U.S. Territories · U.S. Virgin Islands · October 24, 2026

USVI Estate and Plot Numbers: How to Read Them

Virgin Islands land is described by plot, estate and quarter, not lot and block. How to read a USVI parcel description and find it on the map.

A property description in the U.S. Virgin Islands looks nothing like a mainland lot-and-block description. You'll see something like Plot 45 Estate Bovoni, No. 1 Frenchman's Bay Quarter, St. Thomas. Every part of that has a meaning that goes back to the islands' Danish colonial history. This guide explains how to read it and how to find the parcel on the official map.

A little history

St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix were the Danish West Indies until the United States bought them from Denmark in 1917. Under Danish rule, the islands were divided into quarters, and the land within them into estates, mostly plantations. When the plantations were later broken up, the estates were divided into numbered plots, and plots were split again into sub-plots.

The Danish system survived the transfer, so land in the USVI is still described by quarter, estate and plot.

Reading a description

Take Plot 45-A Estate Bovoni, No. 1 Frenchman's Bay Quarter, St. Thomas (the format, not a real property):

On St. Croix, you'll see quarters such as Company Quarter, Queen Quarter and King Quarter. Some town property in Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted and Frederiksted uses town quarters and numbered lots instead.

Remainders. When plots are cut out of a larger plot, the leftover piece is often called the "Remainder" (Rem.) of the original plot, for example Remainder of Plot 12.

Find it on the map

The official parcel layer is maintained by the GIS Division of the Office of the Lieutenant Governor, which also oversees the Tax Assessor and the Recorder of Deeds.

USVI parcels (Lt. Governor GIS Division) in ArcGIS Map Viewer ↗

The layer opened in ArcGIS Map Viewer with no login when we checked on October 24, 2026. The "Sign In" link at the top of ArcGIS is optional.

1. Open the map with the button above.
2. Zoom to the island you want.
3. Click a parcel to see its details, including the plot and estate.
4. Turn on imagery (from the basemap options) to compare boundaries with buildings and roads.

Next steps after the map

• Tax and assessment. The Tax Assessor's office, part of the Lieutenant Governor's office, holds assessment and tax bill information by parcel.
• Deeds. Deeds are recorded with the Recorder of Deeds, which has offices for the St. Thomas/St. John district and the St. Croix district.
• Survey drawings. The Lieutenant Governor's Cadastral Section keeps the official survey drawings that define plot boundaries. The parcel layer is for planning and mapping; the recorded survey is the legal boundary.
• Coastal permits. Development near the shore may need a Coastal Zone Management permit from the Department of Planning and Natural Resources.
• Flood zones. Check FEMA flood maps for waterfront and low-lying plots.

Tips for buyers

• Check the estate name carefully. Several estates have similar names, and the same estate name can appear on different islands.
• Look for remainders. A "Remainder" plot may be oddly shaped or smaller than the original plot number suggests.
• Access. Hillside plots on St. Thomas and St. John can have steep or informal access. Make sure there's a recorded right of way.
• Hire a local attorney and surveyor. USVI title and survey practice is distinctive, and local knowledge matters.

A worked example

Say a listing on St. John describes Plot 7-B Estate Chocolate Hole (an example format).

1. Open the parcel map and zoom to St. John's south shore.
2. Find Estate Chocolate Hole and click the plots until you find 7-B.
3. Compare the parcel with the imagery: is the house inside the lines? Where's the road?
4. Check the tax assessment and ask the Recorder of Deeds (or your attorney) for the deed history.
5. Check the coastal zone and flood status before you commit.

Common terms in USVI land documents

Older deeds may describe a property by its Matriculation number (Matr. No.), from the Danish land register, alongside or instead of the plot number. If you see one, the plot number is the modern identifier to use with the GIS layer and the Tax Assessor.

Each island in brief

• St. Thomas. Steep, densely developed hills around Charlotte Amalie. Many small plots and remainders, and lots of hillside access issues.
• St. John. Much of the island is Virgin Islands National Park, so private land is limited and valuable. Check carefully where private plots end and park land begins.
• St. Croix. The largest island, with broader estates and more agricultural land, and the towns of Christiansted and Frederiksted.

Why the parcel map may not match a deed

Older deeds often describe land in words, sometimes with references to Danish-era registers and old survey drawings. The GIS layer is a modern compilation. Where they disagree, the recorded survey is the legal reference, and a local surveyor can reconcile them.

Using the map with a deed

If you have a deed, start with its description: plot, estate, quarter and island. Find the estate on the map, then the plot. If the deed refers to a sub-plot or a remainder, check that the parcel layer shows the same split; if not, the subdivision may not be reflected in the GIS yet. Your surveyor can compare the deed with the recorded survey drawing.

Common questions

Why are USVI properties described by estate? The estate names come from Danish-era plantations, which were later divided into plots.

What is a quarter? A historic division of each island, used in property descriptions.

Is the parcel map free? Yes. It opened with no login when we checked.

Is the parcel map the legal boundary? No. The recorded survey drawing is.

Related guides

• Parcel maps for the U.S. territories
• U.S. Virgin Islands parcel map page
• All U.S. territories

Sources

• USVI parcel layer opened and checked October 24, 2026.