Blog · October 14, 2026 · North Dakota
Using the McLean County Flood Zone Map
The zone on FEMA's map affects insurance, building and resale near Max.
Main page: McLean County, ND GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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Ahead of any purchase around Mercer, look at the McLean County flood zone map: a mapped flood zone changes insurance, building rules and resale. Covered here for the county: locating a parcel on FEMA's map, decoding A, AE and X, and pairing it with the McLean County Portico map around Roseglen.
The McLean County flood zone map: start here
For parcel-by-parcel detail, open the National Flood Hazard Layer viewer, where zone shading sits over a photo base, which applies near Max as much as anywhere. Rural land near White Shield with no street number can still be found: zoom in from the nearest road then click the parcel area.
The free map to start with
Begin with the McLean County Portico map; it covers each assessed parcel around Coleharbor and Benedict. For a tract near White Shield, enter a street address, an owner's name or a parcel number, and the viewer zooms to the match. For acreage around Coleharbor, copy the parcel ID from that panel; every office in the county asks for it first.
Water near Coleharbor
Creeks and ditches near Mandan aren't always studied in detail, so walk the land after rain. Wet ground around Max is a separate issue from flood zones; check the National Wetlands Inventory mapper for a first look.
Which office to call
Anything recorded against property around Coleharbor sit in the index kept by the County Recorder, usually searchable by name or document number. Questions about what you can build around Lake Sakakawea need the planning or permitting office, and the answer depends on jurisdiction.
Zones on the McLean County flood zone map
For acreage around Audubon National Wildlife Refuge, zones beginning with A or V mark the Special Flood Hazard Area, which FEMA defines as a 1% annual chance of flooding. For a parcel near Coleharbor, shaded Zone X is moderate risk, roughly the 100- to 500-year range; unshaded X means minimal mapped risk.
The paper trail behind a parcel
Before you sign anything, get the recorded deed from the County Recorder; the viewer just points to it, which applies near Max as much as anywhere. Inherited tracts around Audubon National Wildlife Refuge can go back through a long string of deeds, and a title company earns its fee before a purchase.
Use the county map alongside FEMA
FEMA doesn't draw property lines, so open the McLean County Portico map next for the outline of the tract near Elbowoods.
Getting your bearings
Washburn holds the county offices, where most land records are kept. Other places on the map include Benedict, Butte, Coleharbor, and Garrison, where town lots give way to larger tracts. About 9,832 people call McLean County home (Census estimate, 2023) across some 2,110 square miles. The county dates to 1883, which matters when you trace an old farm's title, especially near White Shield. Features like Lake Sakakawea, Missouri River, and Audubon National Wildlife Refuge are easy to spot when you zoom out.
When a parcel crosses a boundary
The county borders Burleigh County, Dunn County, McHenry County, Mercer County, and Mountrail County; every one of them runs a separate parcel map. Acreage along the edge near Lake Sakakawea can be split in two county records, so look at the adjacent map too. For a parcel near Mercer, our state page links every neighboring county map across North Dakota.
Questions to ask before you buy
If the land is near Garrison, request about past flood claims before closing; an insurance quote early keeps the budget honest.
Lenders and permits
For a structure inside an A or V zone and the loan is federally backed or regulated, the lender will require flood insurance in communities in the NFIP, whether the land is near Roseglen or elsewhere in the county. New construction in a floodplain near Coleharbor can trigger elevation rules; call the permitting office before you plan.
How land is described here
North Dakota is laid out under the Public Land Survey System, so rural legal descriptions near Garrison 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 Mandan odd-sized. Keep the legal description for land near White Shield for any title or survey request.
Quick answers
How often are flood maps updated for land near Mercer?
With a lot near Audubon National Wildlife Refuge, FEMA revises flood maps panel by panel as new studies finish, so look at the panel date.
What is the difference between Zone A and AE around Roseglen?
Closer to Garrison, both are high-risk zones, but only AE has a base flood elevation; unnumbered A zones don't list one.
What is a base flood elevation for land near Roseglen?
In and around Audubon National Wildlife Refuge, the base flood elevation is the water level expected in the 1% annual chance flood; local rules may require building above it.
Can I see flood zones on the McLean County Portico map?
In most cases, a flood layer may appear in the county Portico map layer list; confirm a lot near Washburn on FEMA's map either way.
Why do offices ask for the parcel ID near Audubon National Wildlife Refuge?
Every office uses it to pull the same file for land near Max; copy it before you call anyone.
Open the official McLean County, ND 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.