Monroe County offers a public mapping tool that puts parcel lines, street networks, and civic borders on one screen. The GIS Records and Archives office keeps the files behind that viewer at CityPlace on West Main Street in Rochester. Residents use the tool to check a lot before a purchase, trace a road project, or print a view for a file.
Staff answer questions about coverage, dates, and limits on use, and a phone call to 585-753-7607 usually settles a detail the screen cannot. Visits run by appointment, since the counter is short on staff. Bring a written description of the parcel or the area you need. Drawings, aerial flights, and right-of-way sheets sit in the same room.
What the Interactive Map Shows
A single screen carries property outlines, street centerlines, aerial photographs, and town borders. A search box takes an address or a tax map number for a property search and drops a marker on the right lot. Click panels list owner name, acreage, and a parcel identifier drawn from assessment files. People check flood risk, zoning, and school district before a purchase, then visit the records counter for the paperwork the screen cannot supply.
Access to the Interactive Map
Open the county site and pick the GIS records section, which leads to the interactive county map. Basic browsing needs no account, and the viewer runs in a current browser on a desktop or a phone. Some themes ask for a disclaimer click before they draw. Office firewalls can block the tile service, so test from a home network when a page stalls. A bookmark shortens repeat visits.
Navigating the Map Interface
A toolbar along the top or side holds the search field, zoom buttons, measure tools, and layer menu. The layer icon opens a checklist of themes that switch on or off. A status strip at the bottom reports the cursor position in map units. Print and share icons sit near the corner. Practice on a familiar neighborhood first, since the layout takes a few minutes to absorb.
The Map Legend
The legend decodes every color, line weight, and symbol in the active theme. Parcel outlines may use one shade, flood zones another, and municipal borders a heavier stroke. School, park, and fire station symbols follow a standard set. Read the key before judging what a shaded area means. A legend built for one layer can mislead when several themes show at once. Keep the key with any screenshot you save.
GIS Map Layers
Two dozen map layers ship with the county viewer, each answering a different question. Property research starts with parcels; planning work leans on zoning and land use. Emergency crews watch flood zones and closed roads. Switch a few themes on to compare patterns, then trim the list so the display stays readable. Dense themes draw slowly on older laptops and phones. Load no more than four at a time.
Parcel Boundaries Layer
Parcel lines follow tax map boundaries and carry an identifier that matches county assessment records. Click a shape to read acreage, a situs address, and the owner name on file. These lines are survey-based representations rather than legal descriptions, so deed records or a stamped survey govern a dispute. Use the theme to check lot dimensions, adjoining owners, and the shape of an irregular lot before a site visit.
Roads and Transportation Layer
Street centerlines list road names, route numbers, and travel direction across most of the county. The theme covers local streets, state routes, and interstate segments inside Monroe County. Bus lines and rail corridors appear in related datasets. Planners use the network for drive-time work and for judging how a parcel sits near an interchange. Centerlines smooth out curves, so they should not steer field construction or a surveyor’s staking.
Aerial Imagery Layer
Orthophotos give a ground-level look at roofs, driveways, trees, and parking areas. Flight years differ, and the viewer usually names the capture season for each set. Compare a photo with the parcel line to spot a shed or a deck that records miss. Shadows, snow cover, and leaf-off timing change what a picture reveals. Older flights trace how a site changed over a decade of ground change.
Zoning Layer
Zoning polygons show the district that a city, town, or village assigns to each property. Colors separate residential, commercial, industrial, and mixed districts. Monroe County does not zone land itself, so the layer mirrors local codes. Confirm the district with the local code office before a building permit application. Historic district and design review overlays may sit in separate files. Ask the clerk which map the town treats as official.
Land Use Layer
Land use codes describe how a property is used rather than how it is zoned. Categories cover single-family homes, apartments, retail, offices, farms, parks, and vacant ground. Assessors and planners rely on the codes for trend work and for comparing neighborhoods. A parcel can hold one zoning district and a different land use when a prior use continues. Read the code list in the metadata before counting categories.
Flood Zone Layer
Flood hazard areas come from federal maps that local communities adopt. Shaded bands mark zones with a stated risk of inundation, and the legend keys each letter to a description. Lenders check these zones during a mortgage review, and owners use them to weigh insurance. Map lines follow modeling, not a fence row, so an elevation survey may shift the answer. Ask a surveyor about a specific structure.
Administrative Boundaries
County, city, town, village, and school district lines appear as separate line themes. Each boundary carries a name and a code used in county reports. Election districts and fire protection areas may sit in the same group. Lines on a public map are generalized for display, and a surveyor, municipal clerk, or property records office holds the authoritative record. Use the lines to find which office handles a permit or a tax question.
Other Available GIS Layers
Beyond the main themes, the viewer offers hydrants, trails, cemeteries, historic sites, and utility corridors where data exists. Some layers arrive from state or federal partners and follow their own update cycles. Parks, golf courses, and airport property appear under recreation and aviation headings. Not every dataset is public, and a few sit behind a staff login. Ask the records office about a missing layer before assuming it is gone.
Map Navigation
Movement across the map relies on a small set of controls that behave the same way in most browser viewers. Scroll, drag, and the plus or minus buttons handle most tasks. Tooltips name each icon, and a help panel repeats the basics. Two or three shortcuts speed a property search. A trackpad can feel twitchy, so lower the zoom step by one notch when the view jumps around.
Zoom and Pan
Scroll the wheel to zoom toward the cursor, or drag the map to shift the view. The plus and minus buttons change scale in steps, and a double click recenters on a spot. Zoom far out and small features vanish; zoom far in and labels overlap. Most viewers cap the scale near the source data limit, so a blurry image signals the end of useful detail on screen.
Full-Extent Map View
The home or full-extent button returns the window to the whole county. It clears a zoomed view without dropping your layer choices. Use it after a search jumps to a distant parcel so you regain context. The extent covers the county outline plus a margin, which keeps neighboring communities in sight. Click twice if a stray drag leaves the view off screen and the map looks lost.
Identify Feature
The identify tool turns a click into a data report. Choose the arrow icon, then click a parcel, road, or symbol to open a panel of attributes. Fields may hold an identifier, a name, a date, and a measurement. Copy the identifier into a records request when you need a file. Turn the tool off before panning, or the next click opens another report and hides the panel.
Layer Visibility Controls
A checklist controls which themes draw on the map. Each box toggles a single layer, and a parent box switches a whole group. Order matters: a solid parcel fill can hide an aerial photo underneath. Drag layers in the list when the viewer allows reordering, or lower the fill opacity. Mute the parcel theme to study imagery, then switch it back on for a parcel lookup.
Base Map Selection
A base map menu swaps the backdrop behind the data themes. Choices often include street, aerial, topographic, and a plain light canvas. The light canvas suits printing since it uses little ink. Topographic shading helps with terrain and drainage questions around the Genesee River valley. Some base maps load from outside services, so a slow connection can leave a blank backdrop until tiles arrive. A reload usually fixes it.
Map Legend Controls
Map legends and symbology respond to controls that decide which symbols appear in the side panel. A collapsed legend keeps the map wide, and an expanded one lists every class in the active theme. Some viewers let you switch off a legend entry and hide the matching features. Keep the legend open as you compare two themes so the colors stay clear. Screenshots should include the legend for later readers.
Geographic Features
Monroe County sits on the south shore of Lake Ontario, with the Genesee River running north through Rochester to the lake. The land holds lake plain, low drumlins, and a broad river valley. The Erie Canal crosses the region and meets the Genesee near the city. Maps show the shoreline, embayments, and the canal as major water features. Ground rises gently south of Rochester toward the Finger Lakes.
County Boundaries
The county outline follows the Lake Ontario shore to the north and straight survey lines on the other three sides. Wayne, Ontario, Livingston, Orleans, and Genesee counties meet Monroe along those edges. A water boundary in the lake is defined by law rather than by a visible line. The outline theme helps frame a regional map and shows how the county sits within upstate New York in a regional report.
Municipal Boundaries
The city of Rochester anchors the county, surrounded by towns such as Greece, Irondequoit, Brighton, Henrietta, and Perinton. Villages sit inside town borders and keep separate services. Each polygon carries a name and a code, and hovering shows the label. Lines are simplified for the screen, so an address near a border may fall on either side. Confirm the jurisdiction with the town or village clerk before filing.
Roads and Streets
The street theme labels major routes, arterials, and neighborhood roads across the county. Interstate 490, Interstate 390, and Route 104 carry much of the regional traffic. A road name may appear at one scale and vanish at another, which keeps the display readable. Centerlines follow the right-of-way middle rather than a lane. Use the theme to trace an address, find a driveway, or gauge a commute on a workday morning.
Water Features
Streams, ponds, wetlands, and the Lake Ontario shoreline appear as line and polygon features. The Genesee River, Irondequoit Creek, and the Erie Canal stand out at county scale. Drainage lines help explain why a low lot floods after heavy rain. Wetland outlines come from state mapping and carry their own accuracy caveat. Keep a buffer around a stream when reviewing a building site plan for a new house.
Public Facilities
Schools, libraries, fire stations, hospitals, parks, and government buildings appear as point symbols. Each point links to a name and sometimes an address or phone. The theme helps a family judge distance to a school or find the nearest library branch. Facility lists change as districts open or close buildings, so a missing point may reflect a data lag. Call the agency to confirm one detail before a visit.
Geographic Landmarks
Landmark points mark places people use to orient themselves: the Erie Canal aqueduct, Highland Park, the port, and college campuses. Some carry a short description in the pop-up. Landmarks help when a street address is unclear or when giving directions to a visitor. Symbols follow the legend, and a cluster of points may need a closer zoom before labels separate. Use them as context, not as legal reference.
GIS Measurement Feature
Measurement tools answer practical questions about size and distance without a separate drawing program. A line tool reports length, a polygon tool reports area, and a coordinate readout tracks the cursor. Results appear in the units chosen in a menu. These figures come from screen geometry and inherit the accuracy of the underlying data. Treat every result as an estimate for planning, not as a survey of record.
Measuring Distance
Pick the ruler icon, click the first point, and click again at each turn in the path. Double click to finish, and the panel shows total length in feet, miles, or meters. Use several segments to follow a road rather than a straight line across lots. A short distance measured at county scale can be off by many feet. Zoom in before trusting a figure near a property line.
Measuring Area
The area tool draws a polygon and returns square feet, acres, or square miles. Trace a parcel outline to compare with the acreage in the assessment record. Irregular shapes need more clicks, and each vertex adds precision. A rough sketch at low zoom will overstate or understate the result. Save the measured shape when the viewer supports it, then note the scale and date of the printout.
Map Coordinates
A coordinate readout follows the pointer and shows position in the projection set for the viewer. New York data commonly uses a state plane system measured in feet, and Map coordinates conversion often moves a pair into latitude and longitude. Copy the numbers into a search box to move to a spot. Rounding differs between displays, so match the format before sharing values with a colleague.
Location Identification
Combine the address search, the identify tool, and the coordinate readout to pin down a location. Start with a street address, then click the parcel to read its identifier. If the address fails, try a nearby intersection or a tax map number. Cross-check the result against aerial imagery. Write down the identifier and coordinates, since a saved note makes a records request easier to process at the counter.
Spatial Measurements
Several measurements can be gathered in one session: frontage along a road, distance to a hydrant, area of a proposed lot split, and perimeter of a fence line. Sketch each figure on a separate layer when the tool allows, so results stay apart. Screenshot the panel with the map for a record. Recheck any number that will appear in a filing, and have a licensed surveyor verify it.
GIS Data
Behind the viewer sits a catalog of spatial files kept by county staff and partner agencies. Each entry lists a title, a description, a projection, and a last update date. Parcel, street, and boundary files form the core, with environmental and utility sets added as they become available. Metadata explains field names and any limits on use. Read it before you download or quote a single figure.
GIS Data Sources
A published list of Map data sources names the steward for each theme. County departments supply parcel, road, and boundary files from day-to-day records. State agencies contribute wetland, hydrography, and orthoimagery sets, and federal programs provide elevation and flood data. Municipalities send zoning and land use updates on their own schedule. When two sources disagree, ask the steward which file the county treats as current for mapping.
Spatial Data Layers
Files are organized by theme, and each theme holds one kind of feature: points for facilities, lines for roads and streams, polygons for parcels and zones. Attribute tables store the facts tied to each shape. A layer may be split by year or by jurisdiction, which affects how you load it. Check the feature count and spatial extent before assuming a file covers the entire county in one piece.
Geographic Attributes
Attributes carry the details that make a shape useful: names, identifiers, dates, measurements, and codes. Field names are often short, and the metadata maps each one to a plain description. A parcel file may hold owner, address, acreage, and a tax map number. Map attribute querying rewards a careful filter, since blank fields are common where a source did not supply a value. Confirm a field’s meaning first.
Data Formats
Common downloads arrive as shapefiles, file geodatabases, GeoJSON, KML, or comma-separated tables with coordinates. Shapefiles bundle several files, and all of them must stay together in one folder. GeoJSON opens in web tools, and KML suits Google Earth. Raster sets such as imagery come as tile packages or image files. Match the format to your software, and check Map projection types before starting a large download.
GIS Data Downloads
Rochester, NY 14614
Rochester, NY 14614
Rochester, NY 14614
The records section lists files open to the public, often with a size and a date. Some themes arrive as a single countywide file; others split by town or by year. Large imagery packages take time on a home connection, so start early. Keep the metadata file with the data. A Map data download that is not posted can be requested by calling the records office and describing the area you need.
Map Updates
County staff refresh themes on different cycles, and the viewer shows a date for each one. Parcel edits follow assessment work, roads follow construction, and imagery follows a flight schedule. A date stamp tells you how fresh a layer is. Check it before you rely on a line for a boundary decision. Older dates are normal for stable themes such as county outlines and school districts that seldom move.
New GIS Data
New themes arrive when a department finishes a dataset or when a grant funds collection. Announcements may appear on the county site or in a planning meeting note. A new layer often starts with partial coverage and fills in over time. Read the metadata for the extent and the collection method. Ask the steward whether the file is final or still in draft before quoting it in a report.
Updated Map Layers
Updates can add features, correct geometry, or change an attribute. A parcel split may replace one shape with two, and a road project may shift a centerline. The viewer usually shows only the current version, so an older printout can differ. Note the date on any screenshot you keep. If a change looks wrong, report it with the identifier and a clear description of the problem to the steward.
Boundary Changes
Municipal borders move through annexation, consolidation, or a formal survey correction. Such changes are rare, and they follow a legal process with filed maps. The county updates its boundary file after the paperwork is recorded. A discrepancy between two maps usually traces to a different vintage. Ask the municipal clerk for the recorded map itself when a line matters for taxes, permits, or local services or a fence dispute.
Address Updates
New addresses enter the system through local addressing officers and permit records. A fresh subdivision may show parcels before addresses appear, and a renamed street can carry an old label for a time. Search by parcel identifier when an address fails. Report a wrong address to the county GIS records office with the parcel number and the correct value so staff can route it to the right desk.
Data Refresh Schedule
No single schedule covers every theme. Assessment-linked parcels change with the tax cycle, imagery follows flights that may be years apart, and state wetland files arrive on their own timetable. The date field on each layer is the best clue. For a project with a deadline, confirm the refresh plan with the steward rather than assuming a recent date. One call settles the question in a few minutes.
Printing and Sharing
Most viewers include a print button that builds a page with the map, a title, and the legend. Save a view as an image or a PDF when you need a file for a meeting. Sharing a link works for a colleague who can open the same public tool. Always attach the date and the layer list when a printout will inform a later decision or a permit file.
Print a Map View
Zoom to the area you need, switch on the themes that belong in the exhibit, and open the print menu. Choose a page size, an orientation, and a title that names the parcel or project. Include the legend and a scale bar so the page stands alone. Preview before you print, then save the PDF rather than sending a raw screenshot. A saved PDF keeps labels sharp.
Save a Map View
A saved view stores the position, the zoom level, and often the active layers. Some tools keep saved views in a browser session, and others write them to an account. Name each one clearly and note the date, since layer content changes. Export a copy to your own storage when the work must last. A bookmark of the page alone will not restore the same extent and layers.
Export Available Map Data
Export options differ by theme. Some layers offer a direct download of the full file, and others allow only the features in the current view. Check the format and the coordinate system before you open the result. Exported shapes keep their attributes, which makes them useful in a spreadsheet or a design program. Respect any license note attached to the data before you republish it in another tool.
Share a Map Location
A share button can copy a link with the center point and zoom baked in. Paste it into an email or a message so a colleague lands on the same spot. When the tool lacks a share option, send the coordinates and the layer names instead. A link to a public viewer may not preserve every setting. Describe the exact feature in words as a backup for the reader.
Accuracy and Limitations
A county map is a working index, not a legal record. Lines are compiled from surveys, deeds, and aerial photos at different scales, and each source carries error. Display on a screen adds its own distortion through projection and generalization. Use the viewer to locate and compare, then confirm with a recorded document or a licensed surveyor before you commit money or sign a contract for a parcel.
GIS Data Accuracy
Accuracy depends on the source, the method, and the date. A parcel line traced from a tax map may sit several feet from a monumented corner. Aerial photos carry positional error that grows with terrain relief. An accuracy statement in the metadata gives the expected range. A Map accuracy assessment against known points shows whether a file meets a tight tolerance, and the result belongs in the project record.
Map Display Limitations
Screen resolution limits how much detail a viewer can draw. Labels collide at small scales, and small polygons may vanish until you zoom in. A thick line can cover the feature it describes. Colors shift between monitors, which matters when a shade carries meaning. Print a test page before an exhibit, and check the display on the device the audience will use. A projector can wash out faint colors.
Boundary Representation Limitations
Boundary lines on a public map are generalized for clarity. A river border may follow a simplified thread rather than the legal center of the channel. Parcel lines can be offset where a survey has not been digitized. Nothing on the screen replaces a deed description, a filed map, or a monument. Treat a line as a pointer to the record, not as the record itself for a closing.
Data Update Delays
Records reach the map after they are filed, keyed, and checked. A new deed may take weeks to appear, and a subdivision can lag longer. Aerial imagery often trails ground change by a season or more. During a busy period, queue times stretch. Ask the steward for the last refresh date when a decision depends on a recent sale, a new building, or a lot split or a loan.
Map Disclaimer
The viewer carries a disclaimer that limits reliance on the data. It usually states that maps are for reference, that no warranty of accuracy is made, and that users should consult official records. Read the text on the opening screen rather than clicking past it. A disclaimer does not mean the data is poor; it sets a clear boundary between a planning aid and a legal instrument.
Map Problems
Most trouble with a browser map traces to a connection, a browser setting, or a layer that failed to draw. Reload the page, clear the cache, and try a different browser before assuming the county system is down. Note the time and the layer involved. A short description helps staff find the cause, and a screenshot with the visible error saves a round of questions and a reply.
Map Not Loading
A blank frame often means a script or a tile service did not arrive. Refresh once, then check whether other sites load on the same device. Disable an ad blocker or a privacy extension for the county domain, and allow pop-ups if the viewer opens in a new window. An office network may filter the tile server. Try a phone hotspot to isolate the cause in one step.
Location Not Found
An address search can fail over spelling, a new street, or a rural route number. Drop the suffix, try the road name alone, or search by parcel identifier. A hyphen and a space can matter in some boxes. New construction may not be in the address index yet. Find the spot on the aerial photo and read the coordinates as a fallback for a records request at the desk.
Layer Not Displaying
A theme may sit below another, draw at a scale outside its range, or fail on a slow connection. Check the layer list for a box that is off, then reorder or fade the theme above it. Zoom in a step, since some layers appear only past a threshold. A single failed layer usually clears after a reload. Report a theme that stays blank across browsers to the steward.
Incorrect Map Feature
A wrong label, a misplaced point, or a shape in the wrong place can come from a keying error or an outdated source. Capture the identifier and a screenshot, then describe what is wrong and what the correct value should be. Send the note to the GIS records office or the department that owns the theme. Staff route it to the steward, and a fix may wait for the next refresh.
Outdated GIS Layer
An old date on a layer explains many surprises. A road may show a name that changed, and a parcel may miss a recent split. Compare the layer date with the document you hold. If the map is behind, rely on the recorded instrument and ask the steward when the next update is due. Keep a copy of the newer document with any printout you file for later use.
Measurement Feature Problems
Measurements can mislead when the map scale is small or the projection distorts distance. A line drawn across a slope reads short on a flat map. A polygon traced loosely picks up area outside the parcel. Reset the tool between figures so segments do not carry over. Check the unit menu, then compare the result with an official acreage or a recorded survey before using it in a filing.
Frequently Asked Questions
These questions cover the tasks readers bring to the county mapping tool most often. Answers describe common practice in Monroe County and do not replace a recorded document, a municipal code, or advice from a licensed professional. Layer names, dates, and tools can change as the county updates the viewer. Sound Mapping best practices start with reading the date and the metadata before trusting a line.
What Is the County GIS Map?
A public web map that displays county spatial data over a base map. Parcels, roads, boundaries, zoning, flood zones, and aerial photos sit in switchable themes. Users search an address, inspect a feature, measure a distance, and print a view. The GIS records office maintains the underlying files and answers questions about coverage, dates, and limits on use. Call the records office with a specific question by phone.
How Do I Search the Map?
Type an address, a street name, or a parcel identifier into the search box and press enter. The map zooms to the best match and opens a marker. If several results appear, pick the one in the right municipality. Clear the box between searches so an old term does not interfere. Use the identify tool after the map settles for the full attribute list of a feature.
Can I Find a Location by Address?
Yes, when the address sits in the county index. Enter the number and street, then add the municipality if the result is ambiguous. Very new addresses may not be indexed, and rural routes can need a different format. A failed search still leaves options: try the owner name in the assessment tool or a tax map number, then click the parcel. Plain street lines read well in most boxes.
What Layers Are Available?
The catalog includes parcels, streets, municipal boundaries, zoning, land use, flood zones, aerial imagery, water features, public facilities, and landmark points. Trail, hydrant, and historic themes appear where a source exists. The layer menu lists what is live at the moment, and the metadata names the steward. Coverage and refresh dates differ from one theme to the next. Ask about a theme you expected but cannot see.
Can I Measure Distance or Area on the Map?
Both tools sit in the toolbar. The line tool reports length along a path, and the polygon tool reports area inside a traced shape. Choose units in the menu before you start. Results reflect the map data and the current scale, so treat them as estimates. For a filing, a survey or a recorded acreage should govern the figure you use. Repeat a measurement twice to catch a stray click.
How Often Is Monroe County NY GIS Data Updated?
Each theme follows its own cycle rather than one countywide schedule. Parcel and address data move with assessment and permitting work, roads change with construction, and imagery depends on flight programs that can be years apart. State and federal layers arrive on their own timetable. The date field in the layer list shows the version you are viewing. Ask the steward about a planned refresh before a deadline.
Can I Download GIS Data?
Many public themes offer a download, often as a shapefile or a comparable format. Some files cover the whole county, and others split by town or year. Read the metadata for the projection, the fields, and any use note. Large imagery packages need time and disk space. For a theme that is not posted, contact the records office and describe the exact area you need by phone or in writing.