When was Kootenai County founded?

Kootenai County was founded in 1864, formed from Shoshone County and Nez Perce County, and named after Kootenai Tribe of Idaho.

What is the county seat of Kootenai County?

The county seat of Kootenai County is Coeur d'Alene.

Is there an online parcel map for Kootenai County?

Yes. Idaho Department of Water Resources publishes a parcel map of 94,488 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Kootenai County's boundary or name changed?

Kootenai County was created in 1864 from Shoshone County and Nez Perce County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 4 later changes, chiefly involving Benewah County, Bonner County and Lah-Toh County.

Who issues building permits in Kootenai County?

The county's page on building permits: Submit Permit or Project Application. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

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

County · code 16055

Kootenai CountyIdaho

Kootenai County is a county in Idaho with its county seat in Coeur d'Alene. It was created on December 22, 1864, and named after the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho.

Founded1864
County seatCoeur d'Alene
Named forKootenai Tribe of Idaho
Land area1,238 sq mi + 71 sq mi water
Population171,362 2020 Census
Parcels mapped94,488 checked 16 October 2026

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

Updated 20 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1864 from Shoshone County and Nez Perce County

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

Kootenai County was created by Idaho Territory from non-county area, initially attached to Nez Perce for civil and criminal jurisdiction. In 1867, Kootenai gained territory from the extinct Lah-Toh County. The county continued when Idaho became a state in 1890, and later lost territory to the creation of Bonner County in 1907 and Benewah County in 1915.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

1864
Kootenai County created Kootenai created by Idaho Territory from Non-County Area 1. Faulty geographic knowledge in Kootenai description resulted in an overlap with Shoshone (see Overlap Area 1). Kootenai attached to Nez Perce "for all civil and criminal jurisprudence".
from Shoshone from Nez Perce
22 December 1864 · Id. Terr. Laws 1864, 2nd sess., ch. 30/pp. 432-433
1867
Gained territory Kootenai gained from Lah-Toh (extinct); Lah-Toh eliminated.
from Lah-Toh
9 January 1867 · Id. Terr. Laws 1866, 4th sess., ch. 48/p. 126
1890
Became part of Idaho Kootenai continued as an Idaho county when the state of Idaho admitted to the Union and Idaho Territory eliminated. 3 July 1890 · U.S. Stat., vol. 26, ch. 656 [1890]/pp. 215-219; Van Zandt, 156
1907
Lost territory Kootenai lost to creation of Bonner. Overlap between Kootenai and Shoshone settled in favor of Shoshone; Overlap Area 1 eliminated.
to Bonner to Shoshone
21 February 1907 · Id. Laws 1907, 9th sess., pp. 47-49
1915
Lost territory Kootenai lost to creation of Benewah.
to Benewah
23 January 1915 · Id. Laws 1915, 13th sess., ch. 4/pp. 5-8

Show all 10 changes (5 more, mostly small adjustments)

1864
Kootenai County created Kootenai created by Idaho Territory from Non-County Area 1. Faulty geographic knowledge in Kootenai description resulted in an overlap with Shoshone (see Overlap Area 1). Kootenai attached to Nez Perce "for all civil and criminal jurisprudence".
from Shoshone from Nez Perce
22 December 1864 · Id. Terr. Laws 1864, 2nd sess., ch. 30/pp. 432-433
1867
Gained territory Kootenai gained from Lah-Toh (extinct); Lah-Toh eliminated.
from Lah-Toh
9 January 1867 · Id. Terr. Laws 1866, 4th sess., ch. 48/p. 126
1887
Boundary clarified Kootenai boundaries redefined, overlap with Shoshone continued (no change).
with Shoshoneno change
1 June 1887 · Id. Terr. Laws 1887, comp., spec. and loc., 14th sess., p. 142
1890
Became part of Idaho Kootenai continued as an Idaho county when the state of Idaho admitted to the Union and Idaho Territory eliminated. 3 July 1890 · U.S. Stat., vol. 26, ch. 656 [1890]/pp. 215-219; Van Zandt, 156
1905
Boundary clarified Kootenai boundary with Latah redefined (no change).
with Latahno change
22 February 1905 · Id. Laws 1905, 8th sess., pp. 333-334
1905
Changed Legislature authorized creation of Clark (proposed) and Lewis (proposed) from Kootenai. Proposal failed on 12 May 1905 when the Idaho Supreme Court declared the act unconstitutional (no change).
Clark Lewis
28 February 1905 · Id. Laws 1905, 8th sess., pp. 76-82; Id. Rpts. 1907, vol. 11/pp. 14-44
1907
Lost territory Kootenai lost to creation of Bonner. Overlap between Kootenai and Shoshone settled in favor of Shoshone; Overlap Area 1 eliminated.
to Bonner to Shoshone
21 February 1907 · Id. Laws 1907, 9th sess., pp. 47-49
1909
Boundary clarified Kootenai boundaries redefined (no change).
no change
11 March 1909 · Id. Laws 1909, 10th sess., pp. 318-319
1915
Lost territory Kootenai lost to creation of Benewah.
to Benewah
23 January 1915 · Id. Laws 1915, 13th sess., ch. 4/pp. 5-8
1949
Changed Legislature authorized Benewah to annex territory from Kootenai, dependent on a vote in the general election of November 1950. The election was never held and a writ of mandate was refused by the district court (no change).
Benewah
26 February 1949 · Id. Laws 1949, 30th sess., ch. 92/pp. 162-168; Id. Code Ann. (1996), vol. 6, ch. 1, sec. 31-197 "Benewah Co."/p. 13

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Kootenai

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 94,488 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 Good enough

One point per address, 102,172 in all.
checked 13 October 2026
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

Kootenai by the Census

Population

171,362 2020 Census count

Housing units

74,736 2020 Census count

Land area

1,238 square miles

Water area

71 square miles

People per sq mi

138 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.

Records

Assessor and property recordsfrom kcgov.us · checked 13 October 2026
Clerk of court: deeds and platsfrom kcgov.us · checked 13 October 2026

Permits

Submit Permit or Project Applicationfrom ims.kcgov.us
Monthly Permit Reportsfrom kcgov.us

Zoning and code

Planning and zoning 208-446-1070from kcgov.us · checked 13 October 2026
Code Ordinancesfrom kcgov.us
Ordinances & Resolutionsfrom kcgov.us
Calendar • Planning & Zoning Commission |from kcgov.us

County government

County government
The official website of Kootenai County.
kcgov.us

See your own lot on these maps

Open Kootenai 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 Kootenai County

When was Kootenai County founded?: Kootenai County was founded in 1864, formed from Shoshone County and Nez Perce County, and named after Kootenai Tribe of Idaho.
What is the county seat of Kootenai County?: The county seat of Kootenai County is Coeur d'Alene.
Is there an online parcel map for Kootenai County?: Yes. Idaho Department of Water Resources publishes a parcel map of 94,488 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Kootenai County's boundary or name changed?: Kootenai County was created in 1864 from Shoshone County and Nez Perce County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 4 later changes, chiefly involving Benewah County, Bonner County and Lah-Toh County.
Who issues building permits in Kootenai County?: The county's page on building permits: Submit Permit or Project Application. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Kootenai County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby