County · code 26091
Lenawee CountyMichigan
Lenawee County is located in Michigan and has Adrian as its seat. The county was formed in 1822 from Monroe County.
- Founded1822
- County seatAdrian
- Land area750 sq mi + 12 sq mi water
- Population99,423 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped55,211 checked 14 October 2026
Where it is
Lenawee on the map of Michigan
Michigan has 83 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1822 from Monroe County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Lenawee County was created by Michigan Territory from Monroe County on September 10, 1822, including part of a disputed strip west of Lake Erie that was claimed by Ohio but controlled by Michigan. The county was not fully organized at first and was attached to Monroe County for administrative and judicial purposes until it was fully organized on December 31, 1826. In 1829 and 1835, Hillsdale County and other counties were created from Lenawee's territory. In 1837, when Michigan became a state, Lenawee lost territory to Ohio when a boundary dispute over the strip running from Indiana to Lake Erie was settled in favor of Ohio.
- 1822Lenawee County created Lenawee created by Michigan Territory from Monroe; included part of the disputed strip west of Lake Erie that also was claimed by Ohio but controlled by Michigan. Lenawee not fully organized, attached to Monroe for administrative and judicial purposes. · Terr. Papers U.S., 11: 311, 313
- 1826Changed Lenawee fully organized, detached from Monroe; Non-County Area 1 detached from Monroe, attached to Lenawee for administrative and judicial purposes. · Mich. Terr. Laws, 2:292
- 1829Gained territory Non-County Area 1 attached to Lenawee gained from Non-County Area 3. · Mich. Terr. Laws, 2:709-710
- 1829Lost territory Lenawee lost part of attached Non-County Area 1 to creation of Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Hillsdale, Jackson, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph, and Van Buren.to Barryto Berriento Branchto Calhounto Cassto Hillsdaleto Jacksonto Kalamazooto St. Josephto Van Buren· Mich. Terr. Laws, 2:secs. 4-13/pp. 735-737
- 1829Changed Non-County Area 1 detached from Lenawee, part attached to Cass. Remainder bacame part of Non-County Area 5 and was attached to St. Joseph; Hillsdale attached to Lenawee. All attachments were for administrative and judicial purposes. · Mich. Terr. Laws, 2:744-746
- 1835
- 1837Lost territory Lenawee lost to Ohio when the state of Michigan was created from Michigan Territory; boundary dispute with Ohio over the strip running from Indiana to Lake Erie was settled in favor of Ohio. · U.S. Stat., vol. 5, ch. 99 [1836], secs. 1-2/p. 49 and ch. 6 [1837]/p. 144; Van Zandt, 127
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Lenawee
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
-
Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 55,211 parcels from Lenawee County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 2 October 2026 · checked 14 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Lenawee 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
Lenawee by the Census
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
Permits
Zoning and code
GIS and maps
County government
- County government
The official website of Lenawee County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Lenawee 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.
Questions
Common questions about Lenawee County
- When was Lenawee County founded?
- Lenawee County was founded in 1822, formed from Monroe County.
- What is the county seat of Lenawee County?
- The county seat of Lenawee County is Adrian.
- Is there an online parcel map for Lenawee County?
- Yes. Lenawee County publishes a parcel map of 55,211 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Lenawee County's boundary or name changed?
- Lenawee County was created in 1822 from Monroe County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 6 later changes, chiefly involving Hillsdale County, Cass County and St. Joseph County.
- Who issues building permits in Lenawee County?
- The county's page on building permits: Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Who issues septic and well permits in Lenawee County?
- The county's page on septic systems and wells: Board of Health.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Lenawee County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby