County · code 53053
Pierce CountyWashington
Pierce County is a county in Washington with its seat in Tacoma, formed on December 22, 1852. Named after Franklin Pierce, it was created from Thurston County in Oregon Territory.
- Founded1852
- County seatTacoma
- Named forFranklin Pierce
- Land area1,668 sq mi + 138 sq mi water
- Population921,130 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped339,981 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Pierce 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 1852 from Thurston County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Pierce County was created by Oregon Territory from Thurston on December 22, 1852, and became a county in Washington Territory on March 2, 1853. Over its early decades, Pierce gained and lost territory through multiple boundary adjustments with neighboring counties including King, Lewis, Kitsap, and Thurston, with a significant 1901 annexation from King that shifted Tacoma harbor entirely to Pierce County.
- 1852Pierce County created Pierce created by Oregon Territory from Thurston. · Ore. Terr. Special Laws 1852, 4th reg. sess., pp. 44-45
- 1853Became part of Washington Pierce became a county in Washington Territory; eliminated from Oregon Territory. · Wash. Terr. Laws, 1854, 1st. sess., p. 32; Van Zandt, 155
- 1855
- 1859Gained territory Pierce gained from Kitsap and Thurston, exchanged with King. · Wash. Terr. Laws 1858, 6th sess., p. 59
- 1889Became part of Washington Pierce 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
Show all 12 changes
- 1852Pierce County created Pierce created by Oregon Territory from Thurston. · Ore. Terr. Special Laws 1852, 4th reg. sess., pp. 44-45
- 1853Changed King attached to Pierce for judicial purposes. Attachment reconfirmed 1 February 1853. · Ore. Terr. Special Laws, 1852, 4th reg. sess., pp. 37, 52
- 1853Became part of Washington Pierce became a county in Washington Territory; eliminated from Oregon Territory. · Wash. Terr. Laws, 1854, 1st. sess., p. 32; Van Zandt, 155
- 1855
- 1859Gained territory Pierce gained from Kitsap and Thurston, exchanged with King. · Wash. Terr. Laws 1858, 6th sess., p. 59
- 1861
- 1865Gained territory Pierce gained from Lewis. · Wash. Terr. Laws 1864-1865, 12th sess., pp. 49-50
- 1866Exchanged territory Pierce exchanged with King. · Wash. Terr. Laws 1865-1866, 13th sess., p. 143
- 1867
- 1869Boundary clarified Pierce redefined (no change).no change· Wash. Terr. Laws 1869, 2nd biennial sess., sec. 1/p. 294
- 1889Became part of Washington Pierce 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
- 1901Gained territory Pierce gained from King by virtue of an election in on this date. Previous line between King and Pierce split the Tacoma harbor between the two counties; the annexation shifted the entire harbor to Pierce. · Gov. Proc., Wash. State Archives, Gov. Daily Record Book, Vol. 1, pp. 1-3; Rem. & Bal. Code 1909, vol. 2, ch. 1/p. 243
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Pierce
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 339,981 parcels from Pierce County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
edited 9 October 2026 · checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Pierce 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
Pierce 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.
Zoning and code
- Planning and zoning
Contact Planning & Public Works
- Ordinance No. 84-152
- zoning code
County government
- County government
The official website of Pierce County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Pierce 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 Pierce County
- When was Pierce County founded?
- Pierce County was founded in 1852, formed from Thurston County, and named after Franklin Pierce.
- What is the county seat of Pierce County?
- The county seat of Pierce County is Tacoma.
- Is there an online parcel map for Pierce County?
- Yes. Pierce County publishes a parcel map of 339,981 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Pierce County's boundary or name changed?
- Pierce County was created in 1852 from Thurston County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 10 later changes, chiefly involving King County, Kitsap County and Lewis County.
- Who issues building permits in Pierce County?
- The county's page on building permits: Online Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Pierce County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby