When was Newport County founded?

Newport County was founded in 1703, and named after Newport, England.

What is the county seat of Newport County?

The county seat of Newport County is Newport.

Is there an online parcel map for Newport County?

Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 19,905 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Newport County's boundary or name changed?

Newport County was created in 1703. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 4 later changes, chiefly involving Bristol (Mass.) County, Rhode Island County and U. S. County. It was formerly called Rhode Island.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

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

County · code 44005

Newport CountyRhode Island

Newport County is a Rhode Island county created in 1703 as one of two original counties, with its county seat in Newport.

Founded1703
County seatNewport
Named forNewport, England
Land area102 sq mi + 211 sq mi water
Population85,643 2020 Census
Parcels mapped19,905 checked 14 October 2026

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

Updated 19 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Newport 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 · Newport highlighted

History

Founded in 1703

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

Newport County was formed in 1703, and named after Newport, England. Newport is the county seat.

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

1703
Newport County created Rhode Island County (now Newport) created as one of two original counties; consisted of Block Island and the islands in Narragansett Bay. 22 June 1703 · R.I. Recs., 3:477-478
1729
Renamed Rhode Island renamed Newport.
formerly Rhode Island
16 June 1729 · R.I. Recs., 4:427
c. 1747
Gained territory Newport gained from Bristol (Massachusetts) when Rhode Island implemented the 1746 royal settlement of the boundary with Massachusetts. Newport included part of present Massachusetts.
from Bristol (Mass.)
17 February 1747 · Arnold, 2:157; R.I. Recs., 5:207-209
1862
Lost territory Newport lost to Bristol (Massachusetts) when Massachusetts and Rhode Island implemented the U. S. Supreme Court settlement (31 December 1861) of their boundary to the Atlantic Ocean.
to Bristol (Mass.)to U. S.
1 March 1862 · Bayles, Providence, 1:29; R.I. Acts and Resolves, 1861, ch. 379, sec. 2/p. 4; Ullman, 83-84; Van Zandt, 68
1963
Lost territory Newport lost Block Island to Washington.
to Washington
6 May 1963 · R.I. Acts and Resolves, 1963, ch. 84, sec. 1/p. 300

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Newport

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 19,905 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, 42,375 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

Newport by the Census

Population

85,643 2020 Census count

Housing units

43,422 2020 Census count

Land area

102 square miles

Water area

211 square miles · 67% of the county, including large bodies of water

People per sq mi

836 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 Newport 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 Newport County

When was Newport County founded?: Newport County was founded in 1703, and named after Newport, England.
What is the county seat of Newport County?: The county seat of Newport County is Newport.
Is there an online parcel map for Newport County?: Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 19,905 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Newport County's boundary or name changed?: Newport County was created in 1703. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 4 later changes, chiefly involving Bristol (Mass.) County, Rhode Island County and U. S. County. It was formerly called Rhode Island.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Newport County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby