Blog · October 14, 2026 · Minnesota
Using the White Bear Lake Flood Zone Map
Flood zones are set by FEMA, and checking one near Pine Springs takes a few minutes.
Main page: Washington County, MN 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 an offer near Pine Springs, pull up the White Bear Lake flood zone map: a mapped flood zone changes insurance, permits and resale. This White Bear Lake guide covers: finding the address on FEMA's map, reading the zone codes, and pairing it with the Washington County ArcGIS parcel map.
Getting started with the White Bear Lake flood zone map
Start with FEMA's Flood Map Service Center: type an address near Willernie, and choose the dynamic map. Rural land near Dellwood with no street number can still be found: search the nearest road then click the parcel area.
Getting to the right map
Begin with the Washington County ArcGIS parcel map; it maps each tax parcel from Willernie to Dellwood. When a rural tract has no street number, zoom in from Pine Springs and click the parcel itself. With a lot near Willernie, write down the parcel ID from that panel; each records desk in the county asks for it first.
White Bear Lake, MN: the basics
White Bear Lake is part of Washington County, Minnesota, which means parcel data comes from the county. If the land is near Grant, city or town hall handles matters such as zoning, permits and utilities within town limits, and the county still keeps the parcel and deed records. Acreage past the town limits near Dellwood generally answers to county rules, not municipal ones.
Limits of the parcel data
Tax maps are drawn for assessment, not measured on the ground, so the edge of a yard near Willernie can sit a few yards off the line on screen. Records update in batches, so a fresh transfer around Dellwood might lag behind.
Getting your bearings
Stillwater is the county seat, where most land records are kept. You'll also find Birchwood Village, Mahtomedi, Willernie, and Dellwood. Roughly 278,936 people call Washington County home (Census estimate, 2023) spread over roughly 385 square miles. Washington County was organized in 1849, and some chains of title near Birchwood Village are long. Features like Afton State Park are easy to spot when you zoom out from Grant.
Decoding the flood zone labels
An AE label includes a base flood elevation (BFE), which plain A zones lack; surveyors near Willernie use that number. For a tract near Pine Springs, a shaded X area is moderate risk, roughly the 100- to 500-year range; unshaded X is minimal risk.
Use the county map alongside FEMA
FEMA doesn't draw property lines, so check the Washington County ArcGIS parcel map too to see exactly which lot near Pine Springs you're looking at.
Land on the county line
Washington County meets Anoka County, Chisago County, Dakota County, Ramsey County, and Pierce County, WI, and each of those keeps its own parcel map. Acreage along the edge near Pine Springs can be split across two assessors' files, so check the adjacent map before you assume the acreage. For property near Birchwood Village, the Platbookmapper state page lists every bordering county map across Minnesota.
Questions to ask before you buy
Ask the seller for any Elevation Certificate for the house near Birchwood Village; an insurance quote early keeps the budget honest.
Lenders and permits
If a building sits in a Special Flood Hazard Area and the loan is federally backed or regulated, flood insurance is generally required in communities in the NFIP, whether the land is near Mahtomedi or elsewhere in the county. New construction in a floodplain near Dellwood usually means extra permit review; ask the local floodplain administrator early.
Beyond the mapped zones
Small streams around Pine Springs may not have detailed mapping, so look for water marks and debris lines. Wetlands near Willernie can limit building even outside a flood zone; the National Wetlands Inventory mapper shows mapped wetlands.
Deeds, plats and who keeps them
Before you sign anything, get the recorded deed from the County Recorder; the parcel map near Grant only summarizes it. Long-held tracts around Willernie can go back through many deeds, and a title company is worth hiring before a purchase.
Offices that can help
For assessment questions about property around Pine Springs are handled by the County Assessor, the office behind the parcel record. Building or septic questions for a lot near Grant go to planning, building or health offices, town or county, depending on location.
White Bear Lake: common questions
How often are flood maps updated near Grant?
In most cases, a new study can move a zone line near Dellwood; check the effective date on the panel.
When is flood insurance required for land near Dellwood?
For most people, lenders generally require it for buildings near Dellwood in a Special Flood Hazard Area when the loan is federally regulated or insured, in communities that take part in the NFIP.
What is a LOMA in White Bear Lake?
Short answer: you can ask FEMA for a LOMA if surveyed elevations show the building near Grant is above the BFE; it starts with an elevation survey.
Is AE a high-risk flood zone in White Bear Lake?
It depends, but AE is a Special Flood Hazard Area with a published base flood elevation, so builders near Birchwood Village design to that elevation.
Does the parcel map work on a phone for land near Willernie?
The map near Willernie usually works on a phone; screenshots help offline.
Open the official Washington County, MN 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.