County · code 13051
Chatham CountyGeorgia
Chatham County in Georgia was created in 1777 as one of the state's original counties, with its county seat at Savannah. The county was named after William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham.
- Founded1777
- County seatSavannah
- Named forWilliam Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham
- Land area433 sq mi + 197 sq mi water
- Population295,291 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped127,032 checked 16 October 2026
Where it is
Chatham on the map of Georgia
Georgia has 159 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Founded in 1777
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Chatham County was created from Christ Church Parish and St. Philip Parish; Christ Church Parish and St. George Parish were eliminated. In 1793, Chatham County lost land to the creation of Bryan County, but in 1847 it gained Ossabaw Island back from Bryan County. In 1850, Chatham County gained a small area from Effingham County.
- 1777Chatham County created Chatham created from Christ Church Parish and St. Philip Parish as one of Georgia's original counties; Christ Church Parish and St. George Parish eliminated. · Marbury and Crawford's Digest, p. 6
- 1793Lost territory Chatham lost to creation of Bryan. · Marbury and Crawford's Digest, pp. 166-168
- 1847
- 1850Gained territory Chatham gained small area from Effingham to accommodate private individual. · Ga. Laws 1849, pp. 128-129
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Chatham
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 127,032 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 25 September 2026 · checked 16 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Chatham County yet.
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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
Chatham by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Who to ask before you build, dig or sell
Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.
Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.
Zoning and code
County government
- County government
The official website of Chatham County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Chatham 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.
Questions
Common questions about Chatham County
- When was Chatham County founded?
- Chatham County was founded in 1777, and named after William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham.
- What is the county seat of Chatham County?
- The county seat of Chatham County is Savannah.
- Is there an online parcel map for Chatham County?
- Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 127,032 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Chatham County's boundary or name changed?
- Chatham County was created in 1777. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 later changes, chiefly involving Bryan County and Effingham County.
- Who issues building permits in Chatham County?
- The county's page on building permits: Building Permit Search. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Chatham County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby