What is the county seat of Wasco County?

The county seat of Wasco County is The Dalles.

Is there an online parcel map for Wasco County?

Yes. Wasco County publishes a parcel map of 15,516 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Wasco County's boundary or name changed?

Wasco County was created in 1854 from Clackamas County, Jackson County, Lane County, Linn County and Marion County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 14 later changes, chiefly involving Gilliam County, Multnomah County and Sherman County.

Who issues building permits in Wasco County?

The county's page on building permits: Concealed Weapons Permit. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

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

County · code 41065

Wasco CountyOregon

Wasco County is in Oregon and has its seat in The Dalles. The county was formed on January 11, 1854.

Founded1854
County seatThe Dalles
Named forWasco–Wishram
Land area2,381 sq mi + 14 sq mi water
Population26,670 2020 Census
Parcels mapped15,516 checked 15 October 2026

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

Updated 20 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1854 from Clackamas County, Jackson County, Lane County, Linn County and Marion County

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

Wasco County was created by Oregon Territory on January 11, 1854, from Clackamas, Jackson, Lane, Linn, and Marion counties, and originally included territory in present-day Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. When Oregon became a state in 1859, Wasco County's boundaries were reduced, eliminating its territory in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. In 1862, Wasco County lost more area with the creation of Baker County.

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

1854
Wasco County created Wasco created by Oregon Territory from Clackamas, Jackson, Lane, Linn, and Marion.
from Clackamas from Jackson from Lane from Linn from Marion
11 January 1854 · Ore. Terr. Special Laws 1853, 5th reg. sess., pp. 26-27
1859
Lost territory Wasco lost to Washington Territory when the United States created the state of Oregon from Oregon Territory. 14 February 1859 · U.S. Stat., vol. 11, ch. 33[1859], secs. 1-2/pp. 383-384 Ore. Laws 1860, 1st reg. sess., pp. 28-30
1862
Lost territory Wasco lost to creation of Baker.
to Baker
22 September 1862 · Ore. Laws 1862, 2nd reg. sess., p. 112
1862
Lost territory Wasco lost to creation of Umatilla.
to Umatilla
27 September 1862 · Ore. Laws 1862, 2nd reg. sess., p. 91
1864
Lost territory Wasco lost to creation of Grant.
to Grant
14 October 1864 · Ore. Laws 1864, 3rd reg. sess., p. 43

Show all 17 changes (12 more)

1854
Wasco County created Wasco created by Oregon Territory from Clackamas, Jackson, Lane, Linn, and Marion.
from Clackamas from Jackson from Lane from Linn from Marion
11 January 1854 · Ore. Terr. Special Laws 1853, 5th reg. sess., pp. 26-27
1857
Gained territory Wasco gained very small area near the head of Eagle Creek and Bradford's Island from Multnomah.
from Multnomah
14 January 1857 · Ore. Terr. Laws 1856-1857, 8th reg. sess., pp. 78-79
1859
Lost territory Wasco lost to Washington Territory when the United States created the state of Oregon from Oregon Territory. 14 February 1859 · U.S. Stat., vol. 11, ch. 33[1859], secs. 1-2/pp. 383-384 Ore. Laws 1860, 1st reg. sess., pp. 28-30
1862
Lost territory Wasco lost to creation of Baker.
to Baker
22 September 1862 · Ore. Laws 1862, 2nd reg. sess., p. 112
1862
Lost territory Wasco lost to creation of Umatilla.
to Umatilla
27 September 1862 · Ore. Laws 1862, 2nd reg. sess., p. 91
1864
Lost territory Wasco lost to creation of Grant.
to Grant
14 October 1864 · Ore. Laws 1864, 3rd reg. sess., p. 43
1874
Lost territory Wasco lost to creation of Lake.
to Lake
24 October 1874 · Ore. Laws 1874, 8th reg. sess., pp. 38-41
1882
Lost territory Wasco lost to creation of Crook.
to Crook
24 October 1882 · Ore. Special Laws 1882, 12th reg. sess., p. 178
1885
Lost territory Wasco lost to creation of Morrow.
to Morrow
16 February 1885 · Ore. Special Laws 1885, 13th reg. sess., pp. 239-243
1885
Lost territory Wasco lost to creation of Gilliam. Creation left a small strip of Wasco along the southeastern line of Gilliam which remained until gained by Gilliam on 20 February 1891.
to Gilliam
25 February 1885 · Ore. Special Laws 1885, 13th reg. sess., p. 404
1889
Lost territory Wasco lost to creation of Sherman.
to Sherman
25 February 1889 · Ore. Laws 1889, gen., 15th reg. sess., p. 82
1891
Lost territory Wasco lost to Sherman.
to Sherman
19 February 1891 · Ore. Laws 1891, gen., 16th reg. sess., pp. 68-69
1891
Lost territory Wasco lost to Gilliam. The gain was a small strip that was inadvertently separated from Wasco when Gilliam was created on 25 February 1885.
to Gilliam
20 February 1891 · Ore. Laws 1891, gen., 16th reg. sess., p. 76
1895
Changed Wasco boundary with Multnomah adjusted within Section 22 of Township 2 North, Range 7 East.
Multnomah
25 February 1895 · Ore. Laws 1895, 18th reg. sess., p. 88
1908
Lost territory Wasco lost to creation of Hood River.
to Hood River
23 June 1908 · Ore. Laws 1909, gen., 25th reg. sess., ch. 5/pp. 39-43
1925
Boundary clarified Wasco boundaries redefined (no change).
no change
25 February 1925 · Ore. Laws 1925, gen., 33rd reg. sess., ch. 108/p. 164
1967
Boundary clarified Wasco redefined to substitute "boundary of the state" for middle of the main channel of the Columbia River. Approved by the Governor 19 June 1967, became effective 13 Sep 1967 (no change).
no change
13 September 1967 · Ore. Laws 1967, 54th reg. sess., ch. 421/pp. 930-931

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Wasco

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 15,516 parcels from Wasco 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, 13,774 in all from State of Oregon — Department of Administrative Services Geospatial Enterprise Office (GEOHub) with Oregon Department of Emergency Management 9-1-1 program.
edited 16 January 2026 · 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

Wasco by the Census

Population

26,670 2020 Census count

Housing units

11,996 2020 Census count

Land area

2,381 square miles

Water area

14 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.

Permits

Concealed Weapons Permitfrom wasco-chl.youcanbook.me

Zoning and code

Planning and zoning 541-506-2650from co.wasco.or.us · checked 13 October 2026
Wasco County Codefrom wascocountyor.gov

County government

County government
The official website of Wasco County.
co.wasco.or.us

See your own lot on these maps

Open Wasco 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 Wasco County

When was Wasco County founded?: Wasco County was founded in 1854, formed from Clackamas County, Jackson County, Lane County, Linn County and Marion County, and named after Wasco–Wishram.
What is the county seat of Wasco County?: The county seat of Wasco County is The Dalles.
Is there an online parcel map for Wasco County?: Yes. Wasco County publishes a parcel map of 15,516 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Wasco County's boundary or name changed?: Wasco County was created in 1854 from Clackamas County, Jackson County, Lane County, Linn County and Marion County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 14 later changes, chiefly involving Gilliam County, Multnomah County and Sherman County.
Who issues building permits in Wasco County?: The county's page on building permits: Concealed Weapons Permit. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Wasco County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

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