Blog · October 14, 2026 · Illinois
Kankakee County Plat Book, Illinois: what to know
For land near Goodrich, plat books show ownership by township; the parcel viewer shows it today.
Main page: Kankakee County, IL GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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Want a copy of the Kankakee County plat book? It's a printed atlas of landownership, usually by township, and it's handy for land around Altorf. In this Kankakee County guide: how the atlas is organized, where to look for printed copies, and the free online map that stays current.
Tracking down a Kankakee County plat book
In and around Bradley, a plat book is a privately published atlas, with owner names on each tract, page by page across the county.
The viewer Kankakee County publishes
Begin with the Kankakee County ArcGIS parcel map; it covers each tax parcel around Buckingham and Bonfield. For acreage around Deselm, enter a street address, an owner's name or a parcel number, then pick the result to center the map on it. On ground around Altorf, write down the parcel ID before closing the panel; every clerk in the county will want it.
Buying or borrowing a copy
Older editions near Altorf turn up in libraries and historical societies, which helps when tracing a farm's history.
A homemade atlas
Screenshot each section of the viewer around Goodrich and keep them in a binder for the truck.
Common uses
Buyers and seed dealers around Deselm rely on them to see ownership across many tracts at once.
Kankakee County in a few facts
Kankakee serves as the county seat, where most land records are kept. You'll also find Momence, Aroma Park, Bonfield, and Bourbonnais, where town lots give way to larger tracts. Roughly 105,940 people live in this county (Census estimate, 2023) across about 676 square miles for land near Bourbonnais. The county was formed in 1853, and some chains of title near Bonfield are long.
On site with the map
Most viewers work in a phone browser, useful out on a road near Altorf, so load it before you lose signal. A screenshot of the parcel near Greenwich with its ID is a good backup.
Sections, lots and bearings
Illinois follows the Public Land Survey System, which means a tract near Garden of Eden is described by section, township and range. Each section is nominally a mile square, about 640 acres, and a township holds 36 of them, though sections near Aroma Park can be irregular. Copy the legal description from the record for the parcel near Momence for any title or survey request.
A word on accuracy
Acreage on the record is a tax-roll number; just a licensed surveyor sets the real corners for a parcel near Bourbonnais. For acreage around Bradley, owner names and values update on a schedule, so a deed recorded last month may not show yet.
Backing up the map with records
The map is an index, not the title: deeds, plats and easements covering ground around Garden of Eden are kept by the county Recorder of Deeds (in many counties the County Clerk and Recorder). With a lot near Garden of Eden, bring the book and page shown in the record panel to skip a name search.
Neighboring parcel maps
Kankakee County touches Ford County, Grundy County, Iroquois County, Livingston County, and Will County, all with their own assessor records. Acreage along the edge near Deselm may be split across two assessors' files, so check the neighboring map too. For acreage around Bonfield, our state page links each bordering county map for Illinois.
The free online alternative
Between printed editions, the Kankakee County ArcGIS parcel map shows current owners, across the county.
Plat book vs. recorded plat
A plat book is not a recorded plat: recorded plats near Buckingham are filed with the county Recorder of Deeds (in many counties the County Clerk and Recorder), while the atlas is a reference.
Who handles what
For assessment questions about property around Goodrich go to the Supervisor of Assessments, working with township assessors, since that office keeps the assessment data. Questions about what you can build around Bradley are for the local planning and health departments, town or county, depending on location.
Quick answers
Where can I find old plat books near Bonfield?
For acreage around Momence, some older atlases have been digitized; call ahead.
Why does the plat book differ from the deed for land near Deselm?
Near Bonfield, the deed and a survey decide.
Plat book or parcel viewer near Altorf?
Short answer: the county ArcGIS parcel map is free and updated more often; many people use both around Altorf.
Is a plat book the same as a recorded plat for land near Aroma Park?
With a lot near Altorf, recorded plats are legal documents at the county Recorder of Deeds (in many counties the County Clerk and Recorder), and plat books are references; use a surveyor for lines.
Why do offices ask for the parcel ID for land near Bourbonnais?
It's the number the Supervisor of Assessments, working with township assessors uses to track a tract near Aroma Park, and it's on the record panel and tax bills.
Open the official Kankakee 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.