1800 Historical New York Counties Map
Why would you want to see historical Google Maps? County boundaries in the U.S. have changed over 17,600 times since America was settled in colonial times! This historical counties tool built on Google Maps will help you make sure you’re searching in the correct county for the place and any historical date you are researching.
Research with confidence knowing that this tool is built using the complete dataset of the authoritative Newberry Library’s Atlas of Historical County Boundaries project.
Quick Tips for using this 1800 Historical New York Counties Map tool
- There are four ways to get started using this Historical U.S. Counties map tool
- Type any PRESENT-day place or address in the “Search places” box above the map and choose the one you want from the auto-complete list
- Click the map to see the historical county name for where you clicked (Monthly Contributors also get Dynamic Maps)
- To search using GPS coordinates use the “Find lat long” box in the top right above the map*
- Click the ◉ button in the upper right corner of the map to use your current location. Click the ◉ button again to automatically update your location every 1, 5 or 10 minutes (Monthly Contributors also get an option to update every several seconds, shown as ◉A for Active).**
Historical county boundaries will draw, and the historical county name for the location will appear above the map. Click the “more…” button for details on the latest boundary change that occured prior to the date you specified, including reference to the particular statute that triggered the change. The latitude and longitude for the blue dot is also displayed. - Optionally, check the “Show historical county labels” checkbox in the lower left corner of the map to see the names of the historical counties on the map
- Check the “Show county chronology of this place…” checkbox in the lower left corner of the map to see a complete listing of every county boundary change for your chosen location from the date you typed back in time to original county formation
- Optionally, show present-day counties (thin red lines) and present-day townships (dark orange lines) by checking the boxes in the lower left corner of the map. If you have historical county labels checked and are also showing present-day townships, then township labels will also draw.
- Subscribe to receive notification of tool updates and usage tips
* You can search using various formats of latitude longitude, including degrees, minutes and seconds;
degrees and decimal minutes; or decimal degrees
** The “Locate” button will be more accurate on smartphones and other devices containing a GPS;
desktop browsers typically show an approximate location
Why would you need a map with historical county boundaries?
Here are several example uses for historical U.S. counties on Google Maps (see disclaimer):
- Genealogical Research: While tracing your family tree, pinpoint where your ancestors lived and understand how county changes might have affected them.
- Archival Searches: If you’re delving into historical records, knowing the pertinent county during the time in question ensures you’re searching in the right archives or courthouses.
- Land and Property Lineage: Understand the context of historical ownership changes of a piece of land or property over the years, especially if county borders shifted.
- GPS Coordinate Historical Context: For specific GPS points, understand which county they would have fallen under at any given past date.
- Historical Address Verification: Determine the specific county of a present-day address during a past era, aiding in accurate historical context and study.
- Academic and Educational Insights: Teachers, students, and researchers can better grasp county evolution, aiding in geography, history, and social studies education.
- Infrastructure and Urban Planning: Urban planners can consider historical county boundaries when assessing older infrastructure, roads, and city development patterns.
- Cultural and Community Evolution: Understand the historical narratives, events, and shifts that influenced community changes over time.
- Legal and Land Dispute Clarification: Provide context to historical legal disputes or issues rooted in historical county demarcations and jurisdictional changes.
- Environmental and Ecological Studies: Researchers can trace environmental changes, land use, and conservation efforts in relation to historical county boundaries.
- Historical Tourism and Exploration: Travelers keen on exploring historical sites can gain context about the county boundaries that existed during significant events or eras.
- Economic and Societal Analysis: Economists and sociologists can study past county-based data to understand economic shifts, migrations, and societal changes.
Looking for PRESENT-day county boundaries on Google Maps? Here it is: County Lines tool.
Find Historical Counties by radius or by drawing a line or shape
- To find Historical Counties within a radius or near a line or shape you draw*:
- Click the “Selection Tools” button in the lower left corner of the map
- – RADIUS SELECT: To find Historical Counties within a radius, specify the mileage in the “Select
map features within x
miles of the shapes I draw” box, then use the Point “Add a marker” tool to draw a point in the
middle of
the radius
– TOUCHING A LINE OR SHAPE: To find Historical Counties that touch a line or a shape you draw, use the Line tool or Shape tool to draw the shape, double-clicking when finished
– WITHIN DISTANCE OF A LINE OR SHAPE: To find Historical Counties that are within a distance of a line or a shape you draw, first specify the mileage in the “Select map features within x miles of the shapes I draw” box, then use the Line tool or Shape tool to draw the shape, double-clicking when finished - The Historical Counties will be highlighted and listed in a “Results from map” box below the
map, where
you can copy the selected Historical Counties for use in a spreadsheet or other document
– Optionally, keep drawing shapes to select more Historical Counties - When you are finished selecting Historical Counties, click the “DONE Selecting” button in the lower left corner of the map
* Historical Counties for the date or year you have specified in the “As of” date box will get selected if any part of the shape you draw falls within the historical county boundaries
FAQs for 1800 Historical New York Counties Map
How do I view a map of 1800 Historical New York Counties on Google Maps?
View this 1800 Historical New York Counties map tool. The historical New York counties will be displayed on the map, and you can also overlay present day counties, townships and more.
Why was this tool created? Many people have requested to be able to see historical county lines from the Newberry Library’s Atlas of Historical County Boundaries displayed on top of Google Maps.
While some other tools can show the Newberry Atlas in GIS formats for Google Earth, requiring downloads and installation, this free tool shows the entire Newberry Atlas of Historical County Boundaries overlaid on Google Maps in a web browser. Therefore, you don’t have to download, install or import anything, and you can even use it on your smart phone or tablet.
Coverage Notes
– Coverage includes all 50 US states, from as early as 3/4/1629 through 12/31/2000. For present-day county lines use the County Lines on Google Maps tool.Other Notes
- The Search places box uses a standard Google Maps geocoding engine, therefore you can type PRESENT-day street addresses, road names, points of interest, etc. to see what historical county that present-day location was part of as of the historical date you specified
- You can use the < and > buttons on the sides of the ‘As of date’ box to quickly jump back and forward a decade.
- For convenience, when you specify only a four-digit year (and not a full date), the tool will default to using the US Federal Census date that was used in that decade. (This is also true when using the < and > buttons.) Lining up with Census dates makes genealogy research easier when comparing to other records. If you do not want to use the Census date, specify an exact date instead in M/D/YYYY format.
- Some counties or regions were claimed by more than one jurisdiction in some historic years. When this is the case, more than one county will be listed, and the ‘more…’ button will show you the details of the jurisdictional claims.
- The map layers from which this information is extracted are very large, so it may take several seconds to finish drawing
- Note that typing an address will zoom in the map very close, whereas typing a city or county by itself will show you a map with a wider view
Sources
– Atlas of Historical County Boundaries, a project of The Dr. William M. Scholl Center for American History and Culture at The Newberry Library in Chicago, Illinois. The information is included in this tool under the Creative Commons license shown on the bottom of the linked page.– US Census Bureau
Have a genealogy blog or website? Create your own custom link to this Historical U.S. Counties Map for any year and place
DISCLAIMER
Accuracy and Limitations: The information provided by this map tool has been obtained from various public data sources shown in the Sources box above. These sources have varying degrees of reliability and completeness and are subject to change over time. Additionally, while the latitude and longitude values displayed by the map marker suggest a high degree of precision, you should be aware that the underlying Google Maps and source data may not reflect this level of accuracy nor precision.No Legal or Surveying Use: Due to these potential inaccuracies, this tool is not intended for, and must not be used for, legal, surveying, or any critical decision-making purposes. The information is provided on an as-is basis for general reference and entertainment purposes only. For specific inquiries regarding data accuracy or fitness for use, please consult the original data sources. For decisions requiring precise location data, consult the appropriate government or other authoritative sources, and seek professional legal advice.
Agreement to Terms: BY USING THIS WEBSITE, YOU ACCEPT AND AGREE TO ALL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OUTLINED ON THIS LINKED PAGE, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ALL PROVISIONS OF THE COPYRIGHT, TERMS OF USE, DISCLAIMER AND PRIVACY POLICY. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO ALL OF THESE TERMS, DO NOT USE THIS WEBSITE.
Subscribe to RSS/Atom Feed
