Henry County in southeastern Iowa is centered on Mount Pleasant and a network of small towns spread between higher northern uplands and the lower Skunk River valley. U.S. 34 crosses the county through Mount Pleasant and New London, while U.S. 218 and Iowa 27 provide a strong north-south reference through the middle. Iowa 78 appears in the northeast near Winfield, and a broad rural road grid connects Wayland, Salem, Westwood, and the smaller surrounding communities. The terrain-and-water map adds Skunk River, Big Creek, East Fork Crooked Creek, several named creeks, and a group of small lakes. This page explains the supplied county, city, terrain-and-water, and elevation maps, and high-resolution JPG versions can be downloaded in a ZIP near the end of the article. High-resolution map files are available for download in the section below.
The easiest way to orient the county is to start with Mount Pleasant, then move east toward New London and north toward Wayland and Winfield. Mount Pleasant sits near the intersection of the main east-west and north-south road corridors. The elevation sheet shows higher terrain across much of the north and east, while the Skunk River and its tributaries form a broad lower corridor through the southern half. That contrast is one of the clearest geographic patterns in the map set.
Table of Contents
Mount Pleasant connects U.S. 34 with the north-south road corridor
Mount Pleasant is the strongest first landmark on the general county map. U.S. 34 runs through the city from Westwood toward New London, while U.S. 218 approaches from the north through the Olds and Swedesburg area. Iowa 27 follows the same general north-south corridor and continues toward the southern county line. Once these roads are located, the positions of the smaller towns become much easier to place.
Wayland and Olds lie in the northern part of the county, while Winfield is farther northeast near Iowa 78. Trenton is west-central, Salem is in the southwest, and Lowell appears in the southeast. New London is one of the easiest towns to find because it lies directly on the U.S. 34 corridor east of Mount Pleasant. The map is intended for broad geographic orientation rather than live navigation, so current closures and exact access should be checked with current transportation information.
The straight road grid can make Henry County look simpler than it is. The water and elevation maps reveal a network of curved valleys that cut through the farm country, especially south of Mount Pleasant. Comparing the road map with those natural features explains why some local routes bend around creek valleys even when the larger highways remain relatively direct.
Mount Pleasant leads a six-city pattern across the county
The city map ranks Mount Pleasant first, followed by New London, Wayland, Winfield, Salem, and Westwood. Mount Pleasant is the clear center, but the other five communities are spread across the north, southeast, southwest, and west rather than forming one continuous urban area. That spacing makes the six labels useful geographic reference points for the whole county.
Mount Pleasant and New London define the main U.S. 34 corridor, while Wayland and Winfield help organize the northern half. Salem anchors the southwest, and Westwood sits just west of Mount Pleasant. Neighboring counties labeled around the map include Washington, Des Moines, Van Buren, Jefferson, Louisa, and Lee, placing Henry County within the southeastern Iowa county network.
Elevation adds a useful second layer to this town pattern. Wayland and Winfield are close to broad higher ground in the north, while Mount Pleasant and New London sit closer to a denser network of creek valleys. Salem lies near the transition between the southern Skunk River lowland and the higher uplands to the west and north.
Skunk River forms the main southern lowland
Skunk River is the dominant waterway on the terrain-and-water map. It enters from the southwest, bends through the south-central part of Henry County, and continues toward the southeast. The elevation map shows the same route as a broad dark-green low corridor, making the river valley easy to distinguish from the higher tan and brown uplands around it.
Big Creek and Brush Creek descend toward the Skunk River from the north, while Cedar Creek and Little Cedar Creek contribute additional drainage from the west and southwest. Westwood Lake and East Lake are shown near the central-southern part of the county. These features make the terrain around Mount Pleasant more varied than the regular road grid suggests.
This sheet is intended for geographic reference rather than flood forecasting, current water levels, navigation, parcel boundaries, or legal water limits. Its main value is showing how the river valleys and smaller tributaries fit around the towns and roads. Current hydrologic or regulatory information should be checked with the responsible agency.
East Fork Crooked Creek and Big Creek divide the north and east
East Fork Crooked Creek is one of the strongest named waterways in the northeast. It winds southward from the Winfield side of the county and gathers several smaller tributaries. North Branch Big Creek crosses the east-central interior, while Big Creek continues toward the Skunk River farther south. Together, these valleys link the higher northern terrain with the lower southern drainage system.
Phillips Creek and Sugar Creek are labeled in the north, while Lynn Creek and Mud Creek appear farther west and central. Geode Lake is visible near the southeastern edge, surrounded by a dense network of short creek valleys. The pattern shows that Henry County is not drained by one single river alone; a series of smaller watersheds breaks the uplands into many short ridges and hollows.
Mount Pleasant is the best settlement reference for the central drainage network. New London helps locate the southeastern valleys, while Wayland and Winfield provide clear references for the higher northern side. Pairing towns with nearby waterways makes the terrain much easier to remember than studying creek names on their own.
Elevation ranges from 163 to 244 meters
The supplied elevation map shows an actual county range of about 163 to 244 meters, with a mean elevation of 211 meters. The higher brown and orange terrain covers much of the north and east. The lowest dark-green areas follow Skunk River and several of its tributaries through the southern half. Although the total relief is less than 100 meters, the close spacing of ridges and valleys gives the shaded map a strongly textured appearance.
Wayland and Winfield are close to broad higher ground in the north. Around Mount Pleasant, the land becomes more dissected as Big Creek and smaller tributaries approach the Skunk River. The southeast near New London and Geode Lake also contains many narrow valleys. The southwest includes a broader lowland along the main river, producing a strong contrast with the higher interior uplands.
The elevation colors are designed for broad terrain comparison rather than survey-grade measurement. Exact parcel elevation, road grade, engineering design, or construction work requires original elevation data or professional surveying. For general map reading, the important pattern is the higher north and east contrasted with the low Skunk River corridor in the south.
Straight highways and winding valleys reveal two different county patterns
Henry County’s general map is organized around straight routes such as U.S. 34, U.S. 218, and Iowa 27, while the terrain map is shaped by the curves of Skunk River, Big Creek, and East Fork Crooked Creek. Mount Pleasant connects these two views because the city sits at the center of the main highway network and close to several drainage corridors.
Wayland and Winfield are useful references for the higher northern side, Salem for the southwestern transition into the Skunk River lowland, and New London for the dissected southeast. Westwood provides a close western reference to Mount Pleasant. Using a different landmark in each section makes it easier to move between the county, city, water, and elevation sheets without treating them as unrelated maps.
Choose the Henry County map that fits the task
Use the general county map when you need towns and numbered roads in one view. It is the quickest way to compare Mount Pleasant, New London, Wayland, Winfield, Salem, and Westwood with U.S. 34, U.S. 218, Iowa 27, and Iowa 78. The city map is cleaner when the goal is simply to compare the six highlighted communities and their ranking.
The terrain-and-water map is best for Skunk River, Big Creek, East Fork Crooked Creek, Mud Creek, Cedar Creek, Westwood Lake, East Lake, and Geode Lake. The elevation map adds the 163–244 m range and makes the higher north and east and lower southern river corridor immediately visible. Starting with one map for orientation and then using another for terrain or water detail is usually the easiest approach.
The WebP images in the article are optimized for quick browser viewing. For printing, classroom use, presentations, or closer comparison, the ZIP below contains the county, major-city, terrain-and-water, and elevation maps as high-resolution JPG files. They are general-reference graphics and do not replace legal boundary records, current transportation data, flood information, or precise survey measurements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which map is best for locating Mount Pleasant and New London?
The general county map is the best starting point. Mount Pleasant sits near the U.S. 34 and U.S. 218 corridors, while New London lies farther southeast on U.S. 34. Wayland, Winfield, Salem, and Westwood are also labeled on the same sheet.
What are the main rivers and lakes shown in Henry County?
Skunk River is the dominant southern waterway. Big Creek, Cedar Creek, East Fork Crooked Creek, and several smaller tributaries are also labeled. Westwood Lake, East Lake, and Geode Lake are among the mapped water bodies.
What does the 163–244 m elevation range show?
The supplied elevation map shows higher ground across much of the north and east and lower terrain along Skunk River and its tributaries in the south. The actual mapped range is about 163 to 244 meters, with a mean of 211 meters. Precise site elevations require original data or professional survey information.
Map File Information
The ZIP contains four high-resolution JPG maps for Henry County, Iowa: county, major cities, terrain and water, and elevation.
- Included Files: Use only the versions confirmed in the article and supplied images
- File Type: Use the confirmed download contents
- Intended Use: Printing, education, presentations, and map-based projects
Related Maps
Sources and reference data
The links below provide authoritative U.S. government source data for county boundaries, hydrography, and elevation represented in the supplied map set.
These maps are intended for general geographic reference, learning, printing, and visual comparison. Legal boundaries, ownership, current road conditions, flood risk, water levels, and precise elevations should be checked against the responsible agency’s current records.
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.
