When was Howard County founded?

Howard County was founded in 1871, formed from Hall County, and named after Oliver Otis Howard.

What is the county seat of Howard County?

The county seat of Howard County is St. Paul.

Is there an online parcel map for Howard County?

Yes. Howard County publishes a parcel map of 6,704 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 1871 from Hall County. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records no boundary change since.

Who issues building permits in Howard County?

The county's page on building permits: Firearm Purchase Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.

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 31093

Howard CountyNebraska

Howard County is a county in Nebraska with its seat in St. Paul, formed in 1871.

Founded1871
County seatSt. Paul
Named forOliver Otis Howard
Land area569 sq mi + 6.3 sq mi water
Population6,475 2020 Census
Parcels mapped6,704 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 1871 from Hall County

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

Howard County was created from Hall County on March 1, 1871, and named after Oliver Otis Howard.

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

1871
Howard County created Howard created from Hall.
from Hall
1 March 1871 · Neb. Laws 1871, 8th sess., sec. 2/p. 199

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 6,704 parcels from Howard County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 15 October 2026
Address points Official

One point per address, 3,372 in all from Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC), 911 Department.
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

Howard by the Census

Population

6,475 2020 Census count

Housing units

2,865 2020 Census count

Land area

569 square miles

Water area

6.3 square miles

People per sq mi

11 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 records 308-754-4261from howardcounty.ne.gov · checked 13 October 2026

Permits

Firearm Purchase Permitsfrom howardcounty.ne.gov

Zoning and code

Planning and zoning 308-750-0615from howardcounty.ne.gov · checked 13 October 2026
Planning, Zoning and Floodplain – Howard Countyfrom howardcounty.ne.gov
Zoning Feesfrom howardcounty.ne.gov

County government

County government
The official website of Howard County.
howardcounty.ne.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 1871, formed from Hall County, and named after Oliver Otis Howard.
What is the county seat of Howard County?: The county seat of Howard County is St. Paul.
Is there an online parcel map for Howard County?: Yes. Howard County publishes a parcel map of 6,704 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 1871 from Hall County. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records no boundary change since.
Who issues building permits in Howard County?: The county's page on building permits: Firearm Purchase Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
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