Elk County, KS zoning map, flood zone and property lines by address
Free, no account. Or open the Kansas map and tap a lot.
Towns in Elk County: Howard.
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 has 9 FIRM panels covering Elk County, the newest effective January 2020; 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 an Elk 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 an Elk lot shows the same lines the county appraiser draws. Elk County covers about 412,329 acres of land and 3,969 acres of water.
Mapped lines are approximate. The Elk County appraiser keeps the parcel record (Elk County website); a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
Zoning
Elk County zones its unincorporated land, and Howard zones the land inside its 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 an Elk 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. Elk County is soil survey area KS049, Elk County, Kansas, last updated August 2026, on Web Soil Survey.
A new or changed septic system in Elk County needs a permit from the Elk County sanitarian (under the county sanitary code and Kansas Department of Health and Environment standards).
Setbacks
Setbacks in Elk 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 Howard for land inside its limits.
Hazards that apply
- Wetlands and wildfire. ParcelSheet shows the National Wetlands Inventory near an Elk lot and the Forest Service wildfire hazard rating at it.
Questions
Is my house in a flood zone in Elk County?
Type the address in the box above and ParcelSheet reads FEMA's flood zone at the lot's center. FEMA has 9 flood map panels covering Elk County, the newest effective January 2020. A lender or insurer uses the official FIRM panel; FEMA's Map Service Center has it.
How do I find property lines in Elk County?
Open the Kansas map, type the address, and the parcel outline from the Elk 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 Elk County?
Zoning in Elk County is set by the county for unincorporated land and by each city (such as Howard) 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 Elk 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 Elk 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 Elk County?
Yes. A new or changed septic system in Elk County needs a permit from the Elk 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 KS049 (Elk County, Kansas).
What can I build on 5 acres in Elk County?
Zoning in Elk County is set by the county for unincorporated land and each city inside its own limits (such as Howard). 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 Elk County website.
What are the residential setbacks in Elk County (2026)?
Setbacks in Elk 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 Elk County website.
Next to Elk County: Chautauqua County, Cowley County, Greenwood County, Montgomery County, Wilson County.
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