When was Botetourt County founded?

Botetourt County was founded in 1770, formed from Augusta County, and named after Norborne Berkeley, 4th Baron Botetourt.

What is the county seat of Botetourt County?

The county seat of Botetourt County is Fincastle.

Is there an online parcel map for Botetourt County?

Yes. Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), Virginia Department of Emergency Management publishes a parcel map of 23,440 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Botetourt County's boundary or name changed?

Botetourt County was created in 1770 from Augusta County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 12 later changes, chiefly involving Montgomery County, Rockbridge County and Monroe (W. Va.) County.

Who issues building permits in Botetourt County?

The county's page on building permits: Building Permit Process. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

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

County · code 51023

Botetourt CountyVirginia

Botetourt County is a county in Virginia, formed in 1770, with its seat at Fincastle. The county was named after Norborne Berkeley, 4th Baron Botetourt.

Founded1770
County seatFincastle
Named forNorborne Berkeley, 4th Baron Botetourt
Land area541 sq mi + 4.7 sq mi water
Population33,596 2020 Census
Parcels mapped23,440 checked 15 October 2026

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

Updated 20 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1770 from Augusta County

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

Botetourt County was created in 1770 from Augusta County and originally included all of present Kentucky and parts of present Virginia and West Virginia. The county lost territory over time to the creation of Fincastle, Greenbrier, Rockbridge, Montgomery, Bath, and Alleghany counties, and to Monroe County in West Virginia. Minor boundary adjustments with Montgomery County occurred in 1795 and 1796.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

1770
Botetourt County created Botetourt created from Augusta.
from Augusta
31 January 1770 · Hening, 8:395-398
1772
Lost territory Botetourt lost to creation of Fincastle (extinct).
to Fincastle
1 December 1772 · Hening, 8:600-601
1778
Lost territory Botetourt lost to creation of Greenbrier (West Virginia) and Rockbridge.
to Greenbrier (W. Va.)to Rockbridge
1 March 1778 · Hening, 9:420-424
1790
Lost territory Botetourt lost to Montgomery.
to Montgomery
1 May 1790 · Hening, 13:76-78
1791
Lost territory Botetourt lost to creation of Bath.
to Bath
1 May 1791 · Hening, 13:165-167

Show all 13 changes (8 more)

1770
Botetourt County created Botetourt created from Augusta.
from Augusta
31 January 1770 · Hening, 8:395-398
1772
Lost territory Botetourt lost to creation of Fincastle (extinct).
to Fincastle
1 December 1772 · Hening, 8:600-601
1778
Lost territory Botetourt lost to creation of Greenbrier (West Virginia) and Rockbridge.
to Greenbrier (W. Va.)to Rockbridge
1 March 1778 · Hening, 9:420-424
c. 1785
Gained territory Botetourt gained from Rockbridge.
from Rockbridge
31 October 1785 · Hening, 12:74
1790
Lost territory Botetourt lost to Montgomery.
to Montgomery
1 May 1790 · Hening, 13:76-78
1791
Lost territory Botetourt lost to creation of Bath.
to Bath
1 May 1791 · Hening, 13:165-167
1795
Exchanged territory Botetourt exchanged with Montgomery.
with Montgomery
14 December 1795 · Shepherd, 1:406
1796
Exchanged territory Botetourt exchanged with Montgomery.
with Montgomery
7 December 1796 · Shepherd, 2:64
1802
Lost territory Botetourt lost to Monroe (West Virginia).
to Monroe (W. Va.)
2 January 1802 · Shepherd, 2:345-346
1822
Lost territory Botetourt lost to creation of Alleghany and lost small area to Monroe (West Virginia).
to Alleghany to Monroe (W. Va.)
5 January 1822 · Va. Acts 1821-1822, ch. 28, sec. 1/pp. 28-30
1838
Lost territory Botetourt lost to creation of Roanoke.
to Roanoke
1 May 1838 · Va. Acts 1838, ch. 60, secs. 1, 15/pp. 54-57
1851
Lost territory Botetourt lost to creation of Craig.
to Craig
21 March 1851 · Va. Acts 1850-1851, ch. 25, sec. 1/pp. 21-23
1888
Lost territory Botetourt lost to Rockbridge.
to Rockbridge
1 April 1888 · Va. Acts 1887-1888, Dec. reg. sess., ch. 488, secs. 1, 5/pp. 556-557

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Botetourt

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 23,440 parcels from Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), Virginia Department of Emergency Management. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 15 October 2026
Address points Official

One point per address, 17,757 in all from Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), Virginia Dept of Emergency Management (VDEM; VGIN moved from VITA to VDEM).
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

Botetourt by the Census

Population

33,596 2020 Census count

Housing units

14,888 2020 Census count

Land area

541 square miles

Water area

4.7 square miles

People per sq mi

62 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

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.

Permits

Building Permit Processfrom va-botetourtcounty.civicplus.com
Solar Projects and Permits: What Residents Should Knowfrom botetourtva.gov

Zoning and code

County Codefrom library.municode.com
Board of Zoning Appealsfrom botetourtva.gov

County government

County government
The official website of Botetourt County.
botetourt.org

See your own lot on these maps

Open Botetourt 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 Botetourt County

When was Botetourt County founded?: Botetourt County was founded in 1770, formed from Augusta County, and named after Norborne Berkeley, 4th Baron Botetourt.
What is the county seat of Botetourt County?: The county seat of Botetourt County is Fincastle.
Is there an online parcel map for Botetourt County?: Yes. Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), Virginia Department of Emergency Management publishes a parcel map of 23,440 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Botetourt County's boundary or name changed?: Botetourt County was created in 1770 from Augusta County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 12 later changes, chiefly involving Montgomery County, Rockbridge County and Monroe (W. Va.) County.
Who issues building permits in Botetourt County?: The county's page on building permits: Building Permit Process. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Botetourt County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby