Lincoln County stretches across a broad section of eastern Colorado where towns are separated by long distances and the road network is often the easiest way to get oriented. Limon stands out near the western side of the county, while Genoa and Arriba sit farther east and Hugo lies to the southeast. This Lincoln County Colorado map set lets you compare county boundaries, highways, town locations, creeks, small lakes, and elevation on separate views. The same map set is also available as a ZIP download containing the original high-resolution JPG files.
The county map shows why Limon works well as a reference point. I-70 and U.S. 24 pass through the Limon area, Colorado 71 provides a north-south line, and U.S. 40/U.S. 287 angle southeast toward the Hugo side of the county. Colorado 94 crosses the southern part of the map. Rather than treating Lincoln County as a single town-centered area, the maps make it easier to see how several small communities and long road segments divide the county into distinct parts.
Table of Contents
Start with Limon to understand the county road layout
Limon appears near the western edge of the northern half of Lincoln County. From there, Genoa and Arriba are positioned farther east, while Hugo is offset to the southeast. The spaces between these places are large compared with an urban county, so town names alone do not give a complete sense of scale. The road network supplies the missing context by showing how the communities relate to one another across the plains.
Several numbered routes provide useful anchors. I-70 and U.S. 24 are prominent around Limon and across the northern part of the county. Colorado 71 runs north-south near the western side, and U.S. 40/U.S. 287 continue southeast through the Hugo area. Colorado 94 crosses the southern half. These routes are useful for orientation, but the map is not a live traffic or road-condition service, so current travel conditions should be checked separately before driving.
The boundary has an unusual stepped shape along the western side, especially where the southern portion extends farther west. That shape makes the county feel different from a simple rectangular plains county when viewed on a full map. The location inset also places Lincoln County in eastern Colorado, which is useful when comparing it with neighboring counties shown around the main map.
Compare the spacing of Limon, Genoa, Hugo, and Arriba
The city-connections map reduces the visual detail and focuses on four communities. Limon is the hub. Genoa is shown about 10 miles away, Hugo about 15 miles away, and Arriba about 22 miles away. Those figures are straight-line distances measured on the map, not driving distances. They are best used to compare relative spacing before returning to the road map for actual route direction.
Genoa and Arriba sit generally east of Limon, but Hugo is displaced to the southeast. That difference matters because a list of mileage values can make the towns seem as if they lie on one route. The city map shows that they do not. Surrounding county labels such as Washington, Kit Carson, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Elbert, and others also help place Lincoln County within the wider eastern Colorado region without adding unnecessary road detail.
This view is especially useful when the goal is to understand town spacing rather than road-by-road navigation. After locating the towns here, switch back to the county map to see which numbered highways connect each part of the county. That two-step approach makes the large open spaces easier to interpret and reduces the chance of confusing straight-line distance with actual travel distance.
Arikaree River and Big Sandy Creek define different parts of the water map
The terrain and water map shifts attention away from towns. North Fork Arikaree River and Arikaree River are labeled across the northern portion of Lincoln County. Dugout Creek and Hell Creek appear farther south, while Buffalo Creek and Big Sandy Creek form other prominent drainage lines across the central and eastern areas. The map also contains many smaller tributaries that spread across the plains rather than converging into one single large valley.
Farther south, Long Branch, North Rush Creek, Rush Creek, Horse Creek, Little Horse Creek, and Short Creek show how the water network continues across the lower half of the county. Kinney Lake and Karval Lake are among the named water bodies. Their presence is useful for local orientation, but this map should not be treated as a flood map, property map, streamflow report, or navigation chart. Actual water conditions can change with season and weather.
Pairing this map with the county map gives the streams a clearer geographic setting. A town or highway can serve as the first landmark, then the water map can show which creeks occupy the surrounding plains. The same creek valleys also show up as subtle low areas on the elevation map, so the water and elevation views complement one another particularly well in a county with otherwise gentle terrain.
Elevation changes gradually from higher western plains to lower eastern valleys
The elevation map lists an actual range of about 1,349 to 1,818 meters, with a mean near 1,565 meters. Browns and warmer tones dominate much of the western and northwestern side, indicating relatively higher ground. Greens become more common toward the east and southeast, where lower terrain and creek valleys are more visible. The difference is modest compared with Colorado mountain counties, but it is large enough to show that the plains are not perfectly flat.
Fine branching valleys are easiest to see in the central and eastern portions of the elevation map. Big Sandy Creek and nearby tributaries occupy some of these lower corridors, and similar shallow cuts appear farther south around Rush Creek and smaller streams. The western edge contains broader areas of higher color. Comparing these zones with the water map helps explain why many creek lines curve through the lower parts of the terrain.
This elevation layer is intended for county-scale comparison. It is not a substitute for survey-grade measurements at a parcel, building site, bridge, or road project. It works best for questions such as whether one part of the county is generally higher than another, where creek valleys sit relative to surrounding plains, or how the landscape changes between Limon, Hugo, and the eastern side of the county.
Choose the map that matches the question you are trying to answer
For town and highway orientation, begin with the county map. For a cleaner comparison of Limon, Genoa, Hugo, and Arriba, use the city-connections map and remember that its mileage values are straight-line distances. The terrain and water map is the best view for named rivers, creeks, and lakes. The elevation map adds the broad height differences that are difficult to notice on a standard road map.
The WebP images on this page are sized for quick viewing in a browser. If you want to zoom in, print a map, or keep an offline copy, the original JPG files are more useful. The ZIP below contains the high-resolution JPG versions of the county, city-connections, terrain-and-water, and elevation maps shown on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which map is best for comparing Limon, Genoa, Hugo, and Arriba?
The city-connections map is the quickest view for town spacing. It shows straight-line distances from Limon of about 10 miles to Genoa, 15 miles to Hugo, and 22 miles to Arriba. Use the county map as a second step when you need to see the highway routes rather than direct distance.
Where can I find Arikaree River and Big Sandy Creek?
Both are labeled on the terrain and water map. Arikaree River and North Fork Arikaree River are in the northern part of the county, while Big Sandy Creek crosses the central-to-eastern portion. For current streamflow, flood risk, or field conditions, use up-to-date hydrologic sources rather than this reference map.
What is included in the download ZIP?
The archive contains four original high-resolution JPG files: the county map, city-connections map, terrain-and-water map, and elevation map. The WebP versions in the article are optimized for page viewing, while the JPG files are better suited to printing, zooming, and offline storage.
Map File Information
This ZIP contains the original high-resolution JPG versions of the Lincoln County boundary and road map, city-connections map, terrain and water map, and elevation map shown on this page.
- Printable Size: 3,638 × 2,572 pixels per JPG
Related Maps
Sources and references
- Lincoln County, Colorado official website – Official county government and local information.
- Town of Limon official website – Local information and public services for Limon.
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line Shapefiles – Official reference data for county boundaries, roads, and place geography.
- USGS National Hydrography – Official hydrography reference for rivers, streams, and water features.
- USGS 3D Elevation Program – Official elevation data reference.
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.
