When was Bristol County founded?

Bristol County was founded in 1747, and named after Bristol, South West England.

What is the county seat of Bristol County?

The county seat of Bristol County is Bristol.

Is there an online parcel map for Bristol County?

Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 15,029 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Bristol County's boundary or name changed?

Bristol County was created in 1747. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records no boundary change since.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

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

County · code 44001

Bristol CountyRhode Island

Bristol County is a county in Rhode Island with its seat in Bristol, formed in 1747.

Founded1747
County seatBristol
Named forBristol, South West England
Land area24 sq mi + 21 sq mi water
Population50,793 2020 Census
Parcels mapped15,029 checked 14 October 2026

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

Updated 19 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Bristol on the map of Rhode Island

Rhode Island has 5 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Counties of Rhode Island · Bristol highlighted

History

Founded in 1747

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

Bristol County was created in 1747 from Bristol County, Massachusetts, when Rhode Island and Massachusetts implemented a royal settlement of their boundary.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

c. 1747
Bristol County created Bristol created from Bristol (Massachusetts) when Rhode Island implemented the 1746 royal settlement of the boundary with Massachusetts. 17 February 1747 · Arnold, 2:157; R.I. Recs., 5:207-209

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Bristol

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 15,029 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 14 May 2026 · checked 14 October 2026
Address points Official

One point per address, 19,661 in all from RI E 9-1-1 Uniform Emergency Telephone System (maintained with AK Associates), published by RIGIS (URI Environmental Data Center, the state's GIS clearinghouse).
edited 11 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

Bristol by the Census

Population

50,793 2020 Census count

Housing units

21,504 2020 Census count

Land area

24 square miles

Water area

21 square miles · 46% of the county, including large bodies of water

People per sq mi

2,105 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

See your own lot on these maps

Open Bristol 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 Bristol County

When was Bristol County founded?: Bristol County was founded in 1747, and named after Bristol, South West England.
What is the county seat of Bristol County?: The county seat of Bristol County is Bristol.
Is there an online parcel map for Bristol County?: Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 15,029 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Bristol County's boundary or name changed?: Bristol County was created in 1747. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records no boundary change since.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Bristol County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby