When was Canyon County founded?

Canyon County was founded in 1892, formed from Ada. County.

What is the county seat of Canyon County?

The county seat of Canyon County is Caldwell.

Is there an online parcel map for Canyon County?

Yes. Idaho Department of Water Resources publishes a parcel map of 109,443 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Canyon County's boundary or name changed?

Canyon County was created in 1892 from Ada. County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 later changes, chiefly involving Gem. County and Payette County.

Who issues building permits in Canyon County?

The county's page on building permits: Building Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

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

Canyon County, Idaho: parcels, history and offices

Where it is

Canyon on the map of Idaho

Idaho has 44 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Counties of Idaho · Canyon highlighted

History

Formed in 1892 from Ada. County

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

Canyon was created from Ada County through an act approved on March 7, 1891, which became effective following a vote in the general election of November 26, 1892. The county lost territory in 1915 when Gem County was created from it, and again in 1917 when Payette County was formed from Canyon's land.

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

1892
Canyon County created Canyon created from Ada. Act approved 7 March 1891, became effective through a vote in the general election of 26 November 1892.
from Ada.
26 November 1892 · Id. Laws 1890, 1st sess., p. 155; Nelson and Webbert, p. 75
1915
Lost territory Canyon lost to creation of Gem. Act approved 19 March 1915, became effective through a vote in the general election of 11 May 1915.
to Gem.
11 May 1915 · Id. Laws 1915, 13th sess., ch. 165/pp. 362-375; Id. Code Ann. (1996), vol. 6, ch. 1, sec. 31-125 "Gem Co."/p. 35
1917
Lost territory Canyon lost to creation of Payette. Act approved 28 February 1917, became effective through a vote in a special election of 11 May 1917.
to Payette
11 May 1917 · Id. Laws 1917, 14th sess., ch.11/pp. 13-27; Id. Code Ann. (1996), vol. 6, ch. 1, sec. 31-116 "Canyon Co."/p. 23

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Canyon

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 109,443 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 Canyon 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

Canyon by the Census

Population

231,105 2020 Census count

Housing units

81,013 2020 Census count

Land area

587 square miles

Water area

17 square miles

People per sq mi

394 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

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.

Permits

Building Permitsfrom canyoncounty.id.gov

Zoning and code

Planning & Zoningfrom canyoncounty.id.gov

County government

County government
The official website of Canyon County.
canyonco.org

See your own lot on these maps

Open Canyon 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 Canyon County

When was Canyon County founded?: Canyon County was founded in 1892, formed from Ada. County.
What is the county seat of Canyon County?: The county seat of Canyon County is Caldwell.
Is there an online parcel map for Canyon County?: Yes. Idaho Department of Water Resources publishes a parcel map of 109,443 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Canyon County's boundary or name changed?: Canyon County was created in 1892 from Ada. County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 later changes, chiefly involving Gem. County and Payette County.
Who issues building permits in Canyon County?: The county's page on building permits: Building Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Canyon County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Canyon CountyIdaho