Blog · October 14, 2026 · Maryland
The Somerset County Plat Book: a Maryland guide
Township atlases, old editions and current owners in Somerset County, starting near Princess Anne.
Main page: Somerset County, MD GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, Somerset 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.
The printed Somerset County plat book and the online parcel map answer the same question, who owns the land near Crisfield, in different ways. Here's what a plat book is, where to look for one in Somerset County, and the free official map that stays current between editions.
What a Somerset County plat book is
Think of the Somerset County plat book as a bound, printed version of ownership: township pages, owner names on each tract, and road maps for places like Chance. Deeds and recorded plats, not the atlas, still govern land near Deal Island in the county.
The county map you'll pair it with
Somerset County parcels are viewed through a statewide map, the Maryland FINDER Online; zoom toward Crisfield to reach them. Click any Somerset County parcel near Crisfield to open its record: owner, parcel ID and assessed acreage are most often listed. Our Somerset County, MD page keeps the official link and the maps next door to Chance in one place.
Where Somerset County plat books turn up
Whether a current Somerset County edition exists varies, so ask locally in Crisfield before ordering; county offices often know if one is in print. An old atlas can help trace when a parcel near Chance split off from a larger farm.
Atlas details and limits
Many atlases add rural residence listings and road maps, handy on back roads near Deal Island. Small parcels and town lots in Crisfield are often too small to label on an atlas page, which is another reason the online map is better for them. Genealogists in Maryland often pair an old Somerset County atlas with deed records to follow a farm through the generations.
Old atlases and family history in Somerset County
Names in an older Somerset County atlas can lead you to the right deed in the grantor-grantee index for land near Deal Island. If you cannot find a printed edition, a screenshot of each township from the county map works as a decent homemade atlas for the area around Chance.
Work and land use in Somerset County
County Business Patterns counted 355 business establishments in Somerset County for 2022, led by retail trade, other services, and health care and social assistance. Fishing, hunting and trapping and food manufacturing make up an above-average share of Somerset County businesses, a clue to how land around Princess Anne gets used.
Somerset County at a glance
Town lots cluster around Princess Anne, the county seat, and Crisfield. Unincorporated communities in the county, including Chance, Dames Quarter, and Deal Island, display up as small groups of parcels along the roads. Somerset County had an estimated 24,910 people in 2023 (Census Bureau), spread across about 320 square miles. The Somerset County map mixes subdivision lots near Princess Anne with farm and wooded tracts farther out. Somerset County was organized in 1666, so deeds for older farms near Crisfield can run back a long way.
Near the Somerset County line
Somerset County borders Dorchester County, St. Mary's County, Wicomico County, Worcester County, and Accomack County, VA, and each keeps its own parcel map and records. Every map bordering Somerset County is listed on our Maryland directory.
Where Somerset County land records are kept
For land near Crisfield, the deed itself lives in the county recording office, and the map is an index to it. Somerset County does not assess its own parcels; Maryland's SDAT does, on a three-year cycle, and the Maryland Department of Planning keeps the tax maps. A deed book and page or instrument number on the county record is the fastest way to pull the document for a lot in Crisfield.
Current owners without a printed book
Between editions, use the Maryland FINDER Online; it lists owners, acreage and parcel IDs for land near Chance at no cost. Print a screenshot of the tracts around Crisfield if you want a paper copy in the truck.
Somerset County, MD: common questions
Can I buy a new plat book for Somerset County, Maryland?
It depends on if a publisher has a county edition in print; local offices in Crisfield most often know.
Where can I find old plat books for Somerset County, Maryland?
Some libraries and historical societies keep older Somerset County atlases; ask what's available near Princess Anne.
Is a plat book the same as a recorded plat for a lot in Crisfield?
No; a lot in Crisfield answers to its recorded plat, and the county atlas is a reference, nothing more.
Can I use a plat book to find lot lines near Crisfield?
It lists approximate ownership blocks; for lines near Crisfield, use recorded plats and surveys.
Is the Somerset County, Maryland online map better than a plat book?
For current owners near Princess Anne, yes; the Maryland FINDER Online updates as deeds are processed.
Open the official Somerset County, MD parcel map Somerset 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.