Blog · October 14, 2026 · Minnesota
Using the Hugo Plat Map
A recorded plat shows how land near Mahtomedi was divided into lots.
Main page: Washington County, MN GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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When a listing near White Bear Lake mentions a lot number, look up the Hugo plat map it refers to. In this Hugo guide: where plats are filed, how a plat differs from a parcel map, and what to look for on the sheet.
Who keeps the Hugo plat map
For land around White Bear Lake, look for the plat book reference on the parcel record; that makes the request quick.
Getting to the right map
Begin with the Washington County ArcGIS parcel map; it covers every assessed parcel around Mahtomedi and Dellwood. Out toward White Bear Lake, type a street address, an owner's name or a parcel number, and the matching parcel lights up. With a lot near Mahtomedi, write down the parcel ID from that panel; each office in the county will want it.
City limits and county records
Hugo sits in Washington County, Minnesota, and the county assessor maps its lots. For a tract near Grant, the municipality handles things like zoning, permits and utilities for lots inside the boundary, and the county still keeps the parcel and deed records. Lots just outside the town limits out by Birchwood Village usually answers to county rules, not municipal ones.
How a plat differs from the tax map
Where lines don't match in Hugo, go with the plat and a surveyor's work.
Sections, lots and bearings
Minnesota follows the Public Land Survey System, so rural legal descriptions near Mahtomedi cite section, township and range. Each section is nominally a mile square, about 640 acres, and a township holds 36 of them, though corrections make some sections near White Bear Lake odd-sized. Keep the legal description for land near White Bear Lake when you talk to a surveyor.
A quick look at the area
Stillwater serves as the county seat, which is where the courthouse records live. Other places on the map include Dellwood, Forest Lake, Grant, and Birchwood Village, each with its own cluster of lots. Roughly 278,936 people call Washington County home (Census estimate, 2023) on roughly 385 square miles. Washington County was organized in 1849, and some chains of title near Mahtomedi are long. Landmarks such as Afton State Park help you orient on the aerial around Mahtomedi.
Reading the plat sheet
Utility or drainage strips on a lot in Hugo can block a shed or pool; check the plat notes and any covenants.
When there's no plat
Acreage around Grant outside a subdivision is often described by metes and bounds or survey description; the deed and any recorded survey describe it instead.
What the map can't tell you
Listed acreage is an estimate; just a licensed surveyor establishes the real corners for a parcel near Mahtomedi. If you're looking near Forest Lake, records update in batches, so a deed recorded last month might lag behind.
Using it on a phone
The parcel map usually runs in a mobile browser, useful out on a road near Forest Lake, so load it before you lose signal. A screenshot of the parcel near Forest Lake with its ID is a good backup.
Neighboring parcel maps
Washington County borders Anoka County, Chisago County, Dakota County, Ramsey County, and Pierce County, WI; every one of them runs a separate parcel map. A tract near the line by Forest Lake may be split across two assessors' files, so open the neighboring map before you assume the acreage. Out toward Mahtomedi, the Platbookmapper state page links each neighboring county map for Minnesota.
Requesting the plat
For property near Mahtomedi, some counties put plat images online, while others require a visit or a request; copy fees are usually small.
Who handles what
If the acreage or value on a parcel near Birchwood Village looks off go to the County Assessor, since that office keeps the assessment data. Questions about what you can build around Mahtomedi are for the local planning and health departments, and the answer depends on jurisdiction.
Recorded documents worth pulling
The map is an index, not the title: deeds, plats and easements for land near Dellwood sit with the County Recorder. Inherited tracts near White Bear Lake may trace back through many deeds, so a title company is worth hiring before a purchase.
When a plat changes
Lots near Mahtomedi can be combined or reconfigured by a replat, so check for later filings; vacated streets or alleys also get recorded.
Hugo: common questions
Where can I find the Hugo plat map?
Short answer: recorded plats near White Bear Lake are filed with the County Recorder.
How is a plat different from the parcel map near White Bear Lake?
Near Birchwood Village, a recorded plat is based on a survey, but the GIS map is not; trust the plat when they differ.
How far back do plats go near Birchwood Village?
In and around Grant, it varies; some offices have scanned older plats and some haven't.
What does lot 7, block 3 mean near White Bear Lake?
Short answer: it points to a spot on the plat for that subdivision near White Bear Lake.
What's the tax parcel number used for near Forest Lake?
Every office uses it to pull the same file for land near Forest Lake; you'll see it in the viewer and on tax statements.
Open the official Washington County, MN 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.