When was Dorchester County founded?

Dorchester County was founded in 1897, formed from Berkeley County and Colleton County, and named after Dorchester, Massachusetts.

What is the county seat of Dorchester County?

The county seat of Dorchester County is St. George.

Is there an online parcel map for Dorchester County?

Yes. Dorchester County publishes a parcel map of 78,295 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Dorchester County's boundary or name changed?

Dorchester County was created in 1897 from Berkeley County and Colleton County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 4 later changes, most of them small boundary adjustments, chiefly involving Charleston County.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

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

County · code 45035

Dorchester CountySouth Carolina

Dorchester County is a county in South Carolina with its seat in St. George. The county was formed on February 25, 1897.

Founded1897
County seatSt. George
Named forDorchester, Massachusetts
Land area569 sq mi + 2.6 sq mi water
Population161,540 2020 Census
Parcels mapped78,295 checked 14 October 2026

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

Updated 19 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1897 from Berkeley County and Colleton County

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

Dorchester County was created from Berkeley and Colleton counties. Between 1967 and 1985, Dorchester gained several small areas from Charleston County.

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

1897
Dorchester County created Dorchester created from Berkeley and Colleton.
from Berkeley from Colleton
25 February 1897 · S.C. Acts 1897, no. 346, sec. 1/pp. 595-596
1967
Gained territory Dorchester gained small area from Charleston.
from Charleston
1 May 1967 · S.C. Acts 1967, no. 227, sec. 1/pp. 316-317
1969
Gained territory Dorchester gained small area from Charleston.
from Charleston
20 February 1969 · S.C. Acts 1969, no. 51, sec. 1/p. 53, and no. 52, sec. 1/p. 54
1977
Gained territory Dorchester gained from Charleston.
from Charleston
13 May 1977 · S.C. Acts 1977, no. 295, sec. 1/pp. 901-902, no. 296, sec. 1/pp. 902-904, and no. 297, sec. 1/pp. 904-906
1982
Boundary clarified Boundary between Dorchester and Charleston redefined (no change).
with Charlestonno change
8 June 1982 · S.C. Acts 1982, no. 407, sec. 1/pp. 2438-2440
1985
Gained territory Dorchester gained small area from Charleston.
from Charleston
28 June 1985 · S.C. Acts 1985, no. 267, sec. 1/pp. 1880-1882

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Dorchester

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 78,295 parcels from Dorchester County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 26 January 2026 · checked 14 October 2026
Address points Missing

No public address points layer found for Dorchester 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

Dorchester by the Census

Population

161,540 2020 Census count

Housing units

64,608 2020 Census count

Land area

569 square miles

Water area

2.6 square miles

People per sq mi

284 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

Dorchester County's official site

We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.

County government

County government
The official website of Dorchester County.
dorchestercounty.net

See your own lot on these maps

Open Dorchester 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 Dorchester County

When was Dorchester County founded?: Dorchester County was founded in 1897, formed from Berkeley County and Colleton County, and named after Dorchester, Massachusetts.
What is the county seat of Dorchester County?: The county seat of Dorchester County is St. George.
Is there an online parcel map for Dorchester County?: Yes. Dorchester County publishes a parcel map of 78,295 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Dorchester County's boundary or name changed?: Dorchester County was created in 1897 from Berkeley County and Colleton County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 4 later changes, most of them small boundary adjustments, chiefly involving Charleston County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Dorchester County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby