Blog · October 14, 2026 · Montana
Dawson County Plat Book, Montana
What a Dawson County plat book is, where to locate one around Glendive, and the free map that covers the gaps.
Main page: Dawson County, MT GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, Dawson County facts and neighboring maps).
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Old copies of the Dawson County plat book turn up at auctions and in kitchen drawers around Glendive, and new ones are harder to track down. Below is how to track one down for Dawson County, MT, and what the online map does better.
Plat books vs. recorded plats in Dawson County
Private publishers compile plat books from county records, so a county edition is a snapshot of who owned land near Richey the year it was printed. Deeds and recorded plats, not the atlas, still govern land near Lindsay in the county.
Opening the Dawson County parcel viewer
For Dawson County, the free public parcel layer is state-run: open the Montana Cadastral and pan to Richey. Search Dawson County land by owner or geocode, or pan to Richey and click. Our Dawson County, MT page keeps the official link and the maps next door to Richey in one place.
Where Dawson County plat books turn up
Try the library in Richey or a local historical society for older Dawson County editions; libraries sometimes keep past atlases for reference. Older editions are useful for family history around Glendive, showing who held a farm decades ago.
Towns and land across Dawson County
From Glendive, the seat of the county, the map spreads out to Richey. Unincorporated communities in the county, including Bloomfield, Lindsay, and West Glendive, show up as small groups of parcels along the roads. Dawson County had an estimated 8,810 people in 2023 (Census Bureau), spread across about 2,372 square miles. Beyond the town lots in Richey, expect big rural parcels across the county. Dawson County was organized in 1869, so deeds for older farms near Bloomfield can run back a long way.
The free online alternative
The Montana Cadastral works as a living Dawson County plat book, with owner names and parcel lines over aerial photos of Dawson County. Phone signal can be thin near Lindsay, so save the parcel IDs you need well before you head out.
Reading a Dawson County atlas page
Many atlases add rural residence listings and road maps, handy on back roads near Lindsay. Owner names in an older Dawson County edition may be decades out of date, so confirm on the county map before contacting anyone near Lindsay. If you use a plat book for hunting permission near Richey, recheck the titleholder on the county map first.
Editions, deeds and printouts
Comparing two Dawson County editions side by side lists when a farm near Richey was split or sold. Some buyers print the county parcel map at township scale to carry on back roads near Richey.
What drives land use around Glendive
County Business Patterns counted 305 business establishments in Dawson County for 2022, led by retail trade, accommodation and food services, and other services. Support activities for mining and drilling and accommodation (hotels, motels, RV parks and camps) make up an above-average share of Dawson County businesses, a clue to how land around Glendive gets used.
Neighboring maps around Dawson County
Near the edge of the county, check the next map over: McCone County, Prairie County, Richland County, and Wibaux County all border it. Our Montana page links each map neighboring Dawson County.
Recorded documents in Dawson County, Montana
For land near Bloomfield, the deed itself lives in the county recording office, and the map is an index to it. A deed book and page or instrument number on the county record is the fastest way to request the document for a lot in Bloomfield.
Dawson County plat book questions
Does a Dawson County plat book show property lines?
It lists approximate ownership blocks; for lines near Richey, use recorded plats and surveys.
Should I use the Dawson County, Montana parcel map instead of a plat book?
The Dawson County map is more current, while an atlas is handy offline near Lindsay.
Is there a current plat book for Dawson County, Montana?
It depends on if a publisher has a county edition in print; local offices in Richey generally know.
Is a plat book the same as a recorded plat for a lot in Richey?
A plat book is a printed ownership atlas; a recorded plat is the official subdivision drawing filed with the county.
Where can I locate old plat books for Dawson County, Montana?
Some libraries and historical societies keep older Dawson County atlases; ask what's available near Bloomfield.
Open the official Dawson County, MT parcel map Dawson County 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.