Blog · October 14, 2026 · Illinois
Reading the Godfrey Plat Map for a lot
Lots in the town trace back to recorded plats filed with the county for land near Granite City.
Main page: Madison County, IL GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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When a listing near Hartford mentions a lot number, look up the Godfrey plat map it refers to. Covered here for Godfrey: where plats are filed, plat versus tax map, and the details that matter to buyers.
Tracking down the Godfrey plat map
For a lot around Highland, the deed usually cites the plat; bring that to the recorder's office or its online index.
Pulling up a parcel
Go first to the Madison County parcel viewer; it covers each tax parcel around Roxana and Hartford. Near Roxana, type a street address, an owner's name or a parcel number, and the viewer zooms to the match. For a home near Alton, write down the parcel ID while you have it open; each office in the county asks for it first.
Recorded documents worth pulling
The map is an index, not the title: deeds, subdivision plats and easements covering ground around Bethalto are filed with the county Recorder of Deeds (in many counties the County Clerk and Recorder). Long-held tracts around Roxana can trace back through many deeds, so a title company is worth hiring before a purchase.
Where Godfrey fits in
Godfrey lies within Madison County, Illinois, so its parcels are on the county's map. For property near Hartford, city or town hall handles matters such as zoning, permits and utilities within town limits, while the county keeps the tax map. Land beyond the town limits out by Wood River often falls under county rules instead.
Two different maps
If the tax map and plat differ near Hartford, trust the recorded documents over the GIS layer.
Details on the Godfrey plat map
Recorded easements around Roxana stay with the land when it sells; read the notes on the sheet.
How land is described here
Illinois uses the Public Land Survey System, so deeds around Bethalto reference sections and townships. A standard section is about one square mile, roughly 640 acres, and a township holds 36 of them, though sections near Bethalto can be irregular. Write down the legal description for the tract near Wood River when you talk to a surveyor.
Before you lean on the lines
Listed acreage is an estimate; only a licensed surveyor can set the real lines on land around Roxana. For acreage around Alton, owner names and values update on a schedule, so a deed recorded last month might lag behind.
Ordering the Godfrey plat map
For a parcel near Alton, some counties put plat images online, while others require a visit or a request; copy fees are usually small.
Places you'll see on the map
Edwardsville is the county seat, which is where the courthouse records live. You'll also find Alton, East Alton, Wood River, and Bethalto, where town lots give way to larger tracts. Roughly 262,752 people call Madison County home (Census estimate, 2023) spread over roughly 716 square miles. Madison County was formed in 1812, and some chains of title near East Alton are long. Landmarks such as Mississippi River and Horseshoe Lake help you orient on the aerial around Wood River.
Land outside a subdivision
Acreage around Hartford outside a subdivision is often described by metes and bounds or survey description; the deed and any recorded survey describe it instead.
Replats and vacations
An amended plat may change lots around East Alton, so check for later filings; street vacations near Wood River show up in the records too.
Using it on a phone
The parcel map usually runs in a mobile browser, handy when you're parked on a road near Wood River, but coverage can be spotty out of town. A saved image of the lot near Bethalto and its lines helps when you meet an owner or agent.
Neighboring parcel maps
Madison County borders Bond County, Clinton County, Jersey County, Macoupin County, and Montgomery County, and each of those keeps its own parcel map. A tract near the line by Roxana can be split in two county records, so check the neighboring map too. For a tract near Bethalto, the Platbookmapper state page lists each bordering county map across Illinois.
Who handles what
Deeds, mortgages and recorded plats for land near Alton come from the county Recorder of Deeds (in many counties the County Clerk and Recorder), often with an online index. Questions about what you can build around Wood River go to planning, building or health offices, and the answer depends on jurisdiction.
Frequently asked
How do I read lot and block in Godfrey?
For a parcel near Alton, lot and block refer to a numbered lot within a block on a recorded subdivision plat, so pull that plat for dimensions.
Is a plat map a survey around Roxana?
For land near Roxana, GIS parcels are tax drawings, and the recorded plat is the legal document; trust the plat when they differ.
What is a replat in Godfrey?
It depends, but lot splits in Godfrey go through the planning office, often with a surveyor's drawing.
How do I get a copy of a plat in Godfrey?
Recorded plats near Hartford are filed with the county Recorder of Deeds (in many counties the County Clerk and Recorder); use the plat reference from the deed or parcel record.
Can I settle a boundary dispute with the map near Wood River?
No; boundary questions near Bethalto need a licensed surveyor.
Open the official Madison County, IL 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.