Blog · October 14, 2026 · Iowa
West Des Moines Plat Map, Iowa: plats and lots
A recorded plat shows how land near Bevington was divided into lots.
Main page: Warren County, IA 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.
When a listing near Martensdale mentions a lot number, you'll need the West Des Moines plat map to make sense of it. What this West Des Moines guide covers: where to request a copy, how a plat differs from a parcel map, and the details that matter to buyers.
The West Des Moines plat map: start here
For a lot in West Des Moines, look for the plat book reference on the parcel record; that makes the request quick.
The free map to start with
Your first stop is the Warren County Beacon site; it maps every assessed parcel from Spring Hill to Martensdale. For a home near Cumming, enter a street address, an owner's name or a parcel number, and the viewer zooms to the match. For a parcel near Bevington, a pop-up or side panel usually lists the owner of record, acreage on the tax roll, the parcel number and in many cases the last transfer.
The paper trail behind a parcel
Before you sign anything, pull the recorded deed through the County Recorder; the parcel map near Bevington only summarizes it. For a parcel near Norwalk, have ready the document number listed on the parcel record to skip a name search.
Before you lean on the lines
Tax maps are drawn for assessment, not measured on the ground, so the edge of a yard near Norwalk may sit some distance off the line on screen. If you're looking near Des Moines, owner names and values update on a schedule, so a deed recorded last month might lag behind.
West Des Moines, IA: the basics
West Des Moines is part of Warren County, Iowa, and the county assessor maps its lots. In and around Norwalk, the municipality handles things like zoning, permits and utilities for lots inside the boundary, while the county keeps the tax map. Land beyond the city limits near Martensdale often falls under county rules rather than the town's.
Taking the map into the field
Most viewers work in a phone browser, handy when you're parked on a road near Martensdale, but coverage can be spotty out of town. A printout of the tract near Martensdale is a good backup.
How a plat differs from the tax map
The tax map on the Warren County Beacon site is a summary, but the recorded plat is what the deed relies on.
What a plat shows
With a lot near Spring Hill, the sheet usually includes lot and block numbers, dimensions and bearings, street rights-of-way and easements.
Land outside a subdivision
Rural land near Martensdale that was never subdivided is often described by metes and bounds or survey description; look for a recorded survey for land there.
When a plat changes
An amended plat may change lots around Spring Hill, search the index for replats of the same subdivision; vacated streets or alleys also get recorded.
Land on the county line
Warren County meets Clarke County, Dallas County, Lucas County, Madison County, and Marion County, and each of those keeps its own parcel map. Acreage along the edge near Martensdale may be split in two county records, so look at the adjacent map as well. With a lot near Bevington, our state page lists each bordering county map for Iowa.
How land is described here
Iowa follows the Public Land Survey System, so deeds around Spring Hill reference sections and townships. Each section is nominally a mile square, about 640 acres, and a township holds 36 of them, though real sections near Martensdale vary in size. Write down the legal description for the tract near Martensdale before you request a deed or survey.
Which office to call
Anything recorded against property around Des Moines are with the County Recorder, usually searchable by name or document number. Building or septic questions for a lot near Norwalk are for the local planning and health departments, depending on whether the land is inside town limits.
Online indexes and office visits
In and around Norwalk, some counties put plat images online, otherwise call or visit with the reference; small fees are common.
Places you'll see on the map
Indianola is the county seat, home to the main records offices. Smaller places on the map include Cumming, Norwalk, Des Moines, and Spring Hill, where town lots give way to larger tracts. Roughly 55,205 people live in Warren County (Census estimate, 2023) spread over about 570 square miles. Warren County was formed in 1846, and some chains of title near Martensdale are long.
Frequently asked
What is a replat in West Des Moines?
Good question; combining or splitting lots near Norwalk usually needs a recorded plat change, often with a surveyor's drawing.
How do I get a copy of a plat in West Des Moines?
It depends, but recorded plats near Martensdale are filed with the County Recorder.
What do the dashed lines on a plat mean in West Des Moines?
Usually, building on an easement near Martensdale is generally restricted; ask planning staff if unsure.
Where are historic plats for West Des Moines?
Good question; older plats near Des Moines may be on film or paper.
What's the tax parcel number used for around Bevington?
The parcel ID identifies one tax parcel near Cumming, and it's on the record panel and tax bills.
Open the official Warren County, IA 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.