Lake County
Lake County covers 2,109 square miles of northeastern Minnesota, with the county seat at Two Harbors.
Open PublicGIS map Lake County GIS map
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PublicGIS maps 46,950 parcels for Lake County.
Where to find things
- PublicGISProperty lines
Fast, simple parcel map and property viewer. Tap any parcel to see its lines, size, owner of record, and the official county links for it.
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- Minnesota Geospatial CommonsDownload Minnesota's statewide GIS data, such as roads, boundaries, imagery and elevation and property lines.
- MnDOT Right of Way Mapping and MonitoringView scanned MnDOT right-of-way maps showing highway boundaries and easements next to private property.
- Township, Range and Section (PLS) BoundariesInteractive map and downloadable GIS data showing Minnesota township, range and section boundaries. The catalog page provides a map, section and township layers, and data downloads. Intended for county or regional reference; section lines are not legal survey records.
- Lake County GIS mapCounty GIS map
The official interactive GIS map for Lake County. Open it to search a property and see its parcel and the other map layers the county publishes.
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- MnGeoHome page of the state GIS office. Explains state mapping programs and links to the Geospatial Commons.
- Lake County property tax search and paymentProperty records · Property taxes
Pay property taxes securely online, and find parcel information through a link. One tax statement is mailed each year.
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- Electronic Certificate of Real Estate ValueThe state's record of reported sale prices and terms filed with deeds. Used for sales ratio studies and to research what a property actually sold for.
- Property TaxesHub for Minnesota property tax topics: how taxes are set, refunds, homestead, classification and where to contact your county.
- Lake County parcel map and property searchProperty owner
ParcelInfo is Lake County's online parcel and tax record lookup. Search by parcel number, owner, or address to see ownership, land description, valuation, and taxes.
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- Minnesota Business Filings SearchLook up a Minnesota business, LLC or corporation, including its registered agent and address, when a company name appears on a deed or tax record.
- Statewide ParcelsOne statewide map layer of property parcel boundaries compiled from counties that share their parcel data openly. Includes parcel ID and, where the county provides it, owner and address fields.
- Lake County zoning and land useZoning
County zoning districts and land use rules. County zoning generally applies outside city limits; cities zone their own land.
- Office
- Lake County Planning and Zoning
- Phone
- (218) 834-8327
- planningandzoning@co.lake.mn.us
- Address
- 601 3rd Ave, Two Harbors, MN 55616
- Lake County wetlandsWetlands
Wetland Conservation Act administration: how to find out whether a wetland affects your land and what you need before draining or filling.
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- Minnesota public drainage systemsExplains Minnesota public drainage law: landowners share open ditches and tile lines, and a public drainage authority runs each one. The authority is a county board of commissioners, a joint county board, or a watershed district board of managers. Contact the county or watershed district that runs the ditch.
- 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.
- Board of Water and Soil ResourcesState agency overseeing soil and water conservation districts, watershed districts, the Wetland Conservation Act, buffers and conservation easements such as RIM.
- 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.
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- DNR Floodplain Management ProgramHow floodplain mapping and local floodplain ordinances work in Minnesota and where to get flood map help.
- Find a DNR Area HydrologistCounty-assigned DNR contacts for public waters, shoreland and public waters work permits. For local Wetland Conservation Act decisions, use the BWSR Wetland Conservation Act LGU contact directory.
- 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.
- Minnesota Historical Aerial Photographs OnlineAerial imagery
Browse and download historical aerial photos of Minnesota back to the 1930s to see how a property looked in past decades.
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- MNHS Collections SearchSearch the historical society's collections: maps, atlases, photographs, manuscripts and county records held by the state archives.
- 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.
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Recorded plats and plat maps for subdivisions and townsites in the county.
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- GLO Plat Maps, Minnesota 1848-1907Map viewer of the original government survey plats for every Minnesota township. Shows section lines, water and features as first surveyed.
- Lake County environmental servicesSeptic systems
The county office that handles land use, septic, wetlands, shoreland, and other environmental permits.
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- MPCA Septic SystemsState program page for septic (subsurface sewage treatment) systems: rules, homeowner guidance, compliance inspections and forms.
- Local Septic System ProgramsExplains that counties and some cities issue septic permits, and lists local SSTS program contacts.
- Minn. Rules Ch. 7080 Septic System RulesTechnical rules for individual septic systems in Minnesota.
- Minnesota Building Codes and LawsBuilding permits
The building codes Minnesota has adopted, including the residential code, plus the statutes and rules behind them and which local jurisdictions enforce them.
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- Minnesota Certificate of Occupancy RequirementsMinnesota Rules 1300.0220 describes certificate of occupancy requirements, exceptions and temporary occupancy. Read the state rule, then confirm its application to a particular building with the local building official. This does not certify that a building is approved for occupancy.
- Wetland Conservation Act ContactsCounty-by-county directory of local wetland regulatory contacts, with PDF and spreadsheet downloads. Find the county, city, SWCD or watershed representative who makes Wetland Conservation Act decisions. BWSR recommends this LGU directory as the starting point for questions about a specific property or project.
- Lake County GIS data downloadsGIS data downloads
Connect to aerial imagery from 2019 and 2024 at 6-inch resolution, or request map data with a PDF form. The county sends data by download or email free of charge.
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- Minnesota county coordinate system (MnCCS) and map projectionsMnDOT's reference for the Minnesota County Coordinate System and State Plane zones used in Minnesota surveys and GIS, with the zone parameters for each county.
- 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.
- Lake County tax-forfeited landPublic land
Land that went to the state for unpaid taxes, and how the county manages and sells it.
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- BWSR Conservation EasementsHow Reinvest in Minnesota conservation easements work and how to check whether land is enrolled. Contact the local soil and water conservation district for parcel-level answers.
- Lands and MineralsState mineral leasing, state land records and mineral ownership information, including how to research severed mineral rights and lease sales.
Lake County offices
- One phone line for 3 offices
- Phone
- 800-450-8832
- Lake CountyCounty government home page in Two Harbors.
- Website
- Visit website
- Lake County Environmental ServicesSSTS (septic system) permits and inspections.
- Address
- 601 3rd Ave, Two Harbors, MN 55616
- Website
- Lake County environmental services, listed above
- Lake County Highway DepartmentCounty roads, bridges, and right of way.
- Website
- Visit website
- Lake County AdministrationCounty administration for Lake County, Minnesota: county administrator or manager and the county board.
- Phone
- (218) 834-8320
- matthew.huddleston@lakecountymn.gov
- Address
- 601 3rd Avenue, Two Harbors, MN 55616
- Website
- Visit website
- Lake County AssessorProperty valuation and classification.
- Phone
- (218) 834-8310
- Address
- 601 3rd Ave, Two Harbors, MN 55616
- Website
- Visit website
- Lake County Auditor-TreasurerProperty tax billing, collection, and tax-forfeited land.Ronelle Radle, Interim Auditor/Treasurer
- Phone
- (218) 834-8315
- Auditor@lakecountymn.gov
- Address
- 601 3rd Ave, Two Harbors, MN 55616
- Website
- Visit website
- Lake County RecorderRecords real estate documents and land records.
- Phone
- (218) 834-8347
- Recorder@co.lake.mn.us
- Address
- 601 3rd Ave, Two Harbors, MN 55616
- Website
- Visit website
- Lake County Land DepartmentCounty-owned land, forestry, and land sales.
- Phone
- (218) 834-8340
- Website
- Visit website
- Lake County SurveyorSection corners and survey records.
- Website
- Visit website
- Lake County GISCounty mapping and GIS data.Amy Lewis, GIS Analyst
- Phone
- 218-834-8433
- gis@co.lake.mn.us
- Address
- 601 3rd Ave, Two Harbors, MN 55616
- Website
- Visit website
- Lake Soil and Water Conservation DistrictSoil and water conservation district serving Lake County, Minnesota: conservation, erosion, wetland and shoreland assistance for landowners.
- Phone
- 218-834-8370
- beth.hippert@co.lake.mn.us
- Address
- 408 First Ave, Two Harbors, MN 55616
- Website
- Visit website
- Lake County USDA FSA and NRCS officeThe Farm Service Agency office for Lake County is at the Virginia Service Center, 1202 8TH St S, Virginia, MN 55792. 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) serving Lake County is at the Duluth Service Center, 4850 Miller Trunk Hwy, Duluth, MN 55811, (218) 720-5353: ask it for wetland determinations, highly erodible land questions and conservation plans.
- Phone
- (218) 741-3937
- Address
- 1202 8TH St S, Virginia, MN 55792
- Website
- Visit website
Other county departments (4)
- Lake County Emergency ManagementEmergency management office for Lake County, Minnesota: preparedness, hazard mitigation planning, evacuation and disaster recovery.Warren LaPlante, Emergency Management Director
- Phone
- 218-510-0624
- Address
- 601 3rd Ave., Two Harbors, MN 55616
- Website
- Visit website
- Lake County ExtensionUniversity extension office for Lake County, Minnesota: soils, agriculture, horticulture, 4-H and natural resource education.
- Phone
- 218-834-8469
- Address
- 616 3rd Ave, Two Harbors, MN 55616
- Website
- Visit website
- Lake County SheriffCounty sheriff: law enforcement, civil process, jail and warrant records for Lake County, Minnesota.Nathan Stadler, County Sheriff
- Phone
- 218-834-8385
- sheriff@lakecountymn.gov
- Address
- 613 3rd Ave, Two Harbors, MN 55616
- Website
- Visit website
- Lake County Veterans ServicesCounty veterans service office: helps veterans and families file VA benefit claims in Lake County, Minnesota.Brad Anderson, Veterans Service Officer
- Phone
- 218-834-8326
- Address
- 616 3rd Avenue, Two Harbors, MN 55616
- Website
- Visit website
Guides
Other Minnesota counties
Neighboring counties
About Lake County
Lake County covers 2,109 square miles of northeastern Minnesota, with the county seat at Two Harbors. Water covers about 29 percent of the county. The county Assessor sets property values, the Auditor-Treasurer bills property taxes, and the Recorder keeps recorded land documents.