Blog · September 24, 2026 · New York
Erie County, New York GIS Parcel Map Guide
The Erie County Interactive Mapping Viewer is the free parcel map for Buffalo, Amherst, Cheektowaga, Tonawanda, West Seneca, Hamburg, Orchard Park, Lancaster and the ski hills of the southern towns.
Main page: Erie County, NY GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, Erie County facts and neighboring maps).
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Erie County runs from Buffalo’s waterfront to farm and ski country south of the city. The Erie County Interactive Mapping Viewer covers all of it.
The Interactive Mapping Viewer
Our link lands on a notice page from the county’s Office of GIS before the map itself. It admits the main viewer has had trouble with some layer displays and printing, and it offers an alternative site while fixes continue. Continue past the notice to open the Geocortex viewer, titled Mapping Erie County. Its welcome panel asks visitors to update bookmarks, and it explains that the parcel pop-up no longer jumps straight into the tax inquiry system; instead it sends you to the general paytax.erie.gov site, where you look the parcel up again.
The home panel offers three parcel searches: by SBL, by owner name and by address. Toolbars cover find data, drawing, measuring, identify, bookmarks, printing, export and linked maps. The full version can show oblique aerial photos and run reports. A lighter alternative version, linked from the notice page, uses the same data but drops those two features, which makes it a good fallback on a slow connection. When we tested, a few services such as school districts and some aerial years briefly failed to load, so reload if a layer is missing. The viewer is in Erie in our New York directory, and the county sits at the western tip of the state on our national county map.
SBL numbers and town assessors
Every New York tax parcel carries a section-block-lot number, printed on the tax bill and assessment notice. In Erie County it usually looks like a string of numbers separated by periods and a hyphen, and it is unique only within a town or city, so the municipality matters. A few habits help:
- If an owner search returns nothing, try the last name alone; trusts and LLCs are listed under their formal names.
- Address searches work best without the town name or ZIP code.
- Each of the county’s towns and cities employs its own assessor, so values and exemptions come from that office rather than the county.
- Bills and payment history live on the county’s paytax site and on town or city tax pages.
How to find property lines in Erie County
City and suburban lots come from filed subdivision maps, while rural land in the southern towns can rest on long deed descriptions.
- Look up the SBL and note the deed book and page from the record.
- Request the deed, and any filed map it cites, from the Erie County Clerk’s office in downtown Buffalo.
- Walk the lot and look for iron pins or monuments near fence corners.
- Engage a New York licensed land surveyor for a stamped survey whenever a fence, addition or dispute is involved.
Holland Land Company roots
After the Revolution, investors known as the Holland Land Company bought most of western New York and had it surveyed into ranges, townships and lots in the late 1790s. Many rural deeds in Erie County still describe land as part of a numbered lot in a given township and range of the Holland Purchase. That grid explains why some country roads run in straight lines for miles. Knowing the lot number can help a surveyor or title searcher trace a parcel back to the original sale.
STAR credits and Grievance Day
New York’s School Tax Relief program cuts school taxes on primary residences. New buyers generally register with the state for the STAR credit rather than applying to the town, and seniors with limited income may qualify for the enhanced version. If you think a town assessment is too high, most towns hold Grievance Day on the fourth Tuesday in May, when the Board of Assessment Review hears complaints. Buffalo and some towns follow different calendars, so check the local assessor’s schedule. Comparable sales visible in the viewer can support your case.
Lake-effect snow and the southern hills
South of Buffalo, the land rises into the hills around Orchard Park, East Aurora, Colden, Boston and Holland, which catch some of the heaviest lake-effect snow in the East. Kissing Bridge, the ski area in Glenwood, draws weekend crowds, and long rural driveways become a winter chore. Roof loads and plowing costs are worth pricing before you buy a hill-country home.
Lake Erie, the Niagara River and creeks
Waterfront homes in Hamburg, Evans and Grand Island face shoreline erosion, ice and storm surges, and the creeks that feed the lake can flood. Before buying near any of them, check the flood layer and ask about past water; see flood layers in county viewers. Grand Island is its own town in the Niagara River, surrounded by state parks and waterfront lots.
Seneca Nation territory
Part of the Cattaraugus Territory of the Seneca Nation lies in the southwestern corner of the county beside the town of Brant. Land there is governed by the Nation, not county rules, so tax maps and county records may not cover it the way they cover surrounding towns.
Erie County plat book
Western New York never developed much of a plat book market, and we located no edition for sale. Subdivision maps filed with the County Clerk are what attorneys rely on, and the viewer handles quick lookups.
Acreage and hunting land
In the southern towns, woodlots and farms show owner and acreage on click, which helps when you want to ask permission. State forests and wildlife management areas offer public options, and the state Department of Environmental Conservation sets seasons and rules.
Is the Erie County GIS map accurate?
The county treats the viewer as a reference tool, and parcel outlines are drawn from tax maps rather than field surveys, so they can sit a few feet off on the ground. A stamped survey is what settles a boundary. See tax maps versus surveys.
Viewer not loading?
Open the alternative version from the notice page, clear the browser cache or try another browser. Questions can go to the Office of GIS by email. For the Capital Region, see our Saratoga County guide, or open the New York county GIS hub.
Frequently asked questions
What is an SBL number in Erie County?
It stands for section-block-lot, the tax map number New York uses for each parcel. The viewer searches by it.
Why does the Erie County viewer open on a notice page?
The Office of GIS uses it to post changes, such as the new tax inquiry link, and to offer a lighter alternative viewer.
How do I get the STAR credit on a new Erie County home?
Register with the New York State tax department after you buy; the credit arrives as a check rather than a bill reduction.
When is Grievance Day in Erie County?
In most towns it is the fourth Tuesday in May, but Buffalo and some towns use other dates, so check with your assessor.
Open the official Erie County GIS viewer Erie 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.