When was Clark County founded?

Clark County was founded in 1845, and named after William Clark.

What is the county seat of Clark County?

The county seat of Clark County is Vancouver.

Is there an online parcel map for Clark County?

Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 194,320 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Clark County's boundary or name changed?

Clark County was created in 1845. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 17 later changes, chiefly involving Lewis County, Cowlitz County and Skamania County. It was formerly called Vancouver District and Vancouver.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

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

County · code 53011

Clark CountyWashington

Clark County is in Washington state with its seat in Vancouver. The county was created on August 20, 1845 as Vancouver District and named after William Clark.

Founded1845
County seatVancouver
Named forWilliam Clark
Land area628 sq mi + 27 sq mi water
Population503,311 2020 Census
Parcels mapped194,320 checked 15 October 2026

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

Updated 20 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

History

Founded in 1845

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

Vancouver District was created from non-county area in Oregon Country, then renamed Vancouver County on December 22, 1845. After the 1846 Oregon Boundary Treaty established the northern boundary at 49 degrees north latitude, Vancouver lost territory to British North America. The county was renamed Clark in 1849 and became a county in Washington Territory when Oregon Territory was eliminated in 1853. When Washington became a state in 1889, Clark County continued as a Washington county.

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

1845
Clark County created Vancouver District (now Clark) created from non-county area in Oregon Country; included parts of present Washington and Canada. Non-county area eliminated. 20 August 1845 · Ore. Terr. Laws 1845, p. 22
1845
Renamed Vancouver District (now Clark) renamed Vancouver County; no change in boundaries.
formerly Vancouver District
22 December 1845 · Ore. Terr. Laws, general and local, 1843-1849, p. 35
1849
Renamed Vancouver renamed Clark; no change in boundaries.
formerly Vancouver
3 September 1849 · Ore. Terr. Laws 1850, 2nd sess., p. 54
1853
Became part of Washington Clark became a county in Washington Territory; eliminated from Oregon Territory. Though created by Oregon as Clark, Washington laws consistently spelled the county name as Clarke until 23 December 1925 when the legislature officially changed the spelling from Clarke to Clark.
from Clarke
2 March 1853 · Wash. Terr. Laws, 1854, 1st. sess., p. 32; Van Zandt, 155
1889
Became part of Washington Clarke continued as a Washington county when the state of Washington admitted to the Union and Washington Territory eliminated. 11 November 1889 · U.S. Stat., vol. 25, ch. 180[1889], p. 676; U.S. Stat. pres. proc., vol. 26[1889], p. 10; Van Zandt, 155-156

Show all 20 changes (15 more)

1845
Clark County created Vancouver District (now Clark) created from non-county area in Oregon Country; included parts of present Washington and Canada. Non-county area eliminated. 20 August 1845 · Ore. Terr. Laws 1845, p. 22
1845
Boundary clarified Vancouver District (now Clark) boundaries with Clackamas District (Oregon), Clatsop (Oregon) and Tuality District (now Washington, Oregon) redefined (no change).
with Clackamas District (Ore.)with Clatsop (Ore.)with Tuality Districtwith Washingtonno change
19 December 1845 · Ore. Terr. Laws, general and local, 1843-1849, p. 37
1845
Lost territory Vancouver District (now Clark) lost to creation of Lewis.
to Lewis
21 December 1845 · Ore. Terr. Laws, general and local, 1843-1849, p. 43
1845
Renamed Vancouver District (now Clark) renamed Vancouver County; no change in boundaries.
formerly Vancouver District
22 December 1845 · Ore. Terr. Laws, general and local, 1843-1849, p. 35
1846
Lost territory Vancouver (now Clark) lost to British North America when the 1846 Oregon Boundary Treaty between the United States and Great Britain established the northern boundary of Oregon Territory at 49 degrees north latitude. 15 June 1846 · Hayes, 134, 171-174; Parry 100:40-42; Van Zandt, 18
1849
Renamed Vancouver renamed Clark; no change in boundaries.
formerly Vancouver
3 September 1849 · Ore. Terr. Laws 1850, 2nd sess., p. 54
1852
Lost territory Clark lost to creation of Thurston.
to Thurston
12 January 1852 · Ore. Terr. Laws 1851, 3rd reg. sess., p. 19
1852
Exchanged territory Clark exchanged with Lewis.
with Lewis
17 January 1852 · Ore. Terr. Laws 1851, 3rd reg. sess., p. 30
1853
Exchanged territory Clark exchanged with Lewis.
with Lewis
1 February 1853 · Ore. Terr. Special Laws 1852, 4th reg. sess., p. 40
1853
Became part of Washington Clark became a county in Washington Territory; eliminated from Oregon Territory. Though created by Oregon as Clark, Washington laws consistently spelled the county name as Clarke until 23 December 1925 when the legislature officially changed the spelling from Clarke to Clark.
from Clarke
2 March 1853 · Wash. Terr. Laws, 1854, 1st. sess., p. 32; Van Zandt, 155
1854
Gained territory Clarke gained from Lewis, lost to creation of Skamania, lost to Non-County Area 1.
from Lewis from Skamania
9 March 1854 · Wash. Terr. Laws 1854, 1st sess., p. 473
1855
Gained territory Clarke gained from Lewis when northern boundary of Clarke was redefined.
from Lewis
23 January 1855 · Wash. Terr. Laws 1854, 2nd sess., p. 39
1865
Gained territory Clarke gained from Skamania; Skamania eliminated.
from Skamania
14 January 1865 · Wash. Terr. Laws 1864-1865, 12th sess., pp. 44-46
1867
Lost territory Clarke lost to restoration of Skamania when the law of 14 January 1865 eliminating Skamania was disapproved by Congress.
to Skamania
28 January 1867 · U.S. Stat., vol. 14, ch. 155[1866], sec. 4/p. 77; Wash. Terr. Laws 1866-1867; 14th sess., p. 3; Abbott, p. 113
1867
Gained territory Clarke gained from Cowlitz.
from Cowlitz
31 January 1867 · Wash. Terr. Laws 1866-1867, 14th sess., p. 48
1869
Boundary clarified Clarke redefined (no change).
no change
2 December 1869 · Wash. Terr. Laws 1869, 2nd biennial sess., sec. 1/p. 295
1871
Lost territory Clarke lost to Cowlitz.
to Cowlitz
29 November 1871 · Wash. Terr. Laws 1871, 3rd biennial sess., pp. 153-154
1873
Gained territory Clarke gained from Cowlitz.
from Cowlitz
14 November 1873 · Wash. Terr. Laws 1873, 4th biennial sess., p. 561
1889
Became part of Washington Clarke continued as a Washington county when the state of Washington admitted to the Union and Washington Territory eliminated. 11 November 1889 · U.S. Stat., vol. 25, ch. 180[1889], p. 676; U.S. Stat. pres. proc., vol. 26[1889], p. 10; Van Zandt, 155-156
1925
Changed Spelling of Clarke officially changed to Clark.
Clarke
23 December 1925 · Wash. Laws 1925, 19th leg. extra sess., ch. 51/p. 47

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Clark

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

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 194,320 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 Clark County yet.
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

Clark by the Census

Population

503,311 2020 Census count

Housing units

195,036 2020 Census count

Land area

628 square miles

Water area

27 square miles

People per sq mi

801 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

Clark 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 Clark County.
clark.wa.gov

See your own lot on these maps

Open Clark 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.

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Questions

Common questions about Clark County

When was Clark County founded?: Clark County was founded in 1845, and named after William Clark.
What is the county seat of Clark County?: The county seat of Clark County is Vancouver.
Is there an online parcel map for Clark County?: Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 194,320 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Clark County's boundary or name changed?: Clark County was created in 1845. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 17 later changes, chiefly involving Lewis County, Cowlitz County and Skamania County. It was formerly called Vancouver District and Vancouver.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Clark County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby