Blog · October 14, 2026 · Iowa
Keokuk Plat Map, Iowa: plats and lots
A recorded plat shows how land near Houghton was divided into lots.
Main page: Lee County, IA GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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Buying a lot in a subdivision near Montrose? What you want is the Keokuk plat map, since it shows lots, streets and easements as approved. Covered here for Keokuk: where plats are filed, plat versus tax map, and the details that matter to buyers.
Who keeps the Keokuk plat map
Closer to Fort Madison, recorded plats sit with the County Recorder, usually in a plat book or cabinet.
The free map to start with
Go first to the Lee County Beacon site; it maps each assessed parcel from Franklin to Donnellson. For a parcel near Fort Madison, enter a street address, an owner's name or a parcel number, and the viewer zooms to the match. For a tract near Franklin, the parcel card usually lists the owner of record, acreage on the tax roll, the parcel number and sometimes recent sales.
Limits of the parcel data
Parcel lines are drawn for taxes, not surveyed, so a tree line near Houghton often sits several feet off the line on screen. If you're looking near St. Paul, records update in batches, so a deed recorded last month might lag behind.
Places you'll see on the map
Fort Madison is the county seat, which is where the courthouse records live. You'll also find Montrose, Donnellson, and Franklin. About 32,565 people call Lee County home (Census estimate, 2023) on some 518 square miles. Lee County was formed in 1836, so old deeds can run back a long way. Features like Mississippi River help you orient on the aerial around Fort Madison.
City limits and county records
Keokuk is part of Lee County, Iowa, and the county assessor maps its lots. Keokuk is also the county seat, which puts the County Recorder close by. For a parcel near Montrose, the municipality handles things like zoning, permits and utilities within town limits, and the county still keeps the parcel and deed records. Lots just outside the town limits out by Fort Madison usually follows county rules instead.
Who handles what
Deeds, mortgages and recorded plats for land near Fort Madison sit in the index kept by the County Recorder, sometimes only in person. Questions about what you can build around Donnellson are for the local planning and health departments, and the answer depends on jurisdiction.
How a plat differs from the tax map
The tax map on the Lee County Beacon site is a summary, but the recorded plat is what the deed relies on.
The paper trail behind a parcel
The map is an index, not the title: recorded deeds, subdivision plats and easements for land near Donnellson sit with the County Recorder. Older tracts near Fort Madison may sit on many deeds, so a title company is worth hiring if money is changing hands.
Reading the plat sheet
Easements on the plat near St. Paul can block a shed or pool; read the notes on the sheet.
Requesting the plat
With a lot near Montrose, many recorder offices offer an online index, otherwise call or visit with the reference; small fees are common.
Amended plats
Lots near St. Paul can be combined or reconfigured by a replat, so check for later filings; vacated streets or alleys also get recorded.
Metes and bounds instead
Acreage around Fort Madison outside a subdivision is often described by metes and bounds or survey description; the deed and any recorded survey describe it instead.
How land is described here
Iowa follows the Public Land Survey System, so rural legal descriptions near St. Paul cite section, township and range. A standard section is about one square mile, roughly 640 acres, with 36 sections to a township, though corrections make some sections near Donnellson odd-sized. Keep the legal description for land near Fort Madison when you talk to a surveyor.
Land on the county line
Lee County touches Hancock County, IL, Henderson County, IL, Des Moines County, Henry County, and Van Buren County, and each of those keeps its own parcel map. Ground near Fort Madison that runs to the line can show up in two county records, so check the adjacent map too. Out toward Donnellson, the Platbookmapper state page links every bordering county map for Iowa.
Using it on a phone
Most viewers work in a phone browser, handy when you're parked on a road near Montrose, so load it before you lose signal. A screenshot of the parcel near Franklin with its ID helps when you meet an owner or agent.
Questions about the Keokuk plat map
Are old plats online for land near Houghton?
For acreage around Houghton, it varies; some offices have scanned older plats and some haven't, including older subdivisions.
Can lots near Fort Madison be combined?
Good question; lot splits in Keokuk go through the planning office.
Is a plat map a survey around St. Paul?
Short answer: the plat near Houghton is recorded, while the GIS layer is an approximation.
What is a lot and block description in Keokuk?
Near St. Paul, lot and block refer to a numbered lot within a block on a recorded subdivision plat.
How do I save a parcel from the viewer for land near Donnellson?
Some viewers offer PDF export; include the record panel for the lot near Franklin.
Open the official Lee County, IA 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.