When was Washington Parish founded?

Washington Parish was founded in 1819, formed from St. Tammany Parish, and named after George Washington.

What is the county seat of Washington Parish?

The county seat of Washington Parish is Franklinton.

Is there an online parcel map for Washington Parish?

Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 33,297 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Washington Parish's boundary or name changed?

Washington Parish was created in 1819 from St. Tammany Parish. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 later changes, chiefly involving St. Tammany Parish and Tangipahoa Parish.

Who issues building permits in Washington Parish?

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 Washington Parish yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Parish · code 22117

Washington ParishLouisiana

Washington Parish is a parish in Louisiana established on March 6, 1819, with its seat in Franklinton. It was named after George Washington.

Founded1819
County seatFranklinton
Named forGeorge Washington
Land area670 sq mi + 6.2 sq mi water
Population45,463 2020 Census
Parcels mapped33,297 checked 16 October 2026

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

Updated 19 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1819 from St. Tammany Parish

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

Washington Parish was created from St. Tammany Parish on March 6, 1819. In 1869, it lost territory to the creation of Tangipahoa Parish.

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

1819
Washington Parish created Washington created from St. Tammany.
from St. Tammany
6 March 1819 · La. Acts 1819, 4th Leg., 1st sess., pp. 80-82
1826
Changed Portion of the boundary between Washington and St. Tammany defined.
St. Tammany
22 February 1826 · La. Acts 1825, 7th Leg., 2nd sess., pp. 38-40
1869
Lost territory Washington lost to creation of Tangipahoa.
to Tangipahoa
6 March 1869 · La. Acts 1869, 1st Leg., 2nd sess., pp. 83-86
1912
Boundary clarified Washington boundary with St. Tammany redefined "establishing a dividing line between said Parishes in the Richard Chappel Headright No. 57, Township 4 South, Range 12 East.
with St. Tammanyno change
9 July 1912 · La. Acts 1912, reg. sess. pp. 146-147

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Washington

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 33,297 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 18 March 2024 · checked 16 October 2026
Address points Missing

No public address points layer found for Washington Parish 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

Washington by the Census

Population

45,463 2020 Census count

Housing units

21,341 2020 Census count

Land area

670 square miles

Water area

6.2 square miles

People per sq mi

68 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

Clerk of court: deeds and plats
Washington Parish Council Clerk
from wpgov.org · checked 13 October 2026

Permits

Building Permitsfrom wpgov.org
Licensing & Permitsfrom wpgov.org

Zoning and code

Planning and zoning
Washington Parish Planning Commission
from wpgov.org · checked 13 October 2026
Ordinancesfrom wpgov.org
Washington Parish Development Ordinancefrom wpgov.org

County government

County government
The official website of Washington Parish.
wpgov.org

See your own lot on these maps

Open Washington Parish 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 Washington Parish

When was Washington Parish founded?: Washington Parish was founded in 1819, formed from St. Tammany Parish, and named after George Washington.
What is the county seat of Washington Parish?: The county seat of Washington Parish is Franklinton.
Is there an online parcel map for Washington Parish?: Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 33,297 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Washington Parish's boundary or name changed?: Washington Parish was created in 1819 from St. Tammany Parish. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 later changes, chiefly involving St. Tammany Parish and Tangipahoa Parish.
Who issues building permits in Washington Parish?: 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 Washington Parish 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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