Mapping and GIS

gis.pngThe Rockland County Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Division creates and maintains digital data for Rockland County, New York. The GIS Division compiles a wide array of information, including but not limited to tax maps, parcels, streets, addresses, districts, planimetrics and much more. The staff provides technical support, training, and other services to all Rockland County departments as well as local governments.

Our mission is to provide useful and accessible GIS related resources to citizens, businesses, and local governments in the most efficient and effective manner possible. To accomplish this, we make the maps and digital data available online in a central repository, via our award winning GIS Portal.

GIS Data Development 

The GIS Division is the lead agency for GIS data development for Rockland County government. Geographic Information Systems digitally create and allow for the manipulation of certain spatial areas that may be jurisdictional, purpose, or application-oriented. These layers of information involved are grouped into data sets called GIS data sets and these sets can be found on the GIS Portal. Data sets are created for use in ESRI products (i.e., ArcMap, ArcView, etc.), AutoCAD, and other GIS programs and are available in NAD 83 horizontal datum. Rockland County has been developing data sets since 1994.

GIS Portal

Our New GIS Portal was launched on June 1, 2020. The site will continue to be enhanced in the future. Though the appearance is different, please be aware that all the maps, data, and map applications are still available. The Application Gallery includes interactive maps created by The Planning Department - GIS team, as well as applications created by other government agencies. Below are links to some of our more popular apps:

  • Base Map Application allows users to view and print maps with Tax Parcel, Municipal Boundaries, Roads, Public Transportation, Historic Resources, Economic Data, Land Use Data, Planimetric Data, Environmental Data, and Topography. Users can search by Tax ID or Address and determine the various Districts it lies within. These include School, Election and Political Districts, and Census Geography. Users can also utilize Statistical Tools to provide statistical breakdowns of Population by Age, Housing Occupancy, Land Use, or Impervious Surfaces by Census Blocks.
  • FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Application allows users to view existing and preliminary flood map information. The preliminary flood information is not yet finalized by FEMA and may be subject to further revision. This information is provided by Rockland County for informational purposes only, and is NOT AN OFFICIAL FEMA MAP. It should only be used as an initial or cursory estimation of a property's proximity to a preliminary Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). For an official floodplain determination, please contact FEMA, your mortgage lender, or your community floodplain manager.  *Please note that the preliminary Advisory Base Flood Elevations (ABFE's) will be updated/incorporated after they are released and made avaialable to the County by FEMA. This affects the portions of the County along the Hudson River.

The GIS Portal also allows users to view &/or download PDF Maps and download GIS Data. Hard Copy Maps may be purchased from the Rockland County Planning Department by using the Map Request Form. Download and follow the instructions on the form to receive your maps by mail. The GIS Data is in ESRI shapefile format or AutoCAD dwg format.

Maps 

The GIS Division has a tremendous collection of hard copy maps, most of which can be viewed online by accessing our GIS Portal. Refer to the Map Request Form to view from our inventory of maps. The Online Map Gallery allows users to view, download, and print a variety of prepared maps which are organized by category. Users will need Adobe Reader to view the maps. Maps have been prepared in a variety of sizes ranging from letter to poster size. If you or your company do not own a large format plotter, you can plot poster-sized maps for a reasonable fee at a commercial establishment such as an office copy center.  * Please note that some maps are quite large and may take some time to download even with a broadband connection.

Tax Mapping

The GIS Division is responsible for maintaining tax maps for Rockland County. Presently, there are more than 89,000 parcels in Rockland County.  Under New York State Law (Refer to Laws of 1970, Chapter 957; and, 9 NYCRR Part 189 for more details), Rockland County is mandated to maintain and certify the tax maps annually. The tax maps are certified by the County Real Property Tax Director. Prior to 1987, the individual towns were solely responsible for maintaining the tax maps within their jurisdiction.  In 1987, the County began to assemble digital tax maps based on 1987 aerial photography and the land records filed to date in the County Clerk's office. During the next 15 years, the various towns reviewed and eventually approved the County-prepared tax maps, at different times. Since that time, Rockland County has been maintaining the tax maps for all of Rockland County. Refer to the Tax Map Request Form for an inventory of our maps.

For historic tax maps, contact the individual towns or the Rockland County Archives in Building S in the Pomona Health Complex, which is under the direction of the Rockland County Clerk.

Historic Aerial Photography

The GIS Division has an inventory of historic aerial photography available for viewing. Please call us at (845) 364-3434 to make an appointment to view the aerials. We have hard copy aerials for the following years: 1958 (oldest), 1969-1970, 1974, 1975-1977, 1984 (color), 1987, 2000 (color), and 2001 (color infrared). For other hard copy aerial photography, contact the Rockland County Archives in Building S in the Pomona Health Complex. For digital aerial photography, or orthoimagery, please refer to the orthoimagery section.

Orthoimagery Products

After Tropical Storm Floyd impacted Rockland, the County decided to have an aerial flight done in 2000. Since then, Rockland County has obtained orthoimagery for other years as part of the New York State Orthoimagery Program. Rockland County was flown in 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016 as part of this Program. This imagery can be viewed and/or downloaded from the NYSGIS Clearinghouse.

Training

The GIS Division of the Planning Department provides training to municipalities for many different computer software products containing GIS data. For further information, please contact the GIS Division via e-mail at or if the matter requires immediate assistance, please call (845)-364-3434. If a GIS Portal support team member is available they will assist you. If a support team member is not available, please leave a voicemail and someone will return your call.