Blog · October 14, 2026 · Pennsylvania
Potter County Flood Zone Map, Pennsylvania: a practical guide
Flood zones are set by FEMA, and checking one near Oswayo takes a few minutes.
Main page: Potter County, PA GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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Weighing a property around Elmer? The Potter County flood zone map tells you whether FEMA puts it in a high-risk zone, and no account is needed. This Potter County guide covers: locating a parcel on FEMA's map, reading the zone codes, and confirming the outline on the county map.
Where the Potter County flood zone map lives
Out toward Oswayo, the official source is FEMA's Flood Map Service Center: enter the street address, and pick the FIRMette or map view. Vacant ground around Allegheny River is still easy to locate: zoom in from US Route 6 and click the spot.
Opening the official parcel viewer
Parcels around Coudersport are published on the Potter County ArcGIS parcel map, which opens without registering. When a rural tract has no street number, follow US Route 6 on the aerial and select the outline, whether the land is near Galeton or elsewhere in the county. In and around East Fork Road, the parcel card typically gives the owner of record, acreage on the tax roll, a parcel ID and in many cases the last transfer.
What the map can't tell you
In and around Cross Fork, the acreage figure is an assessed number; just a licensed surveyor establishes the real boundary on the ground. If you're looking near Austin, owner names and values update on a schedule, so a deed recorded last month might lag behind.
Reading A, AE and X
If you're looking near Mississippi River, zones beginning with A or V mark the Special Flood Hazard Area, land with a 1-percent chance of flooding in any year. On ground around Oswayo, shaded Zone X is moderate risk, roughly the 100- to 500-year range; plain X, or C on older maps, is minimal risk.
Potter County in a few facts
Coudersport serves as the county seat, which is where the courthouse records live. Smaller places on the map include Austin, Galeton, Oswayo, and Shinglehouse, where town lots give way to larger tracts. Roughly 15,999 people live in this county (Census Bureau estimate, 2023) on roughly 1,081 square miles around Sweden Valley. Potter County was formed in 1804, which matters when you trace an old farm's title. Places such as Mississippi River, Allegheny River, and Cherry Springs State Park help you orient on the aerial around Coudersport.
Field tips
The parcel map usually runs in a mobile browser, handy when you're parked on a road near Galeton, so load it before you lose signal. A printout of the tract near Sweden Valley is a good backup.
Offices that can help
For assessment questions about property around Sweden Valley go to the county assessment office, since that office keeps the assessment data. Zoning, permits and septic questions near Ulysses go to planning, building or health offices, depending on whether the land is inside town limits.
What to request from a seller
On ground around Oswayo, ask the seller for any Elevation Certificate before closing; an insurance quote early avoids surprises.
Beyond the mapped zones
Small streams around Coudersport aren't always studied in detail, so look for water marks and debris lines. Wet ground around Coudersport is a separate issue from flood zones; check the National Wetlands Inventory mapper for a first look.
Matching the zone to the lot lines
Where a floodplain cuts across acreage near Shinglehouse, the location of the house or building pad decides a lot.
Insurance, lenders and building
If a building sits in a Special Flood Hazard Area and a federally regulated lender is involved, the lender will require flood insurance where the community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, whether the land is near Mississippi River or elsewhere in the county. New construction in a floodplain near Roulette often needs a floodplain permit; call the permitting office early.
Deeds, plats and who keeps them
Before you sign anything, pull the recorded deed from the Recorder of Deeds; the viewer just points to it, whether the land is near Cross Fork or elsewhere in the county. In and around East Fork Road, have ready the document number shown in the record panel to skip a name search.
Next door to Potter County
Potter County meets Allegany County, NY, Steuben County, NY, Cameron County, Clinton County, and Lycoming County, all with their own assessor records. A tract near the line by Galeton may be split in two county records, so open the adjacent map too. If you're looking near Elmer, the Platbookmapper state page links each neighboring county map across Pennsylvania.
Quick answers
Is flood insurance mandatory near Ulysses?
Good question; for a building near Galeton in an A or V zone with a federally backed or regulated mortgage, it's generally required; elsewhere it's optional.
Does the county parcel map show flood zones near Allegheny River?
Generally, a flood layer may appear in the county ArcGIS parcel map layer list; confirm a lot near Galeton on FEMA's map either way.
What is a LOMA for land near Galeton?
FEMA's LOMA process is the usual route when a building near Austin sits above the base flood elevation; it starts with an elevation survey.
Where can I see the Potter County flood zone map for free?
Usually, search the address near Elmer on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center; no account is needed.
Why do offices ask for the parcel ID around Galeton?
It's the number the county assessment office uses to track a tract near Roulette; copy it before you call anyone.
Open the official Potter 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.