California
Statewide maps, data, and agencies, plus all its counties.
Taxes, deeds, permits and other California services on GovDir
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Where to find things
- California property taxProperty records
In California the County Assessor values your home and land under Proposition 13 and the Treasurer-Tax Collector sends the bill. The Board of Equalization oversees the county assessors and explains the exclusions and exemptions.
- California GIS data downloadsAerial imagery · GIS data downloads · Elevation · Land cover · Addresses and 911 numbers
Download California's statewide GIS data, such as roads, boundaries, imagery and elevation. It has no statewide property lines.
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- Sanborn Fire Insurance MapsDigitized Sanborn fire insurance maps showing building footprints, materials and uses for American towns and cities, widely used in property history and environmental research.
- USDA NAIP Imagery HubFind and download USDA's leaf-on aerial photography for the contiguous United States. Check coverage and acquisition dates for the area you need.
- USGS National Map ViewerNational base map with elevation, hydrography, imagery, boundaries and PLSS layers.
- State Plane Coordinate System zonesThe official State Plane Coordinate System from the National Geodetic Survey: which zone covers each state and county, zone definitions and conversion tools.
- FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer ViewerInteractive nationwide map of current flood zones, base flood elevations and map panels.
- NCES School District BoundariesNational school district boundary maps and downloadable GIS files, with an address lookup for the district serving a location.
- USGS topoViewBrowse and download every historical USGS topographic map for a location, useful for seeing old roads, buildings and shorelines.
- MRLC NLCD Land Cover ViewerNational land cover map for every year since 1985: forest, cropland, developed, wetland, water and change over time.
- National Land Cover Database (NLCD) DownloadsFilter and download National Land Cover Database products including Annual NLCD land cover for the contiguous United States. Provides downloadable raster products and links to the viewer for spatial selection.
- US Census GeocoderFree service that converts a street address into map coordinates and census geography. No account needed.
- California floodplain and flood mapsFlood zones
California's floodplain program: the flood maps, the extra rules that apply to building or rebuilding near water, and who runs the program locally.
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- FEMA Flood Map Service CenterOfficial source for flood insurance rate maps. Enter an address to see the current flood zone and download the FIRM panel and letters of map change.
- FEMA Disaster DeclarationsSearch federal disaster and emergency declarations by state, county and incident to see whether an area was declared and what assistance was authorized.
- FEMA Increased Cost of ComplianceFlood insurance coverage that helps pay to elevate, relocate, demolish or floodproof a substantially damaged building.
- California Environmental Protection AgencyWetlands · Lakes and water
California's environmental agency: water quality, wetlands, waste and the permits that go with them.
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- NRCS wetland determinations and conservation complianceFarm wetland rules for USDA program participants. Before you drain, fill or clear a wet area in a farm field, ask NRCS at your local USDA Service Center for a wetland determination.
- Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) sign-up, USDA Farm Service AgencyHow the Conservation Reserve Program works, which sign-ups are open and what it pays. You enroll land in CRP at your county Farm Service Agency office at the local USDA Service Center.
- NRCS highly erodible land determinationsHow NRCS decides whether a farm field is highly erodible land, which affects USDA program eligibility and conservation plans. Requests go to NRCS at your local USDA Service Center.
- U.S. Drought MonitorWeekly national drought map by county, with historical conditions and state summaries.
- USDA Web Soil SurveySoils
Draw an area on the map to get soil types, drainage, septic suitability, building limitations and farmland ratings.
- California state landsPublic land
State-owned land in California: who manages it, what you may do on it, and how leases and easements work.
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- USGS map of public and protected landNational map of federal, state, local and other public and protected land from the U.S. Geological Survey Protected Areas Database (PAD-US).
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Historical California government records, early land records, plats and maps.
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- BLM General Land Office RecordsSearch original federal land patents and survey plats by name or legal description to find the first private owner of a parcel.
- California licensed land surveyor lookupSurveys and section corners
Search the California Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists for a licensed land surveyor by name or license number. Only a licensed surveyor can mark a legal property line on the ground, so check a surveyor's license before you hire one. Board phone 866-780-5370.
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- NGS survey mark and benchmark mapMap of National Geodetic Survey benchmarks and survey control marks. Zoom to a place, click a mark and open its datasheet with the mark's position, elevation and how to find it on the ground.
- NGS Survey Mark DatasheetsFederal survey mark datasheets and control monument records, searchable by county or coordinates.
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State highways in California: road maps, projects, and the approach or access permit you need before you build a driveway onto a state road.
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- 811 Before You DigCall 811 or use your state 811 center's website a few business days before any digging, including fence posts, decks, trees and mailboxes. The service is free, and the utilities mark their buried lines with paint or flags. This page lists every state's 811 center.
- National Pipeline Mapping SystemPublic map viewer of transmission pipelines and operator contacts by county, for excavation planning and emergency response.
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The California coast: the coastal development permit, what counts as development, and which stretch of shore the Commission or your local government controls.
- California wildfire hazard mapHazards and emergency information
Search an address to see its Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Zones in the State Responsibility Area are the official adopted map (effective April 1, 2024); zones shown in Local Responsibility Areas are CAL FIRE's recommendations that cities and counties adopt, so confirm those with your local agency.
Other California resources
- California septic system permitsCalifornia calls a septic system an onsite wastewater treatment system. The state sets the policy and your county or regional water board issues the permit. St…
- California water wells and water rightsWater wells in California: the well completion reports, the well standards and the county that issues the drilling permit.
- California Geological SurveyCalifornia geology: landslide, earthquake and ground hazards, groundwater, minerals and geologic maps.
- California landslide mapInteractive map of landslides mapped by the California Geological Survey. Coverage is not statewide; it is a screening tool, not a site-specific assessment.
- California earthquake-induced landslide zonesType an address to see if it is in an official Earthquake Zone of Required Investigation, including earthquake-induced landslide zones, fault zones and liquefa…
- California fire hazard severity zone finder with local contactsCAL FIRE map to find your Fire Hazard Severity Zone and responsibility area, with contact information for the local agency adopting the zones in Local Responsi…
- California landslidesCGS landslide page: landslide maps, the statewide deep-seated landslide susceptibility map and data downloads.
Guides
By county
Largest cities
- Anaheim
- Antioch
- Bakersfield
- Berkeley
- Burbank
- Carlsbad
- Carson
- Chico
- Chino
- Chula Vista
- Citrus Heights
- Clovis
- Compton
- Concord
- Corona
- Costa Mesa
- Daly City
- Downey
- El Cajon
- El Monte
- Elk Grove
- Escondido
- Fairfield
- Folsom
- Fontana
- Fremont
- Fresno
- Fullerton
- Garden Grove
- Glendale
- Hayward
- Hemet
- Hesperia
- Huntington Beach
- Indio
- Inglewood
- Irvine
- Jurupa Valley
- Lake Forest
- Lancaster
- Livermore
- Long Beach
- Los Angeles
- Manteca
- Menifee
- Merced
- Mission Viejo
- Modesto
- Moreno Valley
- Mountain View
- Murrieta
- Norwalk
- Oakland
- Oceanside
- Ontario
- Orange
- Oxnard
- Palmdale
- Pasadena
- Pomona
- Rancho Cordova
- Rancho Cucamonga
- Redding
- Rialto
- Richmond
- Riverside
- Roseville
- Sacramento
- Salinas
- San Bernardino
- San Buenaventura (Ventura)
- San Diego
- San Jose
- San Leandro
- San Marcos
- San Mateo
- San Ramon
- Santa Ana
- Santa Barbara
- Santa Clara
- Santa Clarita
- Santa Maria
- Santa Monica
- Santa Rosa
- Simi Valley
- South Gate
- Stockton
- Sunnyvale
- Temecula
- Thousand Oaks
- Torrance
- Tracy
- Vacaville
- Vallejo
- Victorville
- Visalia
- Vista
- West Covina
- Westminster
- Whittier
Counties
- Alameda
- Alpine
- Amador
- Butte
- Calaveras
- Colusa
- Contra Costa
- Del Norte
- El Dorado
- Fresno
- Glenn
- Humboldt
- Imperial
- Inyo
- Kern
- Kings
- Lake
- Lassen
- Los Angeles
- Madera
- Marin
- Mariposa
- Mendocino
- Merced
- Modoc
- Mono
- Monterey
- Napa
- Nevada
- Orange
- Placer
- Plumas
- Riverside
- Sacramento
- San Benito
- San Bernardino
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Joaquin
- San Luis Obispo
- San Mateo
- Santa Barbara
- Santa Clara
- Santa Cruz
- Shasta
- Sierra
- Siskiyou
- Solano
- Sonoma
- Stanislaus
- Sutter
- Tehama
- Trinity
- Tulare
- Tuolumne
- Ventura
- Yolo
- Yuba