Blog · October 14, 2026 · Wisconsin
Using the Hales Corners Plat Map
A recorded plat shows how land near Wauwatosa was divided into lots.
Main page: Milwaukee County, WI GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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If a legal description for land in Hales Corners cites a lot number, look up the Hales Corners plat map it refers to. Covered here for Hales Corners: where to request a copy, how a plat differs from a parcel map, and what to look for on the sheet.
The Hales Corners plat map: start here
For land around West Milwaukee, the deed or parcel record often names the subdivision and plat reference; that makes the request quick.
The free map to start with
Begin with the Milwaukee County parcel viewer; it maps each assessed parcel around St. Francis and Oak Creek. Out toward West Allis, type a street address, an owner's name or a parcel number, and the matching parcel lights up. For property near West Milwaukee, a pop-up or side panel normally shows the owner of record, acreage on the tax roll, a parcel ID and in many cases the last transfer.
Taking the map into the field
Most viewers work in a phone browser, which helps when you're standing on land near Wauwatosa, so load it before you lose signal. A screenshot of the parcel near Oak Creek with its ID is a good backup.
Hales Corners, WI: the basics
Hales Corners is part of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, which means parcel data comes from the county. For acreage around Wauwatosa, 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. Acreage past the city limits toward West Allis often answers to county rules, not municipal ones.
Land outside a subdivision
Rural land near Greendale that was never subdivided is often described by metes and bounds or survey description; look for a recorded survey for land there.
How a plat differs from the tax map
Where lines don't match in Hales Corners, go with the plat and a surveyor's work.
Recorded documents worth pulling
Before you sign anything, pull the recorded deed through the Register of Deeds; the parcel map near St. Francis only summarizes it. For acreage around West Milwaukee, use the book and page shown in the record panel so staff can find the deed fast.
Replats and vacations
Lots near Wauwatosa can be combined or reconfigured by a replat, search the index for replats of the same subdivision; vacated streets or alleys also get recorded.
Next door to Milwaukee County
Milwaukee County meets Muskegon County, MI, Ottawa County, MI, Ozaukee County, Racine County, and Washington County; every one of them runs a separate parcel map. A tract near the line by Wauwatosa can be split across two assessors' files, so look at the adjacent map too. On ground around St. Francis, the Platbookmapper state page lists each bordering county map for Wisconsin.
What a plat shows
Utility or drainage strips on a lot in Hales Corners limit where you can build or fence; read the notes on the sheet.
Who handles what
For assessment questions about property around West Allis are handled by the county real property listing office, which maintains the tax roll. Questions about what you can build around St. Francis go to planning, building or health offices, depending on whether the land is inside town limits.
Sections, lots and bearings
Wisconsin is laid out under the Public Land Survey System, so deeds around West Milwaukee reference sections and townships. A standard section is about one square mile, roughly 640 acres, with 36 sections to a township, though sections near Oak Creek can be irregular. Keep the legal description for land near Greendale when you talk to a surveyor.
What the map can't tell you
The acreage figure is a tax-roll number; only a licensed surveyor establishes the real boundary on land around St. Francis. For property near Wauwatosa, owner names and values update on a schedule, so a deed recorded last month may not show yet.
Getting your bearings
Milwaukee holds the county offices, which is where the courthouse records live. You'll also find Greendale, West Allis, West Milwaukee, and Wauwatosa, each with its own cluster of lots. Around 916,205 people live in Milwaukee County (Census estimate, 2023) on roughly 241 square miles. Milwaukee County dates to 1835, and some chains of title near St. Francis are long. Places such as Menomonee River and Kinnickinnic River help you orient on the aerial around West Allis.
Online indexes and office visits
For property near St. Francis, many recorder offices offer an online index, otherwise call or visit with the reference; small fees are common.
Frequently asked
Are old plats online in Hales Corners?
In most cases, older plats near West Allis may be on film or paper.
Can lots near Wauwatosa be combined?
For most people, combining or splitting lots near West Milwaukee usually needs a recorded plat change, often with a surveyor's drawing.
What is a lot and block description in Hales Corners?
If the land is near Oak Creek, lot and block refer to a numbered lot within a block on a recorded subdivision plat; the deed names the subdivision.
Can I build on an easement in Hales Corners?
Good question; recorded plat easements usually show on the sheet, so check before you build.
What's a legal description near Wauwatosa?
For property near West Milwaukee, Deeds use lot and block, metes and bounds or survey descriptions, and the parcel record often summarizes it.
Open the official Milwaukee County, WI 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.