The improved Snohomish County planning map portal.

The improved Snohomish County planning map portal.

175 data layers: Planners roll out better online map system

Snohomish County’s online app can tell you everything you need to know about the local landscape.

EVERETT — Your world is a few clicks closer.

Thinking about buying a home? Building on property you own? Curious about what your neighbors are up to?

Snohomish County’s new online mapping application might tell you everything you want to know — and then some. The digital mapping system promises to make life easier for Realtors, homebuilders and just about anyone else with a personal or professional curiosity about the local landscape.

“I can sit down and, in maybe 30 minutes learn more about a property than I used to be able to in a few weeks,” said Merle Ash, a land-use consultant who serves on the county planning commission. “It’s pretty much a one-stop shopping center if you want to know anything about land use or land-use planning, if you want to build a house or buy property.”

The map portal was rolled out officially in late 2017, after appearing in various test forms over the past couple of years. It’s now in its fourth version.

Unpack its 175 data layers, and you can find out what a property’s zoning allows. It’s also easy to see whether the land has steep slopes, a creek, protected habitat or other features that might prevent someone from building there. You can layer on boundaries for school districts, fire districts, water service, voting precincts and more.

“This is another great tool as the county moves toward being totally digital and away from an older, paper-based approach,” said Raoul Comaduran, a senior GIS analyst with the county. “That’s another huge benefit to this system.”

Tutorial videos should be available online by mid-year.

County planning director Barb Mock said the application is the product of years of work, stretching back to the recession. Planning staff looked at how to provide the land-use information people needed most.

“What we did was we brought in our customers,” Mock said.

On hearing what they wanted, they got to work.

The mapping program allows users to superimpose aerial imagery going back to 1998 — even to toggle back and forth to another year to see how a given point on the landscape has changed. Other maps show topography, contours and lidar surveys. The site is designed to integrate street views and other map images from Google and Bing.

A menu provides eight stock map themes, including agriculture, transportation and tribal affairs.

Tools let you change scale or save a map in different formats.

Click a button, and the site spits out a report with eight or more pages of basic data the county collects on properties, all in one place. The information is updated continuously.

Future land-use and zoning information stops at city limits, but all other property characteristics are available for the whole county.

Ben Kaufman, a Realtor who specializes in sustainable properties and also serves as a county planning commissioner, praised the new tool as a time- and money-saver. Above all, Kaufman appreciates the topographical maps.

“Anybody who loves a map can go in there and play and really come out wide-eyed,” he said. “It’s a better system than King County’s. It’s the best one in the region. They did a really good job on it.”

The county used an existing 3 percent surcharge on permit fees to pay for the mapping upgrades. The Geocortex system was developed by Latitude Geographics in Victoria, British Columbia.

Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465; nhaglund@herald net.com. Twitter: @NWhaglund.

The site

Here’s how to find Snohomish County’s mapping portal from the the home page, www.snoco.org: From the County Services tab, click “Maps & GIS.” From the Interactive Maps tab on the left side of the screen, select “PDS Map Portal.”

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

South County Fire plans push-in ceremony for newest fire engine

Anybody who attends will have the opportunity to help push the engine into the station.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

Opponents of President Donald Trump’s executive order indefinitely halting refugee resettlement in the U.S. rally on the steps of the federal courthouse in Seattle on Feb. 25, 2025, after a judge issued a ruling blocking the president’s order. (Photo by Jake Goldstein-Street/Washington State Standard)
Refugees from travel ban countries must be allowed to enter US, Seattle judge rules

It’s the latest twist in the legal battle over President Trump’s attempt to block refugee resettlement.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Position 1 candidates prioritize public safety, differ on tax increases

Derica Escamilla is looking to retain her seat against challengers Dio Boucsieguez and Brandon Kimmel.

on Monday, July 14, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mini heat wave moving into Snohomish County

The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory, warning of temperatures climbing to mid-80s or low 90s Tuesday and Wednesday.

Snohomish County Dahlia Society members Doug Symonds and Alysia Obina on Monday, March 3, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
How to grow for show: 10 tips for prize-winning dahlias

Snohomish County Dahlia Society members share how they tend to their gardens for the best blooms.

State Attorney General Nick Brown's office posted a release announcing $720 million in nationwide settlements with eight drugmakers that manufactured opioid pills and worsened the nationwide opioid crisis. The state could receive more than $16 million, the release said. (Ryan Berry/Washington State Standard)
Snohomish County to receive portion of latest $16M opioid settlement

While the amount of money is still unknown, funding plans are already in place to help with drug abuse prevention, treatment and education.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.