When was Shenandoah County founded?

Shenandoah County was founded in 1772, formed from Frederick County, and named after Shenandoah River, Virginia and West Virginia.

What is the county seat of Shenandoah County?

The county seat of Shenandoah County is Woodstock.

Is there an online parcel map for Shenandoah County?

Yes. Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), Virginia Department of Emergency Management publishes a parcel map of 35,201 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Shenandoah County's boundary or name changed?

Shenandoah County was created in 1772 from Frederick County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 later changes, chiefly involving Dunmore County, Page County and Warren County. It was formerly called Dunmore.

Who issues building permits in Shenandoah County?

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

Is my lot in a flood zone?

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

County · code 51171

Shenandoah CountyVirginia

Shenandoah County is a county in Virginia, with its seat in Woodstock. It was created in 1772 from Frederick County.

Founded1772
County seatWoodstock
Named forShenandoah River, Virginia and West Virginia
Land area508 sq mi + 3.8 sq mi water
Population44,186 2020 Census
Parcels mapped35,201 checked 15 October 2026

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

Updated 20 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Formed in 1772 from Frederick County

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

Originally established as Dunmore County, it was renamed Shenandoah in 1778 after the Shenandoah River. It lost territory to the creation of Page County in 1831 and Warren County in 1836.

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

1772
Shenandoah County created Dunmore (now Shenandoah) created from Frederick.
from Frederick
15 May 1772 · Hening, 8:597-599
1778
Renamed Dunmore renamed Shenandoah.
formerly Dunmore
1 February 1778 · Hening, 9:420-424
1831
Lost territory Shenandoah lost to creation of Page.
to Page
30 March 1831 · Va. Acts 1830-1831, ch. 74, sec. 1/pp. 140-142
1836
Lost territory Shenandoah lost to creation of Warren.
to Warren
9 March 1836 · Va. Acts 1835-1836, ch. 20, sec. 1/pp. 22-24

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Shenandoah

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 35,201 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, 24,713 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

Shenandoah by the Census

Population

44,186 2020 Census count

Housing units

21,136 2020 Census count

Land area

508 square miles

Water area

3.8 square miles

People per sq mi

87 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

Permitsfrom shenandoahcountyva.gov

County government

County government
The official website of Shenandoah County.
shenandoahcountyva.us

See your own lot on these maps

Open Shenandoah 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 Shenandoah County

When was Shenandoah County founded?: Shenandoah County was founded in 1772, formed from Frederick County, and named after Shenandoah River, Virginia and West Virginia.
What is the county seat of Shenandoah County?: The county seat of Shenandoah County is Woodstock.
Is there an online parcel map for Shenandoah County?: Yes. Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN), Virginia Department of Emergency Management publishes a parcel map of 35,201 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Shenandoah County's boundary or name changed?: Shenandoah County was created in 1772 from Frederick County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 3 later changes, chiefly involving Dunmore County, Page County and Warren County. It was formerly called Dunmore.
Who issues building permits in Shenandoah County?: The county's page on building permits: Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Shenandoah County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

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