How-to · Frontage · Parcel viewer · September 24, 2026
Right-of-way and road frontage in a parcel viewer
Need a sense of how much road your lot touches — or where the public right-of-way sits? Open the county parcel viewer, look for ROW / road layers, and measure the frontage edge carefully. GIS frontage is a planning estimate, not a survey stake.
Platbookmapper is an Amazon Associate. If you buy through an Amazon link on this page, we earn a commission. The link is a product, not the county map.
Open the parcel viewer and frame the road edge
Start at Platbookmapper, pick the county, and open the outbound GIS link. Then:
- Search by address or PIN so the tax lot highlights.
- Turn on Parcels plus any Roads, Right-of-Way, Centerlines, or Transportation layers.
- Zoom until the road-facing vertices are sharp — avoid measuring from blurry aerials alone.
Platbookmapper is a directory to county maps; the interactive parcel viewer on the county site holds the geometry.
What right-of-way looks like on the map
Counties draw ROW differently:
- Separate ROW polygons between tax lots and the traveled way.
- Road centerlines with an implied width (often not the legal half-width).
- Gaps where tax parcels stop short of pavement because ROW was never part of the assessed lot.
Click Identify on the strip beside your lot. Labels may say ROW, Public Road, County Road, or Utility Corridor. Private access easements are a different animal — they may appear only on recorded plats, not in the tax GIS.
Measure road frontage in the parcel viewer
If the property card lists Frontage, Road frontage, or Lot width, copy that first. Otherwise use Measure / Distance:
- Choose Distance (not Area).
- Click along the parcel edge that faces the road — follow tax vertices, not the painted centerline.
- Note units (feet vs meters) and whether you accidentally included a side yard.
Corner lots have two frontages; some assessors report both, others only the situs street. Record which edge you measured.
Why GIS frontage is approximate
Assessor geometry is generalized. Digitizing error, road realignments, unrecorded widenings, and projection all move the number. A freehand measure on a parcel viewer is homework for driveway sketches, for-sale notes, or comparing lots — not a substitute for a licensed survey when you build, fence, or close. Related: Measure acreage & lot size and Assessor map vs survey.
Frontage & ROW checklist
- Confirm county and tax parcel in the parcel viewer.
- Toggle Roads / ROW layers if available.
- Copy any official frontage attribute from the card.
- Optional: Measure / Distance along the road-facing edge.
- Note corner-lot dual frontage and which street is primary.
- For permits, setbacks, or fences, verify with planning staff and a survey or recorded plat.
Open your county parcel viewer to check frontage & ROW
Related: Neighboring parcels & adjacent owners · What is a land survey?
Right-of-way, frontage & parcel viewer FAQ
How do I find road frontage in a county parcel viewer?
Open the parcel viewer, select your tax parcel, then use the Measure / Distance tool along the road-facing edge — or read a Frontage / Road Frontage field on the property card if the assessor publishes one.
What is right-of-way on a parcel map?
Right-of-way (ROW) is land reserved for public or utility travel and infrastructure. Parcel viewers may show ROW as a separate polygon, a road centerline buffer, or simply a gap between tax lots and the pavement.
Is GIS frontage accurate enough for a driveway permit?
Treat GIS frontage as approximate. Driveway permits, access management, and setbacks usually need survey-grade measurements or measurements the agency accepts — not a freehand sketch on a parcel viewer.
Why does my frontage measure disagree with the tax card?
Hand-traced edges, map projection, zoom level, and whether ROW was carved out of the tax polygon all shift results. Prefer official attributes when present; use Measure as a rough check only.
Not a survey. Right-of-way and road frontage shown in a county parcel viewer are GIS reference layers and approximate measures. Legal access, easements, fence lines, setbacks, and closings require recorded documents and, when needed, a licensed survey.