Cook County, IL zoning map, flood zone and property lines by address
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Towns in Cook County: Chicago, Cicero, Arlington Heights.
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 Cook County has 290 FIRM panels, the newest effective January 2026; coastal V zones, where waves add to the flood, are mapped along its shore.
The official panel and any Letter of Map Amendment are at FEMA's Map Service Center. An elevation certificate for a Cook 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 Illinois county parcel layers (each county publishes its own), so a Cook lot shows the same lines the county supervisor of assessments draws. Cook County covers about 604,755 acres of land and 441,414 acres of water.
Mapped lines are approximate. The Cook County supervisor of assessments keeps the parcel record (Cook County website); a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
Zoning
Cook County zones its unincorporated land, and Chicago, Cicero, Arlington Heights each zone the land inside their limits. ParcelSheet shows the use the county supervisor of assessments lists for the lot and links the county zoning office for the district, the uses it allows and the lot size it needs.
ADU and guest houses
Under Illinois's county zoning law (Counties Code, 55 ILCS 5/5-12001 and following), local governments can allow an accessory dwelling unit on a lot with a house. Whether a Cook lot can add one depends on its district; the county zoning 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. Cook County is soil survey area IL031, Cook County, Illinois, last updated August 2026, on Web Soil Survey.
A new or changed septic system in Cook County needs a permit from the Cook County health department (Illinois Department of Public Health private sewage program; IDPH itself where the county has no health department).
Setbacks
Setbacks in Cook 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 Chicago, Cicero, Arlington Heights for land inside their limits.
Hazards that apply
- Storm surge. Cook County has coastal V zones on its FEMA map, so storm surge reaches its shore. The county's evacuation zones are on its emergency management site; ParcelSheet shows the FEMA zone and the 3 ft sea level rise map at the lot.
- Wetlands and wildfire. ParcelSheet shows the National Wetlands Inventory near a Cook lot and the Forest Service wildfire hazard rating at it.
Questions
Is my house in a flood zone in Cook 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 Cook County has 290 panels, the newest effective January 2026. A lender or insurer uses the official FIRM panel; FEMA's Map Service Center has it.
How do I find property lines in Cook County?
Open the Illinois map, type the address, and the parcel outline from the Cook County supervisor of assessments 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 Cook County?
Zoning in Cook County is set by the county for unincorporated land and by each city (such as Chicago, Cicero) inside its own limits. ParcelSheet shows the use code the county supervisor of assessments lists and links the office that sets the zoning; the planning office has the final word.
Can I build an ADU in Cook County?
Under Illinois's county zoning law (Counties Code, 55 ILCS 5/5-12001 and following), counties and cities can allow an accessory dwelling unit, and each sets its own rules. In Cook 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 Cook County?
Yes. A new or changed septic system in Cook County needs a permit from the Cook County health department (Illinois Department of Public Health private sewage program; IDPH itself where the county has no health department). ParcelSheet shows the USDA soil survey's septic rating at the lot, from survey area IL031 (Cook County, Illinois).
What can I build on 5 acres in Cook County?
Zoning in Cook County is set by the county for unincorporated land and each city inside its own limits (such as Chicago, Cicero). 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 Cook County website.
What are the residential setbacks in Cook County (2026)?
Setbacks in Cook 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 Cook County website.
Next to Cook County: DuPage County, Kane County, Will County.
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