When was Merced County founded?

Merced County was founded in 1855, formed from Mariposa County, and named after Merced River.

What is the county seat of Merced County?

The county seat of Merced County is Merced.

Is there an online parcel map for Merced County?

Yes. Merced County publishes a parcel map of 89,158 parcels, rated fallback here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Merced County's boundary or name changed?

Merced County was created in 1855 from Mariposa County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 later changes, most of them small boundary adjustments, chiefly involving Fresno County, Frezno County and Merced-Stanislaus County.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

We do not have flood maps for Merced County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

County · code 06047

Merced CountyCalifornia

Merced County is a county in California, with its seat in Merced. It was created in 1855 from Mariposa County and named after the Merced River.

Founded1855
County seatMerced
Named forMerced River
Land area1,938 sq mi + 41 sq mi water
Population281,202 2020 Census
Parcels mapped89,158 checked 16 October 2026

Open the free map Click any parcel in Merced County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated 19 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1855 from Mariposa County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Merced County was created from Mariposa County on April 19, 1855. In 1856, the county lost territory to the creation of Fresno County and to Tulare County. In 1887, Merced County lost a small area to San Benito County.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

1855
Merced County created Merced created from Mariposa.
from Mariposa
19 April 1855 · Calif. Stats. 1855, 6th sess., ch. 104/pp. 125-128
1856
Lost territory Merced lost to creation of Frezno (now Fresno) and lost to Tulare.
to Frezno to Fresnoto Tulare
19 April 1856 · Calif. Stats. 1856, 7th sess., ch. 127/pp. 183
1866
Changed Legislature authorized a re-survey of the Merced-Stanislaus line, established in 1854, that would have resulted in Merced gaining from Stanislaus. Gain did not take effect; see 13 February 1868.
Merced-StanislausStanislaus
8 March 1866 · Calif. Stats. 1865, 16th sess., ch. 191/p. 172; Outcalt, 118-119, 122-123
1868
Boundary clarified Boundary between Merced and Stanislaus redefined to confirm 1854 Stanislaus line; see 8 March 1866 (no change).
with Stanislausno change
13 February 1868 · Calif. Stats. 1867, 17th sess., ch. 57/p. 56
1887
Lost territory Merced lost small area to San Benito.
to San Benito
11 March 1887 · Calif. Stats. 1887, 27th sess., ch. 86/p.103

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Merced

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Parcels Fallback

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 89,158 parcels from Merced County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey. This copy is a fallback, not the county's own: use it as a guide and check the official record.
edited 2 December 2022 · checked 16 October 2026
Address points Missing

No public address points layer found for Merced County yet.
Buildings Reference

Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026

Official: from the office that keeps the record
Good enough: a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback: a guide only; check the official record
Missing: nothing public found yet

People and land

Merced by the Census

Population

281,202 2020 Census count

Housing units

87,783 2020 Census count

Land area

1,938 square miles

Water area

41 square miles

People per sq mi

145 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Merced County's official site

We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.

County government

County government
The official website of Merced County.
countyofmerced.com

See your own lot on these maps

Open Merced County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Merced County

When was Merced County founded?: Merced County was founded in 1855, formed from Mariposa County, and named after Merced River.
What is the county seat of Merced County?: The county seat of Merced County is Merced.
Is there an online parcel map for Merced County?: Yes. Merced County publishes a parcel map of 89,158 parcels, rated fallback here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Merced County's boundary or name changed?: Merced County was created in 1855 from Mariposa County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 later changes, most of them small boundary adjustments, chiefly involving Fresno County, Frezno County and Merced-Stanislaus County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Merced County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

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