Howard County
Howard County covers 473 square miles of northeastern Iowa, with the county seat at Cresco.
Open PublicGIS map Howard County parcel map
Howard County official website
Jump to
PublicGIS maps 13,229 parcels for Howard County. PublicGIS does not show owner names for this county.
Where to find things
- Howard County parcel mapCounty GIS map · Property lines
CAMAvision parcel map for Howard County from the county assessor, showing parcel lines, parcel numbers and owners.
- Howard County AssessorProperty records · Property owner
The office that sets each property's value and classification. Start here for valuation notices, exemptions and appeals.
More options
- Iowa recorded document searchThe shared portal for all 99 Iowa county recorders. Search recorded deeds, mortgages and plats by name or legal description and order copies.
- Iowa property taxIn Iowa the County Assessor, or a City Assessor in a few cities, values your home and land and the County Treasurer sends the bill. The Department of Revenue sets the rules and runs the homestead and military credits.
- Howard County TreasurerProperty taxes
The office that bills and collects property taxes and handles delinquent accounts.
- Phone
- 563.547.9211
- Address
- 137 NORTH ELM STREET, CRESCO, IA 52136
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Farm 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.
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- Iowa Department of Natural ResourcesIowa's environmental agency: water quality, wetlands, waste and the permits that go with them.
- Iowa drainage districtsIowa law on levee and drainage districts and their ditches and tile lines. A district is run by the county board of supervisors (or a board of trustees for some districts), and the county auditor keeps the district's drainage record with its assessments; call the county auditor about a district ditch or tile line.
- 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.
- FEMA Flood Map Service CenterFlood zones
Official 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.
More options
- 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.
- FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer ViewerInteractive nationwide map of current flood zones, base flood elevations and map panels.
- Iowa statewide mapAerial imagery
Iowa's statewide interactive map of roads, boundaries and aerial photos. It does not show property lines.
More options
- 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.
- Howard County RecorderPlats
Where deeds, mortgages, easements and other land documents are recorded. Start here to search recorded documents or order a copy.
- Phone
- 563.547.9210
- Address
- 137 NORTH ELM STREET, CRESCO, IA 52136
- Iowa septic system permitsSeptic systems
In Iowa the county board of health permits septic systems under state rules, and a time of transfer inspection is required when most properties are sold. Start here for the rules and your county.
- Iowa building code and construction permitsBuilding permits
Iowa applies the State Building Code to state owned buildings and to any city or county that adopts it, and the State Fire Marshal administers it. Most building permits come from your city or county. Ask locally which code is in force.
- Iowa GIS data downloadsGIS data downloads
Download Iowa's statewide GIS data, such as roads, boundaries, imagery and elevation. It has no statewide property lines.
More options
- 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.
- NCES School District BoundariesNational school district boundary maps and downloadable GIS files, with an address lookup for the district serving a location.
- Iowa state landsPublic land
State-owned land in Iowa: who manages it, what you may do on it, and how leases and easements work.
More options
- 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).
Howard County offices
- One phone line for 2 offices
- Phone
- 563.547.9201
- Howard County AssessorProperty valuation and classification.Lori Kerian, County Assessor
- Howard County GIS and mappingHoward County Assessor's Office keeps the maps and GIS for Howard County.Rock Tuchek, GIS Tech/Appraiser
- gis@howardcounty.iowa.gov
- Website
- Visit website
- Howard County AuditorThe county auditor certifies tax levies, runs elections and keeps real estate transfer records.
- Phone
- (563) 547-9203
- Address
- 137 North Elm Street, Cresco, IA 52136
- Website
- Visit website
- Howard County Environmental ServicesCounty environmental health services. Call to confirm who issues septic permits here.
- Phone
- 563.547.9212
- Website
- Visit website
- Howard County Engineer and Secondary RoadsMaintains the county's secondary roads and bridges, including gravel road grading and snow plowing and issues driveway (entrance), utility, right-of-way and oversize load permits.
- Phone
- (563) 547-2620
- Address
- 114 7th Street West, Cresco, IA 52136
- Website
- Visit website
- Howard County USDA FSA and NRCS officeThe Farm Service Agency office for Howard County is at the Cresco Service Center, 311 7TH St SW Ste 1, Cresco, IA 52136. Call it to sign up for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and other farm programs, and for farm and tract records. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) works from the same office: ask it for wetland determinations, highly erodible land questions and conservation plans.
- Phone
- (563) 547-2841
- Address
- 311 7TH St SW Ste 1, Cresco, IA 52136
- Website
- Visit website
Other county departments (1)
- Howard County Clerk of District CourtKeeps court records for Howard County. Deeds are recorded by the Howard County Recorder.
- Phone
- 563.547.9206
- Address
- 137 N ELM ST, CRESCO, IA 52136
- Website
- Visit website
Guides
Other Iowa counties
Neighboring counties
About Howard County
Howard County covers 473 square miles of northeastern Iowa, with the county seat at Cresco. The County Assessor values your house and land, except in a few cities that have their own City Assessor. The County Treasurer bills and collects the tax and the County Recorder keeps recorded land documents.