County · code 16023
Butte CountyIdaho
Butte County is a county in Idaho with its seat in Arco. It was created on February 6, 1917.
- Founded1917
- County seatArco
- Named forBig Southern Butte
- Land area2,236 sq mi + 2 sq mi water
- Population2,574 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped5,464 checked 16 October 2026
Where it is
Butte on the map of Idaho
Idaho has 44 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1917 from Bingham County, Blaine County and Jefferson County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Butte County was created from Bingham, Blaine, and Jefferson counties and named after Big Southern Butte. In 1937, Butte gained territory from Custer County.
- 1917Butte County created Butte created from Bingham, Blaine, and Jefferson. · Id. Laws 1917, 14th sess., ch. 98/pp. 344-360
- 1921Boundary clarified Butte boundaries clarified to correct conflicts and uncertainties in the boundary description of Sec. 18, Ch. 3 of the Compiled Statutes of Idaho. This clarification clears up problems in the creation description of 6 February 1917 which were the result of range line corrections not taken into account (no change).no change· Id. Laws 1921, 16th sess., ch. 204/pp. 411-413
- 1931Changed Legislature authorized Butte to annex territory from Custer, dependent on a vote in the general election of November 1932. No evidence this vote ever took place (no change). · Id. Laws 1931, 21st sess., ch. 63/pp. 106-113; Id. Code Ann. (1996), vol. 6, ch. 1, sec. 31-114 "Butte Co."/p. 21
- 1937Gained territory Butte gained from Custer. · Id. Laws 1937, 21st sess., ch. 138/pp. 222-224
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Butte
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 5,464 parcels from Idaho Department of Water Resources. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 16 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Butte 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
Butte 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.
Records
Zoning and code
County government
- County government
The official website of Butte County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Butte 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 Butte County
- When was Butte County founded?
- Butte County was founded in 1917, formed from Bingham County, Blaine County and Jefferson County, and named after Big Southern Butte.
- What is the county seat of Butte County?
- The county seat of Butte County is Arco.
- Is there an online parcel map for Butte County?
- Yes. Idaho Department of Water Resources publishes a parcel map of 5,464 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Butte County's boundary or name changed?
- Butte County was created in 1917 from Bingham County, Blaine County and Jefferson County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 1 later change, chiefly involving Custer County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Butte County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby