Blog · October 14, 2026 · Nebraska
Howard County Plat Book, Nebraska
Printed plat books and the free online map for owners around St. Paul.
Main page: Howard County, NE GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, Howard County facts and neighboring maps).
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Old copies of the Howard County plat book turn up at auctions and in kitchen drawers around Howard City, and new ones are harder to track down. Here's what a plat book is, where to look for one in Howard County, and the free official map that stays current between editions.
What's inside a county plat book
A plat book, sometimes called a land atlas, shows each township in Howard County as a page, with ownership blocks labeled by owner name and rough acreage. It's different from a recorded plat, which is the official survey drawing for a subdivision in Dannebrog filed with the county.
Finding the tract on the Howard County map
Howard County publishes its parcels on the Howard County gWorks map, which runs on a gWorks county GIS site, free to use for a lot in Cushing or a piece of ground near St. Paul. The Howard County site shows a disclaimer before the map; click through to reach parcels near Cushing. Click any Howard County parcel near Cushing to open its record: owner, parcel ID and assessed acreage are typically listed. Bookmark our Howard County page too; it tracks the official Nebraska link if it moves and lists the maps around Cushing.
Finding a printed Howard County plat book
Private publishers have printed plat books for many rural counties, but editions for Howard County come and go; inquire at the courthouse, the extension office or a farm supply store in Dannebrog. An old atlas can help trace when a piece of ground near St. Paul split off from a larger farm.
Current owners without a printed book
For current ownership, the free Howard County gWorks map beats any printed book: owners update as deeds are processed, and you can click any piece of ground near Dannebrog. Phone signal can be thin near St. Libory, so save the parcel IDs you need before you head out.
Towns and land across Howard County
From St. Paul, the seat of the county, the map spreads out to Cotesfield, Cushing, Dannebrog, and Elba. Smaller places such as St. Libory, Dannevirke, and Nysted appear on the county map as little clusters of lots. Roughly 569 square miles of land and about 6,527 residents (2023 estimate) make up Howard County. Outside Dannebrog, most of the county map is farm, ranch or timber ground with large, irregular tracts.
Atlas details and limits
Plat book pages for Howard County typically include an index of owners, so you can locate a family name near Cotesfield without knowing the township. Owner names in an older Howard County edition may be decades out of date, so confirm on the county map before contacting anyone near St. Libory. If you use a plat book for hunting permission near Farwell, recheck the landowner on the county map first.
Old atlases and family history in Howard County
Comparing two Howard County editions side by side shows when a farm near Cushing was split or sold. Saving PDFs of the county map around St. Libory gives you an offline reference when the signal drops.
The Howard County economy in brief
Howard County's 2022 business count was 172 establishments, with construction, retail trade, and other services the largest groups. Truck transportation and wholesale of nondurable goods (including farm products) make up an above-average share of Howard County businesses, a clue to how land around Dannebrog gets used.
Howard County land records
The parcel layer for Howard County points back to recorded deeds and plats, kept by the county's recording office (its title varies by state). Easements and access rights near Cushing live in recorded documents, so read the deed, not just the county map.
Quick answers for Howard County
Should I use the Howard County, Nebraska parcel map instead of a plat book?
For current owners near Dannebrog, yes; the county gWorks map updates as deeds are processed.
What is the difference between a plat book and a plat in Howard County?
No; a lot in Howard City answers to its recorded plat, and the county atlas is a reference, nothing more.
Does a Howard County plat book display property lines?
Only roughly; a Howard County plat book is a reference, so a survey decides the real line.
Can I buy a new plat book for Howard County, Nebraska?
It depends on whether a publisher has a county edition in print; local offices in Howard City typically know.
Are older plat books for Howard County, Nebraska online?
Check the library in Howard City, local historical groups and estate sales for older Howard County editions.
Open the official Howard County, NE parcel map Howard 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.