Blog · October 17, 2026 · Iowa
Using the Red Oak Zoning Map
A parcel's zoning district shapes building, splitting and business use near Coburg.
Main page: Montgomery County, IA GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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Ahead of any building plan near Elliott, pull up the Red Oak zoning map first: a district label decides setbacks, lot size and uses. In this town guide: who controls zoning for a given parcel, how to match a parcel to its district, and the questions that save a wasted trip around Villisca.
The Red Oak zoning map: start here
Within municipal limits, the local government adopts its own zoning map, so property inside Red Oak answers to that map. Outside those limits, near Grant or Stanton, county rules apply where they exist; the county planning or zoning office can confirm. To find out which side of the line a parcel is on: look for a city limits layer in the Montgomery County Beacon site.
Pulling up a parcel
Begin with the Montgomery County Beacon site; it includes each tax parcel in the county, Stanton included. With a lot near Villisca, enter a street address, an owner's name or a parcel number, and the matching parcel lights up. For a tract near Elliott, the record panel typically gives the owner of record, assessed acreage, the parcel number and in many cases the last transfer.
Legal descriptions in Iowa
Iowa follows the Public Land Survey System, which means a tract near Villisca is described by section, township and range. Each section is nominally a mile square, about 640 acres, with 36 sections to a township, though real sections near Stanton vary in size. Write down the legal description for the tract near Villisca for any title or survey request.
Land on the county line
Montgomery County borders Adams County, Cass County, Fremont County, Mills County, and Page County; every one of them runs a separate parcel map. Acreage along the edge near Elliott may be split across two assessors' files, so open the neighboring map as well. With a lot near Stanton, the Platbookmapper state page lists every bordering county map across Iowa.
Offices that can help
Questions about value or the owner field for land near Villisca go to the County Assessor, since that office keeps the assessment data. Questions about what you can build around Elliott need the planning or permitting office, depending on whether the land is inside town limits.
Red Oak, IA: the basics
Red Oak is part of Montgomery County, Iowa, which means parcel data comes from the county. Red Oak is also the county seat, so deeds and plats are filed in town. For a home near Stanton, city or town hall handles things like zoning, permits and utilities for lots inside the boundary, while the county keeps the tax map. Acreage past the city limits toward Villisca often answers to county rules, not municipal ones.
Where the recorded documents are
Before you sign anything, pull the recorded deed through the County Recorder; the parcel map near Coburg only summarizes it. Long-held tracts around Coburg can sit on several deeds, so a title company earns its fee if money is changing hands.
A quick look at the area
Red Oak serves as the county seat, home to the main records offices. You'll also find Stanton, Coburg, Elliott, and Villisca. About 10,139 people call Montgomery County home (Census Bureau estimate, 2023) on some 424 square miles.
Zoning is only step one
Once zoning clears a project near Stanton, you still need building permits and inspections; septic or sewer and driveway access are often reviewed too.
How to look up the district
Look up the lot on the Montgomery County Beacon site first, copy its parcel ID, and match it to the adopted zoning map. For property near Villisca, district codes like R-1, C-2 or A-1 point to a table of rules in the ordinance; don't assume a code means the same thing everywhere.
What the district controls
For any structure near Villisca, check minimum lot size, setbacks from each line, height limits and lot coverage. Closer to Stanton, overlay districts, such as floodplain, historic or airport zones, can add rules on top of the base district.
Questions for the planning office
Have the parcel ID ready and describe the plan for the lot near Grant; ask what's allowed by right and what needs a permit. Ask whether a parcel near Villisca meets current minimum size, since some older splits don't.
When a plan doesn't fit
Out toward Coburg, expect an application, a fee, notice to neighbors and a public hearing.
Questions about the Red Oak zoning map
Is zoning on the Montgomery County Beacon site?
A zoning layer may be in the Montgomery County Beacon site layer list; confirm any layer with planning staff in Red Oak.
How do variances work near Elliott?
Usually, boards in Red Oak grant variances only when strict rules cause a real hardship; neighbors get notice.
How do I rezone land near Villisca?
Short answer: the governing body near Villisca decides after hearings; planning staff can outline the steps.
Are HOA rules the same as zoning in Red Oak?
It depends, but recorded restrictions in Red Oak can be stricter than zoning; read both before you buy.
Is the parcel map a survey near Grant?
The map near Villisca is approximate, so a fence may sit off the line
Open the official Montgomery County, IA 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.