Blog · October 14, 2026 · Montana
Stillwater County Flood Zone Map, Montana: a practical guide
The zone on FEMA's map affects insurance, building and resale near Absarokee.
Main page: Stillwater County, MT GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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Weighing a property around Absarokee? A quick look at the Stillwater County flood zone map shows whether the lot falls inside a mapped floodplain, and no account is needed. Covered here for Stillwater County: finding the address on FEMA's map, decoding A, AE and X, and pairing it with the Stillwater County ArcGIS parcel map.
Where the Stillwater County flood zone map lives
If you'd rather pan and zoom, try the National Flood Hazard Layer viewer, which draws the zones over aerial imagery, whether the land is near Hailstone National Wildlife Refuge or elsewhere in the county. A tract near Park City without an address can still be found: pan from the closest town and click inside the land.
Getting to the right map
Begin with the Stillwater County ArcGIS parcel map; it maps each assessed parcel around Grass Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Rapelje. With a lot near Nye, enter a street address, an owner's name or a parcel number, and the matching parcel lights up. For a parcel near Park City, copy the parcel ID before closing the panel; every office in the county uses it to find the file.
Decoding the flood zone labels
For land near Nye, zones beginning with A or V are Special Flood Hazard Areas, land with a 1-percent chance of flooding in any year. If the land is near Rapelje, a shaded X area marks moderate flood hazard, roughly the 100- to 500-year range; unshaded X means minimal mapped risk.
Neighboring parcel maps
Stillwater County borders Carbon County, Golden Valley County, Park County, Sweet Grass County, and Yellowstone County; every one of them runs a separate parcel map. Ground near Custer National Forest that runs to the line may be split across two assessors' files, so check the neighboring map before you assume the acreage. Out toward Nye, our state page links each neighboring county map for Montana.
A word on accuracy
For a home near Fishtail, listed acreage is a tax-roll number; only a licensed surveyor sets the real lines on the ground. Records update in batches, so a recent sale near Custer National Forest can take weeks to appear.
Which office to call
If the acreage or value on a parcel near Absarokee looks off belong with the Montana Department of Revenue, which maintains the tax roll. Questions about what you can build around Rapelje need the planning or permitting office, town or county, depending on location.
Use the county map alongside FEMA
FEMA's map shows zones but not ownership, so check the Stillwater County ArcGIS parcel map too to confirm you have the right parcel near Absarokee.
Questions to ask before you buy
In and around Columbus, request whether the home has flooded before closing; getting a quote early avoids surprises.
Field tips
Most viewers work in a phone browser, handy when you're parked on a road near Columbus, though signal can drop in rural spots. A screenshot of the parcel near Absarokee with its ID helps when you meet an owner or agent.
Water near Columbus
Small streams around Columbus may not have detailed mapping, so look for water marks and debris lines. Wetlands near Absarokee can limit building even outside a flood zone; check the National Wetlands Inventory mapper for a first look.
Recorded documents worth pulling
The map is an index, not the title: deeds, subdivision plats and easements covering ground around Hailstone National Wildlife Refuge sit with the County Clerk and Recorder. Older tracts around Fishtail may go back through many deeds, and a title company can sort it out before a purchase.
How land is described here
Montana follows the Public Land Survey System, so deeds around Absarokee reference sections and townships. A standard section is about one square mile, roughly 640 acres, with 36 sections to a township, though corrections make some sections near Hailstone National Wildlife Refuge odd-sized. Copy the legal description from the record for the parcel near Grass Lake National Wildlife Refuge for any title or survey request.
What a flood zone means for a buyer
Closer to Rapelje, an Elevation Certificate from a surveyor helps: it can change the insurance price a lot. New construction in a floodplain near Nye often needs a floodplain permit; ask the local floodplain administrator before you plan.
Frequently asked
How often are flood maps updated for land near Custer National Forest?
On ground around Grass Lake National Wildlife Refuge, FEMA revises flood maps panel by panel as new studies finish; your community is notified before changes take effect.
How can I tell if a house near Grass Lake National Wildlife Refuge is in a flood zone?
It depends, but FEMA's free map shows the zone for any spot near Park City; no account is needed.
Is Zone X safe from flooding near Columbus?
Good question; Zone X near Nye means moderate (shaded) or minimal (unshaded) mapped risk, and floods still happen outside high-risk zones.
Does the county parcel map show flood zones near Grass Lake National Wildlife Refuge?
Good question; a flood layer may appear in the Stillwater County ArcGIS parcel map layer list; confirm a lot near Fishtail on FEMA's map either way.
Can I settle a boundary dispute with the map near Hailstone National Wildlife Refuge?
For property near Fishtail, parcel lines are tax drawings, not surveys; a survey sets the real corners
Open the official Stillwater County, MT 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.