Blog · October 14, 2026 · Pennsylvania
McKean County Plat Book: finding and using one
For acreage around Allegheny National Recreation Area, plat books show ownership by township; the parcel viewer shows it today.
Main page: McKean County, PA GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
Platbookmapper is an Amazon Associate. If you buy through an Amazon link on this page, we earn a commission. The link is a product, not the county map.
Want a copy of the McKean County plat book? A plat book shows owners and tract lines on township pages, and it's handy for land around Allegheny National Recreation Area. What this county guide covers: how the atlas is organized, where to look for printed copies, and the free online map that stays current, especially near Allegheny National Recreation Area.
Tracking down a McKean County plat book
For land near Kinzua Bridge State Park, plat books are commercial atlases, that map ownership across the countryside, page by page across the county.
The viewer McKean County publishes
Lots and tracts near Allegheny National Recreation Area appear on the McKean County ArcGIS parcel map, free to use and open without a login. Without an address in hand, follow US Route 219 on the aerial and select the outline, which applies near Eldred as much as anywhere. If you're looking near Foster Brook, copy the parcel ID from that panel; every records desk in the county asks for it first.
Printing your own
Print parcel views near Rew township by township to build your own up-to-date atlas.
Deeds, plats and who keeps them
For a parcel near Kinzua Bridge State Park, the map is an index, not the title: deeds, subdivision plats and easements for parcels in the county sit with the Recorder of Deeds. Out toward Lewis Run, have ready the document number from the tax record and the lookup takes minutes.
Sections, lots and bearings
Rural deeds near Port Allegany commonly use metes-and-bounds descriptions, a series of courses and distances from a starting point. Platted lots around Bradford usually use lot and block from a recorded plat instead, making them easier to find. Write down the legal description for the tract near Kane when you talk to a surveyor.
Field tips
Most viewers work in a phone browser, which helps when you're standing on land near Rew, but coverage can be spotty out of town. A saved image of the lot near Cyclone and its lines keeps working without signal.
Land on the county line
The county borders Allegany County, NY, Cattaraugus County, NY, Cameron County, Elk County, and Forest County, and each of those keeps its own parcel map, at least around Coryville. A tract near the line by Allegheny National Forest can be split in two county records, so open the adjacent map before you assume the acreage. For a home near Port Allegany, our state page lists each neighboring county map for Pennsylvania.
Why people still buy them
Farmers, hunters and appraisers near Mount Jewett use plat books for a big-picture view of who owns what.
Getting your bearings
Smethport is the county seat, where most land records are kept. Smaller places on the map include Bradford, Eldred, Kane, and Lewis Run. Roughly 39,519 people call McKean County home (Census estimate, 2023) spread over some 980 square miles. The county dates to 1826, which matters when you trace an old farm's title, especially near Allegheny National Forest. Places such as Allegheny National Forest are easy to spot when you zoom out.
Who handles what
For assessment questions about property around Allegheny National Recreation Area are handled by the county assessment office, the office behind the parcel record. Questions about what you can build around Burning Well need the planning or permitting office, depending on whether the land is inside town limits.
Buying or borrowing a copy
Not every county has a current edition, try the county extension office, recorder's office or library near Allegheny National Recreation Area.
Between editions
For current names, use the McKean County ArcGIS parcel map, across the county.
Not the same thing
Near Allegheny National Recreation Area, don't confuse the atlas with a recorded subdivision plat: the recorded plat at the Recorder of Deeds is a legal document, while the atlas is a reference.
What the map can't tell you
Listed acreage is an estimate; just a licensed surveyor can set the real lines on land around Allegheny National Recreation Area. For a home near Allegheny National Recreation Area, records update in batches, so a deed recorded last month can take weeks to appear.
Questions about the McKean County plat book
Why does the plat book differ from the deed around Allegheny National Forest?
If the land is near Eldred, plat book acreage and lines are approximate.
Should I use the McKean County ArcGIS parcel map instead?
For current owners, the viewer is usually better, for land near Kinzua Bridge State Park included.
Who sells plat books in McKean County?
For land near Rew, editions come and go; ask local offices.
Is a plat book legal proof around Rew?
For a home near Allegheny National Recreation Area, a survey sets boundaries, not an atlas; check the deed.
What's the tax parcel number used for for land near Coryville?
It's the number the county assessment office uses to track a tract near Port Allegany; you'll see it in the viewer and on tax statements.
Open the official McKean County, PA 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.