Blog · October 14, 2026 · Mississippi
The Forrest County Plat Book: a Mississippi guide
Printed plat books and the free online map for owners around Petal.
Main page: Forrest County, MS GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, Forrest County facts and neighboring maps).
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People who grew up near Petal remember the Forrest County plat book as the book that named every farm. Below is how to track one down for Forrest County, MS, and what the online map does better.
How to use the Forrest County plat book
Think of the Forrest County plat book as a bound, printed version of ownership: township pages, owner names on each tract, and road maps for places like Petal. Don't confuse it with a subdivision plat on file for lots in Petal; that recorded plat is a legal document, while the atlas is a reference.
The county map you'll pair it with
The county's own public map is the Forrest County ArcGIS parcel map, built on an Esri ArcGIS web map, and it opens without an account for parcels in Petal and the rest of the county. Most people find their Forrest County tract fastest by searching an address in Hattiesburg, then clicking the outline. If the official address for the Forrest County, MS map ever changes, our directory page carries the current link for Petal and the rest of the county.
Current and older editions
Whether a current Forrest County edition exists varies, so ask locally in Hattiesburg before ordering; county offices frequently know if one is in print. Older editions are useful for family history around Petal, showing who held a farm decades ago.
What a plat book page lists near Hattiesburg
Many atlases add rural residence listings and road maps, handy on back roads near Glendale. Small parcels and town lots in Hattiesburg are frequently too small to label on an atlas page, which is another reason the online map is better for them. Genealogists in Mississippi frequently pair an old Forrest County atlas with deed records to follow a farm through the generations.
Making your own atlas of Forrest County
Names in an older Forrest County atlas can lead you to the right deed in the grantor-grantee index for land near Glendale. Some buyers print the county parcel map at township scale to carry on back roads near Hattiesburg.
Work and land use in Forrest County
Forrest County's 2022 business count was 1,725 establishments, with retail trade, health care and social assistance, and accommodation and food services the largest groups. Pipeline transportation and paper manufacturing make up an above-average share of Forrest County businesses, a clue to how land around Hattiesburg gets used.
Towns and land across Forrest County
Town lots cluster around Hattiesburg, the county seat, and Petal. Smaller places such as Eastabuchie, Glendale, and Rawls Springs appear on the county map as little clusters of lots. Roughly 466 square miles of land and about 78,208 residents (2023 estimate) make up Forrest County. Platted neighborhoods near Petal give way to rural acreage elsewhere in the county. Forrest County was organized in 1908, so deeds for older farms near Hattiesburg can run back a long way.
Neighboring maps around Forrest County
Forrest County borders Covington County, Jones County, Lamar County, Pearl River County, and Perry County, and each keeps its own parcel map and records. Every map bordering Forrest County is listed on our Mississippi directory.
Current owners without a printed book
Between editions, use the Forrest County ArcGIS parcel map; it lists owners, acreage and parcel IDs for land near Petal at no cost. Print a screenshot of the tracts around Hattiesburg if you want a paper copy in the truck.
Forrest County plat book questions
Can I use a plat book to find lot lines near Petal?
Only roughly; a Forrest County plat book is a reference, so a licensed survey decides the real line.
Should I use the Forrest County, Mississippi parcel map instead of a plat book?
For current owners near Eastabuchie, yes; the Forrest County ArcGIS parcel map updates as deeds are processed.
Where can I find old plat books for Forrest County, Mississippi?
Some libraries and historical societies keep older Forrest County atlases; ask what's available near Eastabuchie.
What is the difference between a plat book and a plat in Forrest County?
No; a lot in Petal answers to its recorded plat, and the county atlas is just a reference.
Is there a current plat book for Forrest County, Mississippi?
Editions come and go; inquire at the courthouse, extension office or farm supply stores in Petal.
Open the official Forrest County, MS parcel map Forrest 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.