When was Esmeralda County founded?

Esmeralda County was founded in 1861, and named after emerald.

What is the county seat of Esmeralda County?

The county seat of Esmeralda County is Goldfield.

Is there an online parcel map for Esmeralda County?

Yes. Esmeralda County publishes a parcel map of 2,868 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Esmeralda County's boundary or name changed?

Esmeralda County was created in 1861. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 11 later changes, chiefly involving Nye. County, Lander County and Churchill County.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

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

County · code 32009

Esmeralda CountyNevada

Esmeralda County is a county in Nevada, with its seat in Goldfield, formed on November 25, 1861.

Founded1861
County seatGoldfield
Named foremerald
Land area3,582 sq mi + 7.2 sq mi water
Population729 2020 Census
Parcels mapped2,868 checked 15 October 2026

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

Updated 20 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Esmeralda on the map of Nevada

Nevada has 17 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Counties of Nevada · Esmeralda highlighted

History

Founded in 1861

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

Esmeralda County was created by Nevada Territory from non-county area and named after emerald. In its early years, the county lost significant portions to the creation of Lander County in 1862, Nye County in 1864, and Lyon County in 1883, while gaining territory from Churchill County in 1869 and Nye County in 1875 and 1869. In 1911, Esmeralda County lost additional territory to the creation of Mineral County, and in 1913 lost a small area in Tonopah to Nye County.

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

1861
Esmeralda County created Esmeralda created by Nevada Territory from non-county area. 25 November 1861 · Nev. Terr. Stats. 1861, 1st sess., ch. 24, sec. 1/p. 50
1862
Lost territory Esmeralda lost to creation of Lander.
to Lander
19 December 1862 · Nev. Terr. Stats. 1862, 2d sess., ch. 58/p. 53
1864
Lost territory Esmeralda lost to creation of Nye.
to Nye.
16 February 1864 · Nev. Terr. Stats. 1864, 3d sess., ch. 102/p. 143
1864
Lost territory Esmeralda lost to Lander.
to Lander
20 February 1864 · Nev. Terr. Stats. 1864, 3d sess., ch. 108/p. 147
1864
Became part of Nevada Esmeralda became a county in the state of Nevada. 31 October 1864 · U.S. Stat., vol. 13, ch. 36[1864]/pp. 30-32 and proc. 22/p. 749; Van Zandt, 158-160

Show all 12 changes (7 more)

1861
Esmeralda County created Esmeralda created by Nevada Territory from non-county area. 25 November 1861 · Nev. Terr. Stats. 1861, 1st sess., ch. 24, sec. 1/p. 50
1862
Lost territory Esmeralda lost to creation of Lander.
to Lander
19 December 1862 · Nev. Terr. Stats. 1862, 2d sess., ch. 58/p. 53
1864
Lost territory Esmeralda lost to creation of Nye.
to Nye.
16 February 1864 · Nev. Terr. Stats. 1864, 3d sess., ch. 102/p. 143
1864
Lost territory Esmeralda lost to Lander.
to Lander
20 February 1864 · Nev. Terr. Stats. 1864, 3d sess., ch. 108/p. 147
1864
Became part of Nevada Esmeralda became a county in the state of Nevada. 31 October 1864 · U.S. Stat., vol. 13, ch. 36[1864]/pp. 30-32 and proc. 22/p. 749; Van Zandt, 158-160
1865
Lost territory Esmeralda lost to Nye.
to Nye.
9 March 1865 · Nev. Stats. 1865, 1st sess., ch. 106/p. 352
1869
Gained territory Esmeralda gained from Churchill.
from Churchill
27 February 1869 · Nev. Stats. 1869, 4th sess., ch. 41/p. 88
1869
Exchanged territory Esmeralda exchanged with Nye.
with Nye.
5 March 1869 · Nev. Stats. 1869, 4th sess., ch. 75/p. 128
1875
Gained territory Esmeralda gained from Nye.
from Nye.
26 February 1875 · Nev. Stats. 1875, 7th sess., ch. 50/p. 102
1883
Lost territory Esmeralda lost to Lyon.
to Lyon
1 March 1883 · Nev. Stats. 1883, 11th sess., ch. 74/p. 99
1911
Lost territory Esmeralda lost to creation of Mineral.
to Mineral
10 February 1911 · Nev. Stats. 1911, 25th sess., ch. 13/pp. 10-15
1913
Lost territory Esmeralda lost small area in the city of Tonopah to Nye.
to Nye.
24 March 1913 · Nev. Stats. 1913, 26th sess., ch. 221/p. 312

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Esmeralda

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 2,868 parcels from Esmeralda County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 6 August 2026 · checked 15 October 2026
Address points Missing

No public address points layer found for Esmeralda 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

Esmeralda by the Census

Population

729 2020 Census count

Housing units

537 2020 Census count

Land area

3,582 square miles

Water area

7.2 square miles

People per sq mi

<1 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

Esmeralda 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 Esmeralda County.
accessesmeralda.com

See your own lot on these maps

Open Esmeralda 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 Esmeralda County

When was Esmeralda County founded?: Esmeralda County was founded in 1861, and named after emerald.
What is the county seat of Esmeralda County?: The county seat of Esmeralda County is Goldfield.
Is there an online parcel map for Esmeralda County?: Yes. Esmeralda County publishes a parcel map of 2,868 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Esmeralda County's boundary or name changed?: Esmeralda County was created in 1861. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 11 later changes, chiefly involving Nye. County, Lander County and Churchill County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Esmeralda County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby