Brown County, KS zoning map, flood zone and property lines by address
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Towns in Brown County: Hiawatha, Horton.
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 Brown County has 31 FIRM panels, the newest effective June 2022; 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 Brown 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 Kansas county parcel layers (each county publishes its own), so a Brown lot shows the same lines the county appraiser draws. Brown County covers about 365,358 acres of land and 790 acres of water.
Mapped lines are approximate. The Brown County appraiser keeps the parcel record (Brown County website); a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
Zoning
Brown County zones its unincorporated land, and Hiawatha, Horton each zone the land inside their limits. ParcelSheet shows the use the county appraiser lists for the lot and links the county planning and zoning office for the district, the uses it allows and the lot size it needs.
ADU and guest houses
Under Kansas's planning and zoning law for cities and counties (Kansas Statutes 12-741 and following), local governments can allow an accessory dwelling unit on a lot with a house. Whether a Brown lot can add one depends on its district; the county planning and 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. Brown County is soil survey area KS013, Brown County, Kansas, last updated August 2026, on Web Soil Survey.
A new or changed septic system in Brown County needs a permit from the Brown County sanitarian (under the county sanitary code and Kansas Department of Health and Environment standards).
Setbacks
Setbacks in Brown 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 Hiawatha and Horton for land inside their limits.
Hazards that apply
- Wetlands and wildfire. ParcelSheet shows the National Wetlands Inventory near a Brown lot and the Forest Service wildfire hazard rating at it.
Questions
Is my house in a flood zone in Brown 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 Brown County has 31 panels, the newest effective June 2022. A lender or insurer uses the official FIRM panel; FEMA's Map Service Center has it.
How do I find property lines in Brown County?
Open the Kansas map, type the address, and the parcel outline from the Brown County appraiser 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 Brown County?
Zoning in Brown County is set by the county for unincorporated land and by each city (such as Hiawatha, Horton) inside its own limits. ParcelSheet shows the use code the county appraiser lists and links the office that sets the zoning; the planning office has the final word.
Can I build an ADU in Brown County?
Under Kansas's planning and zoning law for cities and counties (Kansas Statutes 12-741 and following), counties and cities can allow an accessory dwelling unit, and each sets its own rules. In Brown 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 Brown County?
Yes. A new or changed septic system in Brown County needs a permit from the Brown County sanitarian (under the county sanitary code and Kansas Department of Health and Environment standards). ParcelSheet shows the USDA soil survey's septic rating at the lot, from survey area KS013 (Brown County, Kansas).
What can I build on 5 acres in Brown County?
Zoning in Brown County is set by the county for unincorporated land and each city inside its own limits (such as Hiawatha, Horton). 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 Brown County website.
What are the residential setbacks in Brown County (2026)?
Setbacks in Brown 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 Brown County website.
Next to Brown County: Doniphan County, Jackson County, Nemaha County.
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