Blog · October 14, 2026 · Iowa
Story County Township Map (Iowa)
How to tell which township a parcel in Story County sits in, and what that means near Collins.
Main page: Story County, IA GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, Story County facts and neighboring maps).
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A Story County township map answers two different questions around Ames: which local township a property sits in, and where it falls on the survey grid. The free Story County parcel viewer and the parcel record usually show both.
How to use the Story County township map
The named townships on a county map are civil townships, and a parcel near Collins belongs to exactly one of them. Rural land in Story County follows the federal survey grid, where a boundary survey township is about 6 miles square, split into 36 sections of about 640 acres.
Search Story County parcels by owner, address or ID
The county's own public map is the Story County Beacon site, built on Schneider Geospatial's Beacon platform, and it opens without an account for parcels in Collins and the rest of the county. In the county version, the search page takes an owner, an address or a parcel ID, and each report links back to the map view for the tract close to Collins. Our Story County, IA page keeps the official link and the maps next door to Huxley in one place.
Seeing township lines on the Story County map
On the Story County Beacon site, the parcel record for a tract close to Collins usually lists the township, and many viewers draw township lines as a layer. Some Story County viewers include a PLSS layer that labels sections, which helps when a deed near Nevada cites T and R numbers.
Reading sections near Nevada
On a grid map of Story County, numbering starts with section 1 in the northeast corner, and the sequence zigzags row by row to section 36. Quarter-quarter descriptions in Story County are read from the end: the final quarter listed is the largest piece. Water, old surveys and corrections can leave odd-sized lots along section edges in Story County.
Deeds, districts and roads
Township names on a historical atlas of Story County can help when a family deed near Cambridge uses an old place name. Road maintenance questions near Iowa Center depend on whether a road is a state, county or local road, so ask the county highway office if you're unsure.
The Story County economy in brief
Story County's 2022 business count was 2,168 establishments, with retail trade, accommodation and food services, and other services the largest groups. Agriculture and forestry support services and chemical manufacturing make up an above-average share of Story County businesses, a clue to how land around Gilbert gets used.
The lay of the land around Nevada
From Nevada, the seat of the county, the map spreads out to Ames, Cambridge, Collins, and Colo. Smaller places such as Fernald, Iowa Center, and Ontario appear on the county map as little clusters of lots. Census Bureau estimates put Story County at about 98,566 residents in 2023 on about 573 square miles of land. The Story County map mixes subdivision lots near Ames with farm and wooded tracts farther out. Story County was organized in 1846, so deeds for older farms near Cambridge can run back a long way.
Neighboring maps around Story County
Story County borders Boone County, Hamilton County, Hardin County, Jasper County, and Marshall County, and each keeps its own parcel map and records. Our Iowa page links each map neighboring Story County.
Why the township matters
For a parcel near Collins, township lines can matter more than the mailing town, and the county record is the better guide than an address. Assessment and tax districts in Story County are frequently tied to the township, so two neighboring parcels near Nevada can carry different rates.
Story County, IA: common questions
How many acres is a section in Story County?
Roughly 640 acres per section in Story County; real sections vary a bit as of survey corrections.
Why is my mailing address in Huxley but my township different?
Postal towns and township lines in Story County do not always match; the parcel record displays the township for taxes.
Which township is my house near Huxley in?
Click the parcel on the Story County Beacon site; the Story County record usually names the township.
What is a boundary survey township in Story County?
It's a Public Land Survey System block about 6 miles square with 36 sections, used to describe Story County land.
Does the Story County GIS map show township lines?
Many county viewers include a township or municipal boundary layer; check the layer list on the Story County map.
Open the official Story County, IA parcel map Story 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.