Blog · October 14, 2026 · North Dakota
McLean County Plat Book, North Dakota
Printed plat books and the free online map for owners around Butte.
Main page: McLean County, ND GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, McLean County facts and neighboring maps).
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The printed McLean County plat book and the online parcel map answer the same question, who owns the land near Butte, in different ways. We'll cover what's in one, where McLean County copies turn up, and how the county's free map fills the gaps.
How to use the McLean County plat book
Private publishers compile plat books from county records, so a county edition is a snapshot of who owned land near Mercer the year it was printed. Don't confuse it with a subdivision plat on file for lots in Butte; that recorded plat is a legal document, while the atlas is a reference.
Opening the McLean County parcel viewer
The county's own public map is the McLean County Portico map, built on Sidwell's Portico platform, and it opens without an account for parcels in Garrison and the rest of the county. Expect a disclaimer screen the first time you open the McLean County map; accept it and the parcels load. Click any McLean County parcel near Garrison to open its record: owner, parcel ID and assessed acreage are generally listed. Bookmark our McLean County page too; it tracks the official North Dakota link if it moves and lists the maps around Garrison.
Current and older editions
Whether a current McLean County edition exists varies, so ask locally in Mercer before ordering; county offices often know if one is in print. An old atlas can help trace when a tract near Butte split off from a larger farm.
McLean County at a glance
Washburn is the county seat, and Benedict, Butte, Coleharbor, and Garrison are among the other towns on the county map. Unincorporated communities in the county, including White Shield, Roseglen, and Elbowoods, display up as small groups of parcels along the roads. Roughly 2,110 square miles of land and about 9,832 residents (2023 estimate) make up McLean County. Beyond the town lots in Benedict, expect big rural parcels across the county. With a founding date of 1883, McLean County has long chains of title on some rural tracts.
Current owners without a printed book
The McLean County Portico map works as a living McLean County plat book, with owner names and parcel lines over aerial photos of McLean County. Pair the county map with a road atlas for the back roads near Butte.
Atlas details and limits
A typical atlas page for a township near Mercer shows sections, roads and streams, with each ownership block labeled. Small parcels and town lots in Mercer are often too small to label on an atlas page, which is another reason the online map is better for them. Genealogists in North Dakota often pair an old McLean County atlas with deed records to follow a farm through the generations.
Making your own atlas of McLean County
Farm families near Max often keep successive editions of the McLean County plat book, which together display how ownership shifted over decades. Some buyers print the county parcel map at township scale to carry on back roads near Washburn.
What drives land use around Washburn
In 2022 the Census Bureau tallied 258 establishments in McLean County; other services topped the list. Utilities and heavy and civil engineering construction make up an above-average share of McLean County businesses, a clue to how land around Max gets used.
Deeds and plats behind the McLean County map
Deeds and plats behind the McLean County map are kept by the county's recording office; the official McLean County website names which office that is. Copy the parcel identifier and legal description from the county record well before you request a deed for land near Garrison.
Quick answers for McLean County
Where can I track down old plat books for McLean County, North Dakota?
Some libraries and historical societies keep older McLean County atlases; ask what's available near Coleharbor.
Is the McLean County, North Dakota online map better than a plat book?
For current owners near Coleharbor, yes; the McLean County Portico map updates as deeds are processed.
What is the difference between a plat book and a plat in McLean County?
No; a lot in Mercer answers to its recorded plat, and the county atlas is only a guide.
Does a McLean County plat book display property lines?
Only roughly; a McLean County plat book is a reference, so a boundary survey decides the real line.
Is there a current plat book for McLean County, North Dakota?
It depends on if a publisher has a county edition in print; local offices in Mercer generally know.
Open the official McLean County, ND parcel map McLean County 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.