Parcel Chartplaces Open the free map

County · code 25005

Bristol CountyMassachusetts

Bristol County is a county in Massachusetts with its seat in Taunton. It was created in 1685 as one of three original counties in New Plymouth Colony.

  • Founded1685
  • County seatTaunton
  • Named forBristol, Rhode Island
  • Land area553 sq mi + 138 sq mi water
  • Population579,200 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped191,606 checked 15 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Bristol County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

Bristol, RINewport, RIPlymouthNorfolkProvidence, RIDukesBarnstable Taunton Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Bristol on the map of Massachusetts

Massachusetts has 14 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Barnstable CountyBerkshire CountyDukes CountyEssex CountyFranklin CountyHampden CountyHampshire CountyMiddlesex CountyNantucket CountyNorfolk CountyPlymouth CountySuffolk CountyWorcester CountyBristol County Bristol
Counties of Massachusetts · Bristol highlighted

History

Founded in 1685

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

Bristol County was formed in 1685, and named after Bristol, Rhode Island. Taunton is the county seat.

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

  1. 1685
    Bristol County created Bristol created as one of three original counties in New Plymouth Colony; Bristol included part of present Rhode Island. · Ply. Laws, ch. 6/p. 19
  2. 1691
    Changed Bristol continued under the new Massachusetts Bay provincial charter issued by King William Iii and Queen Mary Ii; Massachusetts Bay absorbed New Plymouth Colony (no change).
    IiiIi
    · Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 1, ch. 27 [1692-1693], sec. 1/p. 63; Swindler, 5:80
  3. c. 1712
    Changed The "Old Colony Line" that divided Massachusetts and New Plymouth when they were separate colonies was declared the boundary separating Suffolk from Bristol and Plymouth (no change).
    SuffolkPlymouth
    · Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 21, ch. 152 [1711]/p. 799
  4. c. 1747
    Lost territory Bristol lost to Newport (Rhode Island) and Providence (Rhode Island), and lost to creation of Bristol (Rhode Island) when Rhode Island implemented the 1746 royal settlement of the boundary with Massachusetts. Bristol still included part of present Rhode Island.
    to Newport (R.I.)to Providence (R.I.)
    · Arnold, 2:157; R. I. Recs., 5:207-209
  5. 1862
    Gained territory Bristol gained from Newport (Rhode Island) and lost to Providence (Rhode Island) when Massachusetts and Rhode Island implemented the U. S. Supreme Court settlement (31 December 1861) of their boundary to the Atlantic Ocean; Bristol eliminated from Rhode Island.
    from Newport (R.I.)from Providence (R.I.)from U. S.
    · Bayles, Providence, 1:29; R.I. Acts 1861, ch. 379/pp. 4-6; Ullman, 83-84; Van Zandt, 68
Show all 8 changes (3 more, mostly small adjustments)
  1. 1685
    Bristol County created Bristol created as one of three original counties in New Plymouth Colony; Bristol included part of present Rhode Island. · Ply. Laws, ch. 6/p. 19
  2. 1691
    Changed Bristol continued under the new Massachusetts Bay provincial charter issued by King William Iii and Queen Mary Ii; Massachusetts Bay absorbed New Plymouth Colony (no change).
    IiiIi
    · Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 1, ch. 27 [1692-1693], sec. 1/p. 63; Swindler, 5:80
  3. c. 1712
    Changed The "Old Colony Line" that divided Massachusetts and New Plymouth when they were separate colonies was declared the boundary separating Suffolk from Bristol and Plymouth (no change).
    SuffolkPlymouth
    · Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 21, ch. 152 [1711]/p. 799
  4. c. 1747
    Lost territory Bristol lost to Newport (Rhode Island) and Providence (Rhode Island), and lost to creation of Bristol (Rhode Island) when Rhode Island implemented the 1746 royal settlement of the boundary with Massachusetts. Bristol still included part of present Rhode Island.
    to Newport (R.I.)to Providence (R.I.)
    · Arnold, 2:157; R. I. Recs., 5:207-209
  5. 1830
    Boundary clarified Boundary between Bristol and Norfolk was clarified when line between towns of Attleborough and Wrentham was clarified (no change).
    with Norfolkno change
    · Mass. Acts 1830, ch. 48/p. 319
  6. 1836
    Boundary clarified Boundary between Bristol and Plymouth was redefined in part when line between towns of Rochester and Fairhaven was redefined (no change).
    with Plymouthno change
    · Mass. Acts 1836, ch. 193, sec. 1/p. 876
  7. 1862
    Gained territory Bristol gained from Newport (Rhode Island) and lost to Providence (Rhode Island) when Massachusetts and Rhode Island implemented the U. S. Supreme Court settlement (31 December 1861) of their boundary to the Atlantic Ocean; Bristol eliminated from Rhode Island.
    from Newport (R.I.)from Providence (R.I.)from U. S.
    · Bayles, Providence, 1:29; R.I. Acts 1861, ch. 379/pp. 4-6; Ullman, 83-84; Van Zandt, 68
  8. 1867
    Boundary clarified Boundary between Bristol and Plymouth was clarified in part when boundary between towns of Lakeville and Taunton was clarified (no change).
    with Plymouthno change
    · Mass. Acts 1867, ch. 352, sec. 1/p. 745

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Bristol

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

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

Bristol by the Census

Population
579,200 2020 Census count
Housing units
243,464 2020 Census count
Land area
553 square miles
Water area
138 square miles
People per sq mi
1,047 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

Bristol County's official site

We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.

In Massachusetts, permits, zoning and assessing are handled by each city or town, not the county, and deeds are recorded at the county's registry of deeds (search the registries).

County government

See your own lot on these maps

Open Bristol 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 Bristol County

When was Bristol County founded?
Bristol County was founded in 1685, and named after Bristol, Rhode Island.
What is the county seat of Bristol County?
The county seat of Bristol County is Taunton.
Is there an online parcel map for Bristol County?
Yes. MassGIS (Bureau of Geographic Information), Commonwealth of Massachusetts publishes a parcel map of 191,606 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Bristol County's boundary or name changed?
Bristol County was created in 1685. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 later changes, chiefly involving Newport (R.I.) County, Providence (R.I.) County and U. S. County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Bristol County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door