You can download four high-resolution JPG maps of Moody County in one ZIP file from this page. The maps use Flandreau as the main reference and show Colman, Egan, Trent, and Ward in different directions around it. They also trace the Big Sioux River, Smith Creek, Israel Creek, Brookfield Creek, several lakes, and an actual elevation range of about 451 to 542 meters. Together, the layers show a lower river corridor through the center and higher ground toward the west and northeast.
Flandreau sits slightly east of the county center near the junction of roads 32 and 13. Colman is to the west, Egan lies southwest of Flandreau, Trent is farther south, and Ward is near the northeast side. The road grid is fairly straight, while the blue stream lines wind across it, creating a clear visual difference between transportation routes and the natural drainage pattern.
Big Sioux River is the main water reference. It enters from the north, bends through the middle of the county, and continues south. Smith Creek approaches from the northeast, while Mud Creek, Flandreau Creek, and Israel Creek add other named tributaries. On the elevation map, the Big Sioux corridor is a long green lowland, while broad higher colors cover much of the western side and parts of the northeast.
Table of Contents
Start with Flandreau and roads 32 and 13
Flandreau is the easiest place to begin on the general county map. Road 32 approaches from the west, and road 13 runs north-south through the Flandreau area. South of town, road 34 crosses east-west, while road 235 appears near Egan. Farther west, road 77 creates a long north-south reference before the map reaches the Colman side.
The southern edge includes road 29 in the southwest and roads 11 and 269 near the southeast boundary. Ward is close to the northeast side, and Pleasant Valley Colony is marked east of Flandreau. These numbered roads are useful for locating places, but they do not represent live traffic conditions, construction, closures, or travel time. Current route information should come from a separate transportation source.
Blue drainage lines are especially noticeable across the northern and eastern parts of the map. Several streams converge near Flandreau, and many small tributaries continue south toward the Trent area. The terrain-and-water map adds names to the larger channels, making the relationship between the road grid and the drainage network much easier to follow.
Flandreau connects to four towns at direct straight-line distances
The city-connections map uses Flandreau as the hub. Egan lies close to the southwest, Trent is farther south, Colman is west, and Ward is northeast. The four destinations spread around the hub in different directions, so the map is useful for understanding settlement position rather than treating the county towns as a single east-west chain.
The CITY CONNECTIONS legend lists Flandreau to Egan at about 4 miles, Flandreau to Trent at about 10 miles, Flandreau to Ward at about 10 miles, and Flandreau to Colman at about 12 miles. These are straight-line distances between mapped points, not road mileage. Actual driving distance can be longer and depends on the route used.
The CITY INDEX numbers are simply identifiers for the labels. Flandreau is 1, Colman is 2, Trent is 3, Egan is 4, and Ward is 5, but those values are not population ranks, route priorities, or mileage. Use the direct-distance labels for geographic comparison and a current routing source for actual road travel.
Big Sioux River and Smith Creek shape the northern and central drainage
The terrain-and-water map is dominated by Big Sioux River. It enters from the north and follows a winding course through the central part of the county before continuing south. Smith Creek comes in from the northeast and joins the same broad river system, while Mud Creek and Flandreau Creek occupy the east-central side. The concentration of named channels around the Flandreau area explains why the general map shows so many blue tributaries there.
Israel Creek forms another long line in the central-western interior. Farther southeast, Brookfield Creek and West Pipestone Creek are labeled, with Pipestone Creek close to the eastern edge. Bachelor Creek and Silver Creek appear in the west and southwest. Lake Campbell, Mud Lake, and Poison Lake add several named water bodies, so Moody County’s water geography includes both a major river corridor and smaller lakes and creek systems.
This water layer is intended as a geographic reference for stream and lake names and positions. It does not show real-time flow, water depth, water quality, flood zones, or navigability, and a blue line should not be treated as a property or legal boundary. For current hydrographic source data, consult an authoritative dataset such as USGS National Hydrography.
Elevation ranges from about 451 to 542 m, with the Big Sioux valley lower than the county edges
The elevation legend reports an actual range of about 451 to 542 meters with a mean near 497 meters. The western side and portions of the northeast contain broad tan and brown areas that indicate higher terrain. The Big Sioux River corridor is a long green lowland running from the north through the center and toward the south. The difference between the listed minimum and maximum is about 91 meters.
The central lowland does not stand alone. Israel Creek and smaller tributaries create additional low strips, while ridges rise between them. In the northeast, Smith Creek cuts into otherwise higher ground, and the western side rises again away from the river valleys. Comparing the water map with the elevation layer makes the relationship clear: the main streams generally occupy the lowest continuous parts of the county.
The elevation colors are designed for broad county-scale comparison, not site measurement. An exact elevation for a road point, farm corner, building site, or engineering location should come from an official DEM source such as the USGS 3D Elevation Program or from an appropriate survey.
Compare Colman and Ward to see two different county edges
Colman is a useful western reference. On the city map it is about 12 straight-line miles from Flandreau, and on the water map it lies closer to the western lakes and smaller creek systems. The elevation map shows broader high ground away from the main Big Sioux valley, making the Colman side a good place to compare river lowlands with the western upland.
Ward provides a northeastern comparison. The city map places it about 10 straight-line miles from Flandreau, while the water map shows Smith Creek and several tributaries in the same broad area. The elevation surface mixes higher ridges with lower creek valleys there, so the northeast cannot be described as one uniform upland. Looking back and forth between Colman and Ward helps connect settlement position, drainage, and relief.
The WebP images in the article are optimized for screen viewing. The download archive contains the original JPG files for the general county map, city-connections map, terrain-and-water map, and elevation map. Each JPG is 2572 × 3638 pixels, making the originals more suitable for A3 printing, presentations, classroom materials, and closer inspection of labels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the 4, 10, 10, and 12 mile labels from Flandreau driving distances?
No. The city-connections map identifies them as straight-line distances from Flandreau to Egan, Trent, Ward, and Colman. Actual road mileage can be longer because travel follows the road network rather than a direct line.
Which map best shows Big Sioux River and Smith Creek?
The terrain-and-water map is the clearest choice. Big Sioux River runs through the central corridor, Smith Creek approaches from the northeast, and Israel Creek, Brookfield Creek, Pipestone Creek systems, and several lakes are also labeled.
Can the 451–542 m elevation range be used as an exact property elevation?
No. Those figures describe the county-wide elevation range, while the colored surface is intended for broad terrain comparison. Use official DEM or survey data when an exact elevation is needed at a specific point.
Map File Information
The ZIP contains the original high-resolution JPG files for the Moody County general map, city-connections map, terrain and water map, and elevation map.
- Included Files: 4 JPG maps
- Printable Size: 2572 × 3638 px each
Related Maps
Sources and references
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line Shapefiles – official geographic source for county boundaries and base mapping data.
- USGS National Hydrography – official source for rivers, streams, lakes, and hydrographic data.
- USGS 3D Elevation Program – official source for elevation and DEM products.
Green Map creates custom-edited map images using open geographic data sources such as geoBoundaries, Natural Earth, OpenStreetMap, and government open data.
These maps are edited visual materials, not raw data files, and are provided for education, documents, presentations, and graphic reference.
