1. There are four ways to get started using this Historical Tennessee Counties map tool
   
   • Type a PRESENT-DAY address or place into the Search places box above the map and choose the one you want from the auto-complete list
   • Click the map to see the historical county name for where you clicked (Monthly Contributors also get Dynamic Maps)
   • Search using GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude) using the Find lat long box in the top right above the map*
   • Click the ◉ Use Current Location button in the upper right corner of the map to use your current device location. Click the ◉ Use Current Location button again to automatically update your location every 1, 5 or 10 minutes (Monthly Contributors also get an option to update every several seconds, shown as ◉A for Active).**
   Then, type any HISTORIC date or year in the As of date box and click GO! In the free version, the date can be a 4-digit year; Monthly Contributors can also type a specific date. Dates can be formatted as YYYY, M/D/YYYY, M-D-YYYY or YYYYMMDD.
   Historical county boundaries will draw, and the historical county name for the location will appear above the map. Click the “more…” button for details on the latest boundary change that occured prior to the date you specified, including reference to the particular statute that triggered the change. The latitude and longitude for the blue pin is also displayed.
2. Optionally, check the Show labels checkbox in the lower left corner of the map to see the names of the historical counties on the map
3. Check the Show chronology checkbox in the lower left corner of the map to see a complete listing of every county boundary change for the blue pin’s location from the date you typed back in time to original county formation
4. Use the SHOW PRESENT-DAY LAYERS panel in the lower left corner of the map to show present-day county lines, city limits, civil townships and section township range with the historical counties. If you have historical county labels checked and are also showing present-day civil townships, then civil township labels will also draw.
5. Use the Find parcel tool below the map to search for a present-day Section, Township and Range, for example from a land deed. Tip: You don’t have to specify a Section if you only know the Township and Range. Also, you can leave the PM (Prime Meridian) set to “any” and the tool will let you know if there are multiple matches. NOTE: THIS SEARCHES PRESENT-DAY TOWNSHIP RANGE, NOT HISTORICAL TOWNSHIP RANGE.
6. Save your map or Share it with others

Learn More

• Create custom map overlays above, and explore Selection Tools and Census data below
• Review additional usage tips, coverage notes, sources and disclaimers below
• Subscribe to email updates below for tool updates and usage tips
• Get Access to expanded funtionality with Ad-Free Fullscreen Map tools

* You can search using various formats of latitude longitude, including degrees, minutes and seconds; degrees and decimal minutes; or decimal degrees
** The ◉ Use Current Location button will be more accurate on smartphones and other devices containing a GPS; desktop browsers typically show an approximate location

1. Click the Selection Tools button in the lower left corner of the map
2. – RADIUS SELECT: To find Historical Counties within a radius, specify the mileage in the “Optional radius select” box, then use the Point “Add a marker” tool to drop the center point of the radius*
   – SELECT USING A LINE OR SHAPE: To find Historical Counties that touch a line or a shape you draw, use the Line tool or Shape tool to draw the shape, double-clicking when finished*
   – SELECT WITHIN DISTANCE OF A LINE OR SHAPE (also known as a buffer): To find Historical Counties that are within a distance of a line or a shape you draw, first specify the mileage in the “Optional radius select” box, then use the Line tool or Shape tool to draw the shape, double-clicking when finished*
3. The Historical Counties will be highlighted and listed in a “Results from map” box below the map, where you can copy the selected Historical Counties for use in a spreadsheet or other document
   – Optionally, keep drawing shapes to select more Historical Counties
4. When you are finished selecting Historical Counties, click the “Done Selecting” button in the lower left corner of the map

* Historical Counties for the date or year you have specified in the “As of” date box will get selected if any part of the shape you draw (or applied radius or buffer) falls within the historical county boundaries

Additional Usage Tips

• Be sure to read the Quick Tips above on how to use this map tool
• In the upper right corner of the map, you can switch the map between Map view (with optional Terrain), Satellite view or POI view (points of interest)
• As you zoom in, present-day highways, roads, streets, rivers, streams and other map features are also shown on this Historical US County map
• The Search places box uses a standard Google Maps geocoding engine, therefore you can type PRESENT-day street addresses, road names, points of interest, etc. to see what historical county that present-day location was part of as of the historical date you specified
  – Note that typing an address will zoom in the map very close, whereas typing a city or county by itself will show you a map with a wider view
• You can use the < and > buttons on the sides of the As of date box to quickly jump back and forward a decade.
• For convenience, when you specify only a four-digit year (and not a full date), the tool will default to using the US Federal Census date that was used in that decade. (This is also true when using the < and > buttons.) Lining up with Census dates makes genealogy research easier when comparing to other records. If you do not want to use the Census date, specify an exact date instead in M/D/YYYY format.
• Some counties or regions were claimed by more than one jurisdiction in some historic years. When this is the case, more than one county will be listed, and the ‘more…’ button will show you the details of the jurisdictional claims.
• Because the map layers are complex, fewer lines will be shown if you are zoomed out too far
• Search the FAQs for more detailed help