County · code 48497
Wise CountyTexas
Wise County is a county in Texas with its seat in Decatur, created in 1856.
- Founded1856
- County seatDecatur
- Named forHenry A. Wise
- Land area904 sq mi + 18 sq mi water
- Population68,632 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped53,011 checked 14 October 2026
Where it is
Wise on the map of Texas
Texas has 254 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1856 from Cooke County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Wise County was created from Cooke County on January 23, 1856, and named after Henry A. Wise. The county was not fully organized at its creation; parts of Bexar, Cooke, and Denton Land Districts were attached for judicial purposes on February 2, and the county was fully organized by May 5, 1856.
- 1856Wise County created Wise created from Cooke; Wise not fully organized. · Texas Laws 1855, 6th leg., reg. sess., ch. 31/p. 23
- 1856Changed Parts of Bexar, Cooke, and Denton Land Districts were attached to Wise "for judicial purposes." · Texas Laws 1855, 6th leg., reg. sess., ch. 71/p. 72
- 1856Changed Wise fully organized. · Cates, 63-64
- 1856Changed Non-county area of Denton Land District detached from Wise, attached to Young "for judicial purposes." · Texas Laws 1856, 6th leg., adj. sess., ch. 110/p. 41
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Wise
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 53,011 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 14 October 2026 -
Address points Official
One point per address, 46,581 in all from Texas Geographic Information Office (TxGIO, formerly TNRIS), a division of the Texas Water Development Board; StratMap program.
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
Wise 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.
Records
County government
- County government
The official website of Wise County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Wise 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 Wise County
- When was Wise County founded?
- Wise County was founded in 1856, formed from Cooke County, and named after Henry A. Wise.
- What is the county seat of Wise County?
- The county seat of Wise County is Decatur.
- Is there an online parcel map for Wise County?
- Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 53,011 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Wise County's boundary or name changed?
- Wise County was created in 1856 from Cooke County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 later changes, chiefly involving Young County.
- Who issues septic and well permits in Wise County?
- The county's page on septic systems and wells: Environmental Services.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Wise County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby