County · code 36031
Essex CountyNew York
Essex County is a county in New York, formed in 1799 with its seat in Elizabethtown. The county covers 1,794 square miles and is named after Essex.
- Founded1799
- County seatElizabethtown
- Named forEssex, England
- Land area1,794 sq mi + 122 sq mi water
- Population37,381 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped36,052 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Essex on the map of New York
New York has 62 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1799 from Clinton County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Essex was created from Clinton in 1799, and gained land from Montgomery in 1801. In 1822, Essex lost territory to Clinton and Franklin, and in 1915 exchanged land with Hamilton.
- 1799Essex County created Essex created from Clinton. · N.Y. Laws 1798-1799, 22d sess., ch. 24/p. 332
- 1801Gained territory Essex gained from Montgomery. · N.Y. Laws 1801, 24th sess., ch. 123/p. 290
- 1822Lost territory Essex lost to Clinton and Franklin. · N.Y. Laws 1822, 45th sess., ch. 92/p. 94
- 1915Exchanged territory Essex exchanged with Hamilton. · N.Y. Laws 1915, 138th sess., ch. 718, secs. 1-3/p. 2364
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Essex
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
-
Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 36,052 parcels from Essex 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, 34,342 in all from NYS Office of Information Technology Services (ITS), Geospatial Services / GIS Program Office (AGOL org 'ShareGIS NY', owner NYSGIS_GPO).
edited 25 September 2026 · checked 14 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
Essex 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.
Permits
County government
- County government
The official website of Essex County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Essex 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 Essex County
- When was Essex County founded?
- Essex County was founded in 1799, formed from Clinton County, and named after Essex, England.
- What is the county seat of Essex County?
- The county seat of Essex County is Elizabethtown.
- Is there an online parcel map for Essex County?
- Yes. Essex County publishes a parcel map of 36,052 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Essex County's boundary or name changed?
- Essex County was created in 1799 from Clinton County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 later changes, chiefly involving Clinton County, Franklin County and Hamilton County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Essex County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby