County · code 39149
Shelby CountyOhio
Shelby County is a county in Ohio, with its seat in Sidney, formed in 1819.
- Founded1819
- County seatSidney
- Named forIsaac Shelby
- Land area408 sq mi + 3 sq mi water
- Population48,230 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped31,565 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Shelby on the map of Ohio
Ohio has 88 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1819 from Miami County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Shelby County was created in 1819 from Miami County and Non-County Area 7. The county was named after Isaac Shelby. In 1820, Shelby lost attached Non-County Area 7 to the creation of Allen, Henry, Mercer, Paulding, Putnam, Van Wert, and Williams Counties, with Allen then attached to Shelby for administrative and judicial purposes. Shelby lost territory to Mercer County in 1826 and 1828, and exchanged small areas with Logan County in 1883.
- 1819Shelby County created Shelby created from Miami and Non-County Area 7 attached to Miami; Non-County Area 7 detached from Miami, attached to Shelby for administrative and judicial purposes. · Ohio Laws 1818, 17th assy., ch. 12, secs. 1, 7/pp. 21-23; Chase, 3:ch. 422/pp. 2130-2131
- 1820Lost territory Shelby lost attached Non-County Area 7 to creation of Allen, Henry, Mercer, Paulding, Putnam, Van Wert, and Williams. Allen not fully organized, attached to Shelby for administrative and judicial purposes. · Ohio Laws 1819, 18th assy., loc., ch. 37/pp. 90-92; Chase, 3:ch. 429/pp. 2134-2135
- 1826Lost territory Shelby lost to Mercer. · Ohio Laws 1825, 24th assy., loc., p. 62; Chase, 3:ch. 453/p. 2141
- 1828
- 1883Exchanged territory Shelby exchanged small areas with Logan. · Ohio Laws 1883, 65th assy., adj. sess., p. 324
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Shelby
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 31,565 parcels from Shelby 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, 22,552 in all from Ohio Geographically Referenced Information Program (OGRIP), Ohio DAS/OIT (state GIS office).
edited 24 June 2025 · 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
Shelby 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
Zoning and code
- Planning and zoning
Building Department
County government
- County government
The official website of Shelby County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Shelby 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 Shelby County
- When was Shelby County founded?
- Shelby County was founded in 1819, formed from Miami County, and named after Isaac Shelby.
- What is the county seat of Shelby County?
- The county seat of Shelby County is Sidney.
- Is there an online parcel map for Shelby County?
- Yes. Shelby County publishes a parcel map of 31,565 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Shelby County's boundary or name changed?
- Shelby County was created in 1819 from Miami County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 4 later changes, chiefly involving Mercer County, Allen County and Henry County.
- Who issues building permits in Shelby County?
- The county's page on building permits: Building-Land Development. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Who issues septic and well permits in Shelby County?
- The county's page on septic systems and wells: Health department: septic and well.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Shelby County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby