Maps / GIS

Stow residents may obtain customized paper GIS maps, 8x11 or 11x17, of their properties or other areas of interest, free of charge, by visiting the City of Stow Planning Department or contacting Steve Gibbons.

Larger wall-sized maps, such as Zoning, City Reference, etc. are available for $10.

Geographic Information Systems

GIS is commonly referred to as "Computer Mapping," and can also be thought of as a Data Management System that "happens to be map-able." Within GIS, an unlimited amount of information can be tied to map features, allowing map and non-map data queries.

Within GIS, map/data components are separated into "layers." The City's primary GIS data layers consist of manmade features such as building footprints and addresses, property parcels, street centerlines, stormwater, infrastructure, and zoning, as well as natural features such as elevation contours, and streams, wetlands, FEMA flood zones, and soils. Other layers include sidewalks, bike trails, cell towers, council wards, etc. These data layers (some 40 plus) are also complemented by the use of aerial photos within the City GIS.

GIS enables a wide variety of information, previously scattered and available to only a few individuals, to be consolidated, centralized, and quickly accessed city-wide by staff in the following departments: Planning, Zoning, Engineering, Building, Dispatch, Police and Fire, Service, Water, Street, Urban Forestry, and Parks and Recreation. These departments access GIS data via our Open Source (no cost) Intranet Server, saving the City in hardware and software expenses.

The City of Stow's GIS is currently for internal city use only. However, Summit County offers GIS Online for parcel and property line lookup, as well as other mapped features.