When was Manassas city founded?

Manassas city was founded in 1975, and named after Manassas Gap Railroad.

Is there an online parcel map for Manassas city?

Yes. Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), Virginia Department of Emergency Management publishes a parcel map of 13,645 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Manassas city's boundary or name changed?

Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 changes for Manassas city. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 later changes, chiefly involving Prince William County.

Who issues building permits in Manassas city?

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

Is my lot in a flood zone?

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

Independent city · code 51683

Manassas cityVirginia

Manassas is an independent city in Virginia that was formed in 1975 from Prince William County.

Founded1975
Named forManassas Gap Railroad
Land area9.8 sq mi
Population42,772 2020 Census
Parcels mapped13,645 checked 15 October 2026

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

Updated 20 October 2026

Census outline

History

Founded in 1975

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

Manassas separated from Prince William County to become an independent city of the second class in 1975, taking its name from the Manassas Gap Railroad. The city exchanged territory with Prince William County in 1983 and gained a small area from it in 1985.

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

1975
Independent city separated Manassas made an independent city, 2d class, from Prince William.
Prince William separated
1 May 1975 · Manassas Planning Dept., correspondence, January 1990; Va. Sec. Rpt., 527
1983
Exchanged territory Independent city of Manassas exchanged with Prince William.
with Prince William
31 December 1983 · Manassas Planning Dept., correspondence, January 1990; U.S. Census Bureau, "Significant Changes to Counties and County Equivalent Entities: 1970-Present," http://www.gov/geo/www/tiger/ctychng.html, 4 August 2003
1985
Gained territory Independent city of Manassas gained small area from Prince William.
from Prince William
9 May 1985 · Manassas Planning Dept., correspondence, January 1990

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Manassas

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 13,645 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, 18,102 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

Manassas by the Census

Population

42,772 2020 Census count

Housing units

14,365 2020 Census count

Land area

9.8 square miles

Water area

0.1 square miles

People per sq mi

4,347 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.

Records

Assessor and property recordsfrom manassasva.gov · checked 13 October 2026
Clerk of court: deeds and plats
City Clerk
from manassasva.gov · checked 13 October 2026

Permits

Building Permitsfrom energovcss24.manassasva.gov
Building permitsfrom manassasva.gov

Zoning and code

Planning and zoning
Public Works
from manassasva.gov · checked 13 October 2026
City Codefrom library.municode.com
planning and zoningfrom manassasva.gov
Long Range Planningfrom manassasva.gov

County government

County government
The official website of Manassas city.
manassasva.gov

See your own lot on these maps

Open Manassas city 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 Manassas city

When was Manassas city founded?: Manassas city was founded in 1975, and named after Manassas Gap Railroad.
Is there an online parcel map for Manassas city?: Yes. Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), Virginia Department of Emergency Management publishes a parcel map of 13,645 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Manassas city's boundary or name changed?: Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 changes for Manassas city. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 later changes, chiefly involving Prince William County.
Who issues building permits in Manassas city?: The county's page on building permits: Building Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Manassas city yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby