Blog · October 14, 2026 · Illinois
Using the Granite City Plat Map
Lots in Granite City trace back to recorded plats filed with the county.
Main page: Madison County, IL GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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When a listing near Roxana mentions a lot number, you'll need the Granite City plat map to make sense of it. In this Granite City guide: where to request a copy, how a plat differs from a parcel map, and the details that matter to buyers.
Getting started with the Granite City plat map
For a subdivision near Hartford, look for the plat book reference on the parcel record; that makes the request quick.
The free map to start with
Your first stop is the Madison County parcel viewer; it covers every assessed parcel around Venice and South Roxana. If you only know roughly where the land is, pan along Interstate 255 until the lines appear, then click inside the one you want. If you're looking near Glen Carbon, the record panel typically gives the owner of record, acreage on the tax roll, a parcel ID and often a sale date.
What the map can't tell you
Listed acreage is a tax-roll number; only a licensed surveyor establishes the real lines for a parcel near South Roxana. Near Roxana, records update in batches, so a deed recorded last month can take weeks to appear.
City limits and county records
Granite City sits in Madison County, Illinois, which means parcel data comes from the county. If the land is near Hartford, City or town hall handles matters such as zoning, permits and utilities inside its limits, and the county still keeps the parcel and deed records. Lots just outside the city limits near Hartford often follows county rules rather than the town's.
How a plat differs from the tax map
The Madison County parcel viewer draws parcels for taxes, but the recorded plat is what the deed relies on.
Replats and vacations
An amended plat may change lots around Glen Carbon, search the index for replats of the same subdivision; street vacations near Hartford show up in the records too.
Getting your bearings
Edwardsville serves as the county seat, where most land records are kept. Other places on the map include Pontoon Beach, Venice, Hartford, and South Roxana, each with its own cluster of lots. About 262,752 people live in Madison County (Census estimate, 2023) on roughly 716 square miles. Madison County dates to 1812, which matters when you trace an old farm's title. Places such as Mississippi River and Horseshoe Lake make handy reference points on the map near Glen Carbon.
When there's no plat
Rural land near South Roxana that was never subdivided is often described by metes and bounds or survey description; look for a recorded survey for land near Pontoon Beach.
Offices that can help
Recorded documents for a parcel near South Roxana are with the county Recorder of Deeds (in many counties the County Clerk and Recorder), often with an online index. Zoning, permits and septic questions near Venice need the planning or permitting office, and the answer depends on jurisdiction.
When a parcel crosses a boundary
Madison County borders Bond County, Clinton County, Jersey County, Macoupin County, and Montgomery County; every one of them runs a separate parcel map. A tract near the line by Glen Carbon can show up across two assessors' files, so open the neighboring map as well. For a tract near Glen Carbon, our state page lists each neighboring county map across Illinois.
Lots, blocks and easements
Easements on the plat near Venice limit where you can build or fence; check the plat notes and any covenants.
Reading the legal description
Illinois is laid out under the Public Land Survey System, so deeds around Pontoon Beach reference sections and townships. Each section is nominally a mile square, about 640 acres, and a township holds 36 of them, though sections near Glen Carbon can be irregular. Write down the legal description for the tract near Roxana when you talk to a surveyor.
Recorded documents worth pulling
Before you sign anything, request the recorded deed from the county Recorder of Deeds (in many counties the County Clerk and Recorder); the parcel map near Venice only summarizes it. Long-held tracts near Glen Carbon can go back through several deeds, and a title company can sort it out before a purchase.
Online indexes and office visits
If you're looking near Glen Carbon, many recorder offices offer an online index, otherwise call or visit with the reference; small fees are common.
Granite City: common questions
How far back do plats go near Pontoon Beach?
With a lot near Pontoon Beach, it varies; some offices have scanned older plats and some haven't; call before you visit.
Do easements show on the plat near Venice?
Short answer: building on an easement near Pontoon Beach is generally restricted, so check before you build.
Is a plat map a survey near Hartford?
On ground around Pontoon Beach, a recorded plat is based on a survey, but the GIS map is not.
How do I get a copy of a plat in Granite City?
Good question; recorded plats near Glen Carbon are filed with the county Recorder of Deeds (in many counties the County Clerk and Recorder).
What's a legal description near South Roxana?
For a parcel near South Roxana, Deeds use lot and block, metes and bounds or survey descriptions; copy it for any survey or title request.
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.