Blog · October 14, 2026 · California
Using the Richmond GIS Map
Most property questions near Orinda start with a parcel lookup.
Main page: Contra Costa County, CA GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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When land near San Pablo catches your eye, the Richmond GIS map lays out lines, owner names and parcel numbers. In this Richmond guide: which viewer to open, the fastest ways to search, and what to double-check with records.
Where the Richmond GIS map lives
In most places the county maintains the parcel layer, and for Richmond that means the Contra Costa County parcel viewer.
Getting to the right map
Property in and around Hercules appear on the Contra Costa County parcel viewer, a viewer that needs no account. In and around Martinez, enter a street address, an owner's name or a parcel number, then pick the result to center the map on it. For a tract near Orinda, write down the parcel ID from that panel; every clerk in the county asks for it first.
Contra Costa County in a few facts
Martinez holds the county offices, home to the main records offices. You'll also find San Pablo, El Cerrito, Pinole, and Hercules, each with its own cluster of lots. About 1,155,025 people call Contra Costa County home (Census Bureau estimate, 2023) spread over roughly 717 square miles. Landmarks such as Clayton-Marsh Creek-Greenville Fault, San Pablo Dam Reservoir, and Mount Diablo State Park make handy reference points on the map near El Cerrito.
Keeping a record
Print or screenshot the parcel near San Pablo with its ID visible, so you have it when calling an office.
Next door to Contra Costa County
Contra Costa County meets Alameda County, Marin County, Sacramento County, San Francisco County, and San Joaquin County, all with their own assessor records. A tract near the line by Hercules can show up across two assessors' files, so open the neighboring map as well. If you're looking near Orinda, the Platbookmapper state page lists each bordering county map for California.
Richmond, CA: the basics
Richmond sits in Contra Costa County, California, so its parcels are on the county's map. On ground around Orinda, the municipality handles matters such as zoning, permits and utilities for lots inside the boundary, but the county runs assessment and recording. Acreage past the town limits toward Martinez usually falls under county rules rather than the town's.
Troubleshooting the viewer
When the map won't open around Martinez, try a desktop browser or clear the cache; links occasionally change, and our directory page keeps the current one.
Finding the right lot
Acreage around Pinole might not have a street number, so zoom in from Interstate 580 and click the outline. Around Hercules, searching by parcel number never misses, and it carries over to every office in the county.
The paper trail behind a parcel
The map is an index, not the title: recorded deeds, plats and easements covering ground around Orinda are filed with the County Recorder. For land near San Pablo, have ready the document number from the tax record so staff can find the deed fast.
Beyond the parcel lines
An aerial view around Hercules helps you see where buildings sit inside the lines.
Taking the map into the field
The parcel map usually runs in a mobile browser, useful out on a road near Pinole, but coverage can be spotty out of town. A printout of the tract near San Pablo helps when you meet an owner or agent.
How land is described here
California follows the Public Land Survey System, which means a tract near San Pablo is described by section, township and range. A standard section is about one square mile, roughly 640 acres, and a township holds 36 of them, though corrections make some sections near Martinez odd-sized. Write down the legal description for the tract near Orinda when you talk to a surveyor.
What the map can't tell you
Acreage on the record is an assessed number; only a licensed surveyor establishes the real lines for a parcel near Pinole. For land near Martinez, records update in batches, so a deed recorded last month might lag behind.
Inside the parcel card
If sale dates appear, they help gauge the market in Richmond are a useful starting point; an appraiser is the real authority.
Which office to call
If the acreage or value on a parcel near Orinda looks off are handled by the County Assessor, since that office keeps the assessment data. Building or septic questions for a lot near Pinole are for the local planning and health departments, depending on whether the land is inside town limits.
Frequently asked
Can I search by owner name in Richmond?
Good question; click the lot near El Cerrito to see the owner, or search by address instead.
Why does a recent sale near San Pablo not show?
With a lot near Martinez, updates come in batches.
Do I need an account for the parcel map near El Cerrito?
Short answer: the county viewer covering Richmond needs no account.
Are parcel lines on the map exact around El Cerrito?
It depends, but lines near Martinez can be off by several feet or more; get a survey before a fence.
What's the tax parcel number used for near Pinole?
The parcel ID identifies one tax parcel near Hercules, and it's on the record panel and tax bills.
Open the official Contra Costa County, CA 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.