County · code 53001
Adams CountyWashington
Adams County is a county in Washington state, with its seat in Ritzville. It was created in 1883 from Whitman County and named after John Adams.
- Founded1883
- County seatRitzville
- Named forJohn Adams
- Land area1,925 sq mi + 4.8 sq mi water
- Population20,613 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped13,722 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Adams on the map of Washington
Washington has 39 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1883 from Whitman County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Adams County was created on November 28, 1883, by Washington Territory from Whitman County. It continued as a Washington county when Washington became a state on November 11, 1889, and Washington Territory was eliminated.
- 1883Adams County created Adams created by Washington Territory from Whitman. · Wash. Terr. Laws 1883, 9th biennial sess., pp. 93-94
- 1889Became part of Washington Adams continued as a Washington county when the state of Washington admitted to the Union and Washington Territory eliminated. · U.S. Stat., vol. 25, ch. 180[1889], p. 676; U.S. Stat. pres. proc., vol. 26[1889], p. 10; Van Zandt, 155-156
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Adams
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 13,722 parcels. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 24 September 2026 · checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Adams County yet.
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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
Adams 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
Adams 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 Adams County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Adams 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 Adams County
- When was Adams County founded?
- Adams County was founded in 1883, formed from Whitman County, and named after John Adams.
- What is the county seat of Adams County?
- The county seat of Adams County is Ritzville.
- Is there an online parcel map for Adams County?
- Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 13,722 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Adams County's boundary or name changed?
- Adams County was created in 1883 from Whitman County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 1 later change.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Adams County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby