Blog · October 14, 2026 · Wisconsin
St. Francis Flood Zone Map, Wisconsin: a practical guide
Flood zones are set by FEMA, and checking one near Greendale takes a few minutes.
Main page: Milwaukee County, WI GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, 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.
Before you buy or build near West Milwaukee, check the St. Francis flood zone map: the zone on that map shapes insurance, permits and resale. Covered here for St. Francis: finding the address on FEMA's map, reading the zone codes, and pairing it with the Milwaukee County parcel viewer.
Getting started with the St. Francis flood zone map
Flood zones come from FEMA's Flood Map Service Center: search an address around Cudahy, and pick the FIRMette or map view. Vacant ground around South Milwaukee is still easy to locate: search the nearest road and click the spot.
Pulling up a parcel
Begin with the Milwaukee County parcel viewer; it covers each tax parcel in the county, Oak Creek included. For a parcel near Oak Creek, put in a street address, an owner's name or a parcel number, then pick the result to center the map on it. Closer to Cudahy, write down the parcel ID from that panel; every office in the county asks for it first.
St. Francis, WI: the basics
St. Francis sits in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, which means parcel data comes from the county. For a tract near Greendale, city or town hall handles matters such as zoning, permits and utilities inside its limits, while the county keeps the tax map. Acreage past the city limits out by Cudahy generally falls under county rules, not municipal ones.
Land on the county line
Milwaukee County touches Muskegon County, MI, Ottawa County, MI, Ozaukee County, Racine County, and Washington County, all with their own assessor records. A tract near the line by Cudahy may be split in two county records, so check the neighboring map too. On ground around Greendale, the Platbookmapper state page lists each bordering county map for Wisconsin.
Recorded documents worth pulling
The map is an index, not the title: deeds, plats and easements covering ground around Oak Creek are kept by the Register of Deeds. Inherited tracts near Oak Creek may trace back through many deeds, so a title company can sort it out if money is changing hands.
What to request from a seller
Ask the seller about past flood claims for the house near West Allis; an insurance quote early avoids surprises.
Using it on a phone
Most viewers work in a phone browser, useful out on a road near South Milwaukee, but coverage can be spotty out of town. A saved image of the lot near South Milwaukee and its lines helps when you meet an owner or agent.
What the zone letters mean
For a home near Cudahy, zones beginning with A or V mark the Special Flood Hazard Area, meaning a 1% or greater chance of flooding each year. Around Oak Creek, a shaded X area marks moderate flood hazard, roughly the 100- to 500-year range; plain X, or C on older maps, is minimal risk.
Low spots and local drainage
Small streams around Cudahy may not have detailed mapping, so walk the land after rain. Wet ground around Cudahy is a separate issue from flood zones; check the National Wetlands Inventory mapper for a first look.
Milwaukee County in a few facts
Milwaukee is the county seat, which is where the courthouse records live. Smaller places on the map include Cudahy, South Milwaukee, West Milwaukee, and Oak Creek. About 916,205 people live in Milwaukee County (Census estimate, 2023) spread over roughly 241 square miles. Milwaukee County dates to 1835, and some chains of title near Cudahy are long. Places such as Menomonee River and Kinnickinnic River help you orient on the aerial around Cudahy.
Use the county map alongside FEMA
FEMA doesn't draw property lines, so open the Milwaukee County parcel viewer next to see exactly which lot near Oak Creek you're looking at.
Insurance, lenders and building
For a tract near West Allis, ask for an Elevation Certificate: it compares the building to the BFE. Building or adding on near Cudahy in a mapped zone usually means extra permit review; ask the local floodplain administrator early.
What the map can't tell you
Tax maps are drawn for assessment, not surveyed, so the edge of a yard near West Allis often sits several feet off the line on screen. For land near West Allis, records update in batches, so a deed recorded last month might lag behind.
Frequently asked
How do I check the flood zone for an address in St. Francis?
Generally, look up the spot near Greendale in FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer viewer; then confirm the parcel on the county viewer.
When is flood insurance required near West Milwaukee?
It depends, but for a building near West Milwaukee in an A or V zone with a federally backed or regulated mortgage, it's generally required; outside those zones it's your call.
What does an AE label mean for a lot near South Milwaukee?
In most cases, an AE zone has a 1% annual chance of flooding and a base flood elevation, which shapes building rules near Greendale.
What is a base flood elevation around Cudahy?
For most people, a BFE near Greendale tells builders how high the lowest floor should be; local rules may require building above it.
What's the tax parcel number used for near South Milwaukee?
It's the number the county real property listing office uses to track a tract near South Milwaukee, and it's on the record panel and tax bills.
Open the official Milwaukee County, WI 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.