Blog · September 24, 2026 · California
Santa Clara County, California GIS Parcel Map Guide
San Jose, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Mountain View, Cupertino, Los Gatos, Morgan Hill, Gilroy and the hills in between are all covered by Santa Clara County’s free SCCMap.
Main page: Santa Clara County, CA GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, Santa Clara County facts and neighboring maps).
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.
Santa Clara County is Silicon Valley, but it also holds ranches, orchards and steep hillsides. The county’s SCCMap gives anyone a detailed property map with reports and data tools.
A tour of SCCMap
SCCMap is run by the county’s technology services department. The screen has a home tab and a layers tab, with a toolbar of main tools: a layer catalog, a legend, property search, coordinate search, an identify tool, data queries, an option to upload your own data, and links to outside maps. A separate markup tab lets you draw and label features, and an “I want to” button collects common tasks. On aerial imagery, parcel street numbers appear right on the lots.
Short tutorial videos walk through finding a property, generating a property report and uploading data. The report tool is especially handy, compiling parcel details you can save or print. SCCMap is linked from the Santa Clara entry in our California directory, or on our county map.
How to find property lines in Santa Clara County
- Use Find Property to locate the parcel, then note its assessor’s parcel number.
- Generate a property report and check the subdivision or tract information.
- Order the recorded tract map, parcel map or record of survey through the Clerk-Recorder.
- Engage a California licensed land surveyor before building a fence, addition or ADU near a line.
Our survey cost guide explains why Bay Area surveys can be pricey.
Faults and seismic hazard zones
The San Andreas, Hayward and Calaveras faults all cross or border the county. California designates earthquake fault zones along active traces, and building a new home within one generally requires a geologic study. The state also maps liquefaction and landslide hazard zones, which cover parts of the valley floor and the hills. Sellers must disclose these zones. Turn on hazard layers from the catalog to see whether a lot falls inside one.
ADUs and lot splits
California housing laws now let many owners of single-family lots add accessory dwelling units, and a 2021 law known as SB 9 allows some lots to split in two. Cities such as San Jose, Palo Alto and Cupertino apply their own standards within state limits, and the county handles unincorporated pockets. Lot size, frontage, historic status and hazard zones can all affect eligibility. Check lot dimensions in SCCMap, then call the city planning office.
Unincorporated pockets
Small unincorporated islands sit inside San Jose and other cities, often older neighborhoods that never annexed. These follow county zoning and permits, not the surrounding city’s. The jurisdiction layer shows which parcels are unincorporated, which matters for permits, garbage service and building rules.
South county farms and Williamson Act land
Around Morgan Hill, San Martin and Gilroy, orchards, vineyards and garlic fields remain. Many large parcels there are under Williamson Act contracts, which lower property taxes in exchange for keeping land in agriculture for a rolling ten-year term. Ending a contract takes years or requires penalties. The county also limits rural subdivision in the south valley and the hills.
Hillside homes and wildfire
Homes in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the eastern foothills and around Los Gatos face wildfire risk, steep driveways and septic limits. State fire hazard maps and county defensible space rules apply. The 2020 SCU Lightning Complex burned hundreds of thousands of acres in the eastern hills. Insurance availability may be a bigger hurdle than permits.
Assessor values
The Assessor sets values based on purchase price plus limited yearly increases, reassessing at sale or new construction. Supplemental bills follow a purchase, so budget for them.
Uploading your own data
SCCMap can load your own spatial files, which suits consultants, realtors and residents who have site plans or survey points. Layering a GPS track or a planned building footprint over parcels makes quick checks easy, though upload formats are limited and nothing is saved to the county. The coordinate search helps when a document gives latitude and longitude rather than an address.
Water districts and wells
Most urban lots take water from city utilities or private water companies, while rural homes in the hills and south county rely on wells. Valley Water, the regional agency, manages groundwater and flood protection. Creek setbacks and flood zones affect lots along Coyote, Guadalupe and Los Gatos creeks.
Query Data for neighborhood research
The query tool filters parcels by attributes such as land use or lot size within an area you choose. It can find, for instance, every larger lot in a neighborhood that might suit an ADU. Results can be listed and zoomed to, which beats clicking lot after lot.
Is the Santa Clara County GIS map accurate?
SCCMap is a reference tool; parcel lines come from assessor mapping and do not replace a recorded map or survey. Use a licensed surveyor to settle boundaries. See assessor maps versus surveys.
Other California guides
For the Sacramento region, see our Sacramento County guide. Our California page covers the other 57 counties.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a property report from SCCMap?
Yes. SCCMap can generate a property report for a selected parcel, and a tutorial shows how.
Does SCCMap show earthquake fault zones?
Hazard layers from the catalog can show state fault and seismic hazard zones.
Can I split my Santa Clara County lot under SB 9?
Possibly; city or county rules and lot conditions decide eligibility.
What is a Williamson Act contract?
An agreement that lowers taxes on farmland in return for keeping it in agriculture.
Open the official Santa Clara County GIS viewer Santa Clara 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.