Rio Grande County, CO zoning map, flood zone and property lines by address
Free, no account. Or open the Colorado map and tap a lot.
Towns in Rio Grande County: Monte Vista, Del Norte.
Flood zone by address
ParcelSheet reads FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer at the lot: the zone, whether it is a high risk area where lenders ask for flood insurance, and the base flood elevation where FEMA lists one. FEMA's countywide study for Rio Grande County has 48 FIRM panels, the newest effective September 2011; no coastal V zones are mapped in it.
The official panel and any Letter of Map Amendment are at FEMA's Map Service Center. An elevation certificate for a Rio Grande house comes from a licensed surveyor and is often on file with the county or city building office.
Property lines
The parcel outline, parcel number and mapped size come from the Colorado public parcel layer (Governor's Office of Information Technology, from the counties that share their parcels), so a Rio Grande lot shows the same lines the county assessor draws. Rio Grande County covers about 583,652 acres of land and 243 acres of water.
Mapped lines are approximate. The Rio Grande County assessor keeps the parcel record (Rio Grande County website); a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
Zoning
Rio Grande County zones its unincorporated land, and Monte Vista, Del Norte each zone the land inside their limits. ParcelSheet shows the use the county assessor lists for the lot and links the county planning office for the district, the uses it allows and the lot size it needs.
ADU and guest houses
Under Colorado's county and city zoning powers (C.R.S. Title 30, Article 28, and Title 31, Article 23), local governments can allow an accessory dwelling unit on a lot with a house. Whether a Rio Grande lot can add one depends on its district; the county planning office has the rule. ParcelSheet shows the mapped lot size and the ground's slope, the first two things the question turns on.
Septic and soil
ParcelSheet reads the USDA soil survey at the lot: the soil's name, its septic absorption rating and whether it is prime farmland. Rio Grande County is soil survey area CO631, Rio Grande County Area, Colorado, last updated September 2026, on Web Soil Survey.
A new or changed septic system in Rio Grande County needs a permit from the Rio Grande County local public health agency under CDPHE Regulation 43.
Setbacks
Setbacks in Rio Grande County come from the zoning district: the front, side and rear distances a house must keep. ParcelSheet does not draw setback lines; the county zoning office gives them for the lot's district, and Monte Vista and Del Norte for land inside their limits.
Hazards that apply
- Wetlands and wildfire. ParcelSheet shows the National Wetlands Inventory near a Rio Grande lot and the Forest Service wildfire hazard rating at it.
Questions
Is my house in a flood zone in Rio Grande County?
Type the address in the box above and ParcelSheet reads FEMA's flood zone at the lot's center. FEMA's countywide flood map for Rio Grande County has 48 panels, the newest effective September 2011. A lender or insurer uses the official FIRM panel; FEMA's Map Service Center has it.
How do I find property lines in Rio Grande County?
Open the Colorado map, type the address, and the parcel outline from the Rio Grande County assessor shows on the map with its parcel number and mapped size. Mapped lines are approximate; only a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
What is my property zoned in Rio Grande County?
Zoning in Rio Grande County is set by the county for unincorporated land and by each city (such as Monte Vista, Del Norte) inside its own limits. ParcelSheet shows the use code the county assessor lists and links the office that sets the zoning; the planning office has the final word.
Can I build an ADU in Rio Grande County?
Under Colorado's county and city zoning powers (C.R.S. Title 30, Article 28, and Title 31, Article 23), counties and cities can allow an accessory dwelling unit, and each sets its own rules. In Rio Grande County ask the zoning office for the lot's district first; ParcelSheet shows the lot size as mapped so you can see the room you have.
Do I need a septic permit in Rio Grande County?
Yes. A new or changed septic system in Rio Grande County needs a permit from the Rio Grande County local public health agency under CDPHE Regulation 43. ParcelSheet shows the USDA soil survey's septic rating at the lot, from survey area CO631 (Rio Grande County Area, Colorado).
What can I build on 5 acres in Rio Grande County?
Zoning in Rio Grande County is set by the county for unincorporated land and each city inside its own limits (such as Monte Vista, Del Norte). The zoning district decides the uses, how many homes and the smallest lot it allows on 5 acres. ParcelSheet shows the lot size as mapped and the use code on the parcel record; the planning office has the district and its rules. See the Rio Grande County website.
What are the residential setbacks in Rio Grande County (2026)?
Setbacks in Rio Grande County come from the zoning code of the county, or of the city when the lot is inside city limits: the front, side and rear distances depend on the lot's district. ParcelSheet does not draw setback lines or give a number it did not read; the zoning office gives them for the district. See the Rio Grande County website.
Next to Rio Grande County: Alamosa County, Archuleta County, Conejos County, Mineral County, Saguache County.
The Colorado map · All Colorado counties · Flood zones explained · FIRM panels and LOMAs · All 50 states