County · code 42043
Dauphin CountyPennsylvania
Dauphin County is a county in Pennsylvania, with its seat in Harrisburg, formed in 1785. It was named after Louis Joseph, Dauphin of France.
- Founded1785
- County seatHarrisburg
- Named forLouis Joseph, Dauphin of France
- Land area525 sq mi + 33 sq mi water
- Population286,401 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped117,798 checked 14 October 2026
Where it is
Dauphin on the map of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has 67 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1785 from Lancaster County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Dauphin County was created from Lancaster County on March 4, 1785. It lost territory to the creation of Lebanon County in 1813, with additional losses to Lebanon in 1821 and to Perry County in 1868.
- 1785Dauphin County created Dauphin created from Lancaster. · Pa. Stat., ch. 1136, sec. 1/11:450
- 1813Lost territory Dauphin lost to the creation of Lebanon. · Pa. Laws 1812-1813, ch. 52, sec. 1/p. 67
- 1821
- 1829Boundary clarified Boundary between Dauphin and Lebanon clarified (no change).with Lebanonno change· Pa. Laws 1828-1829, no. 79, sec. 1/p. 101
- 1868Lost territory Dauphin lost small area to Perry to accommodate local property owner. · History of . . . the Susquehanna and Juniata Valleys, 2:943, 1072; Pa. Laws 1868, no. 375, sec. 1/pp. 413-414
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Dauphin
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
-
Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 117,798 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 8 October 2026 · checked 14 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Dauphin 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
Dauphin 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.
Zoning and code
County government
- County government
The official website of Dauphin County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Dauphin 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 Dauphin County
- When was Dauphin County founded?
- Dauphin County was founded in 1785, formed from Lancaster County, and named after Louis Joseph, Dauphin of France.
- What is the county seat of Dauphin County?
- The county seat of Dauphin County is Harrisburg.
- Is there an online parcel map for Dauphin County?
- Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 117,798 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Dauphin County's boundary or name changed?
- Dauphin County was created in 1785 from Lancaster County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 later changes, chiefly involving Lebanon County and Perry County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Dauphin County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby