Blog · October 14, 2026 · Illinois
Montgomery County Flood Zone Map in Illinois
FEMA's free flood maps and the Montgomery County parcel viewer, used together for property near Butler.
Main page: Montgomery County, IL GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, Montgomery County facts and neighboring maps).
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Is that lot in Litchfield in a flood zone? The Montgomery County flood zone map answer comes from FEMA, and it's free to look up. Here's how to read FEMA's map for a Montgomery County, IL property and match it to the parcel record.
Below are the FEMA links, a plain reading of the zone labels, notes on where water shapes land around Litchfield, and short answers to common questions.
How to use the Montgomery County flood zone map
Start at the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and enter the property address in Hillsboro or anywhere else in the county. The site returns the effective Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) panel covering that Hillsboro location, which you can view or download. For an interactive view of the county, try FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer viewer; zoom to the parcel near Coffeen and click. Switch to the Montgomery County Beacon site and track down the same parcel near Coffeen. The Montgomery County record gives the parcel number and legal description that an insurer or lender near Hillsboro may ask for.
Finding the tract on the Montgomery County map
The county's own public map is the Montgomery County Beacon site, built on Schneider Geospatial's Beacon platform, and it opens without an account for parcels in Coffeen and the rest of the county. Search a Coalton address on the county search page, read the report, then jump to the map to see that parcel's outline. Our Montgomery County, IL page keeps the official link and the maps next door to Coalton in one place.
Zone A, AE and X in plain English
On the FIRM covering Montgomery County, zones that start with A or V are Special Flood Hazard Areas, meaning FEMA estimates a 1-percent annual chance of flooding. Zone AE near Coffeen means FEMA published a base flood elevation; plain Zone A means no detailed elevation was studied. If a Montgomery County parcel displays shaded Zone X, it falls between the base flood and the 500-year flood. Unshaded Zone X near Coffeen is minimal risk.
Low ground and small streams around Hillsboro
A low spot on a Montgomery County tract outside any mapped zone can still flood; FEMA says moderate- and low-risk areas still carry risk.
A short buyer checklist for Butler
Request any past flood claims history for a Montgomery County property before closing; it tells you more than the map alone. Then call an insurance agent who writes policies around Butler and get a quote using the zone and the county parcel address.
Floodways and restudies near Hillsboro
The FIRM panel for Montgomery County carries an effective date; if it's old, ask the county floodplain office whether new maps for land near Hillsboro are in progress. If a parcel near Hillsboro displays a hatched floodway, expect tight limits on fill and new structures from the county floodplain office.
Flood insurance and building rules in Montgomery County
Insurance is the practical stake for a Montgomery County buyer. When a structure near Coffeen falls inside an A or V zone and secures a loan from a federally regulated or insured lender, federal rules call for flood insurance, provided the community near Hillsboro takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program. Outside the A zones around Coffeen, federal rules do not require a policy, although a lender in Illinois can still ask for it. When a Montgomery County homesite is on a rise inside a mapped zone, FEMA's LOMA process allows a review, supported by elevation data from a licensed surveyor. Adding on to a house near Coffeen inside the zone has to meet local floodplain rules, so call the county or the town office in Hillsboro before work starts.
Quick answers for Montgomery County
Is there a floodplain layer in the Montgomery County Beacon site?
Check the layer list in the Montgomery County Beacon site; if Montgomery County includes a floodplain layer, confirm the zone on FEMA's map anyway.
What does BFE mean on the flood map for Butler?
On the map covering Butler, the BFE is the height floodwater is expected to reach in the 1-percent-annual-chance flood; elevation certificates in Montgomery County are measured against it.
Can I build in a flood zone in Montgomery County?
Building in a Special Flood Hazard Area near Butler most frequently needs a floodplain permit and may require elevating the structure, so check with the county floodplain administrator.
Does a 100-year floodplain near Witt flood only once a century?
No, ground around Butler mapped that way has a 1-percent chance of flooding every year, and two floods in one decade near Butler are possible.
How do I challenge a flood zone for a lot in Butler?
FEMA reviews requests such as a LOMA for Montgomery County properties; start with an elevation certificate.
My lot in Butler displays Zone AE. What does that mean?
Zone AE on a lot in Butler is a mapped 100-year floodplain with a base flood elevation, so mandatory insurance rules apply to federally backed mortgages.
Open the official Montgomery County, IL parcel map Montgomery 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.