GIS Upgrades Tax Parcel Viewer to Improve Resident Experience By: John Watermolen, GIS Manager, Orange County Information Technology, and Orange County Communications Department Last fall, the GIS division of Orange County’s Information Technology Department updated the Tax Parcel Viewer, a digital map of Orange County which can provide users with a variety of information using diverse layers and overlays. Some examples include property card information, voting districts, zoning districts, zip codes, school districts, and much more. The previous update was met with mixed reviews, with some users indicating that it was not as user-friendly as before. In response, our GIS team worked with stakeholder groups and held a series of informational workshops to both listen to feedback and to demonstrate the best ways to use the platform. After hearing concerns, the team made the decision to update the system again using a new portal powered by CivQuest. Some key areas that GIS looked to improve included property search ease of use and easily-readable displays of information. We are proud to report that the recently-updated viewer has addressed those concerns and made significant improvements across most of the user interface while maintaining the impressive depth of information that makes the resource so valuable. The toolbar is now readily available with more features visible and labelled clearly from the outset, property cards now display prominently on the right side of the platform and are simpler to navigate, and these improvements are only the beginning.
“One of my favorite new tools is the profile tool,” said John Watermolen, GIS Manager. “This tool allows the user to get an elevation profile across any part of their property. The results will show where your hills and valleys or your high and low points are across any point of your property.” To access Orange County’s parcel viewer, simply visit www.orangecountyva.gov and click the button labelled, “GIS Map.” A new window will open with a map of Orange County. Our GIS staff encourage users, both new and experienced, to explore the platform and try out its many new features and layers.
The new profile tool can reveal much about a property’s layout.
The new GIS Tax Parcel viewer with the Voting District layer activated.
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OCI May 2025
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