When was Howard County founded?

Howard County was founded in 1851, formed from Anne Arundel County, and named after John Eager Howard.

What is the county seat of Howard County?

The county seat of Howard County is Ellicott City.

Is there an online parcel map for Howard County?

Yes. Howard County publishes a parcel map of 97,271 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Howard County's boundary or name changed?

Howard County was created in 1851 from Anne Arundel County. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records no boundary change since.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

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

County · code 24027

Howard CountyMaryland

Howard County is a county in Maryland with its seat in Ellicott City. It was created on July 4, 1851.

Founded1851
County seatEllicott City
Named forJohn Eager Howard
Land area251 sq mi + 2.5 sq mi water
Population332,317 2020 Census
Parcels mapped97,271 checked 15 October 2026

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

Updated 19 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1851 from Anne Arundel County

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

Howard County was created from the Howard District of Anne Arundel County. It was named after John Eager Howard.

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

1851
Howard County created Howard created from Howard District of Anne Arundel.
from Anne Arundel
4 July 1851 · Md. Laws 1838, ch. 22, secs. 1, 4; Swindler, 4:413

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Howard

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 97,271 parcels from Howard County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 4 December 2025 · checked 15 October 2026
Address points Missing

No public address points layer found for Howard 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

Howard by the Census

Population

332,317 2020 Census count

Housing units

123,202 2020 Census count

Land area

251 square miles

Water area

2.5 square miles

People per sq mi

1,324 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

Howard County's official site

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

County government

County government
The official website of Howard County.
howardcountymd.gov

See your own lot on these maps

Open Howard 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 Howard County

When was Howard County founded?: Howard County was founded in 1851, formed from Anne Arundel County, and named after John Eager Howard.
What is the county seat of Howard County?: The county seat of Howard County is Ellicott City.
Is there an online parcel map for Howard County?: Yes. Howard County publishes a parcel map of 97,271 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Howard County's boundary or name changed?: Howard County was created in 1851 from Anne Arundel County. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records no boundary change since.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Howard County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby