispe, search the index for replats of the same subdivision; vacated streets or alleys also get recorded.
Recorded plat or GIS layer
The Union County Beacon site draws parcels for taxes, but the recorded plat is what the deed relies on.
Reading the legal description
Iowa is laid out under the Public Land Survey System, which means a tract near Lorimor 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 Arispe vary in size. Keep the legal description for land near Cromwell before you request a deed or survey.
What a plat shows
Around Shannon City, the sheet usually includes lot and block numbers, dimensions and bearings, street rights-of-way and easements.
Land outside a subdivision
Rural land near Arispe that was never subdivided is often described by metes and bounds or survey description; the deed and any recorded survey describe it instead.
Getting a copy
For acreage around Arispe, many recorder offices offer an online index, while others require a visit or a request; small fees are common.
Using it on a phone
Most viewers work in a phone browser, useful out on a road near Shannon City, so load it before you lose signal. A screenshot of the parcel near Lorimor with its ID helps when you meet an owner or agent.
Places you'll see on the map
Creston is the county seat, home to the main records offices. You'll also find Cromwell, Afton, Arispe, and Shannon City, where town lots give way to larger tracts. About 11,906 people live in Union County (Census estimate, 2023) across roughly 424 square miles. Union County was formed in 1851, which matters when you trace an old farm's title.
Recorded documents worth pulling
Before you sign anything, request the recorded deed through the County Recorder; the parcel line is a drawing of it, and that holds around Shannon City too. For a home near Shannon City, bring the instrument number shown in the record panel so staff can find the deed fast.
Questions about the Creston plat map
What is a lot and block description near Afton?
It points to a spot on the plat for that subdivision near Shannon City; the deed names the subdivision.
Are old plats online for land near Thayer?
Short answer: older plats near Shannon City may be on film or paper.
Is a plat map a survey around Cromwell?
Short answer: the plat near Lorimor is recorded, while the GIS layer is an approximation; trust the plat when they differ.
Do easements show on the plat near Thayer?
If you're looking near Lorimor, dashed lines often mark easements or building lines, so check before you build.
Which office handles records for land near Cromwell?
For land near Afton, assessment goes to the County Assessor and deeds to the County Recorder.
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.