County · code 53037
Kittitas CountyWashington
Kittitas County is in Washington State with its county seat in Ellensburg. It was formed in 1883 from Yakima County.
- Founded1883
- County seatEllensburg
- Land area2,297 sq mi + 36 sq mi water
- Population44,337 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped38,882 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Kittitas 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 Yakima County and Kittitass County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Kittitas County was created on November 24, 1883, from Yakima County, and its name was also sometimes spelled Kittitass until 1889. The county lost territory to Yakima County in 1886 and to the new Chelan County in 1899. In 1970, a small portion known as the Cliffdale Area was transferred to Yakima County following a special election.
- 1883Kittitas County created Kittitas created by Washington Territory from Yakima. Until 1889 county name also sometimes spelled Kittitass.from Yakimafrom Kittitass· Wash. Terr. Laws 1883, 9th biennial sess., pp. 90-93
- 1886Lost territory Kittitas lost to Yakima. · Wash. Terr. Laws 1885-1886, 10th biennial sess., pp. 168-169
- 1889Became part of Washington Kittitas 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
- 1899Lost territory Kittitas lost to creation of Chelan. · Wash. Laws 1899, 6th leg. sess., ch. 45/pp. 148-155
- 1970Lost territory Kittitas lost small portion known as the "Cliffdale Area" to Yakima as the result of a special election held 29 April 1970. · Abbott, 157-158
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Kittitas
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 38,882 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 Kittitas 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
Kittitas 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
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
Zoning and code
GIS and maps
County government
- County government
The official website of Kittitas County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Kittitas 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 Kittitas County
- When was Kittitas County founded?
- Kittitas County was founded in 1883, formed from Yakima County and Kittitass County.
- What is the county seat of Kittitas County?
- The county seat of Kittitas County is Ellensburg.
- Is there an online parcel map for Kittitas County?
- Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 38,882 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Kittitas County's boundary or name changed?
- Kittitas County was created in 1883 from Yakima County and Kittitass County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 4 later changes, chiefly involving Yakima County and Chelan County.
- Who issues septic and well permits in Kittitas County?
- The county's page on septic systems and wells: Contact Us.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Kittitas County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby