Madison County in south-central Iowa is centered on Winterset and a landscape cut by North River, Middle River, South River, and many smaller creeks. U.S. 169 runs north-south through Winterset, while Iowa 92 crosses the central part of the county toward Patterson. Earlham lies near the northern edge, and St. Charles, Truro, East Peru, and Macksburg provide references across the eastern and southern countryside. 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 begin with Winterset and U.S. 169. Earlham anchors the northwest, Patterson and St. Charles the east, and Truro with East Peru the southeast. The elevation sheet shows higher terrain across much of the west and southwest, while lower green corridors follow the major rivers toward the east and northeast.
Table of Contents
Winterset and U.S. 169 provide the central road reference
Winterset is the strongest first landmark on the general county map. U.S. 169 passes through the city from north to south, and Iowa 92 heads east toward Patterson. The Madison County Courthouse label near Winterset also makes the center easy to recognize on the supplied map.
Earlham sits close to the northern boundary, with U.S. 6 and I-80 visible outside the county to the northwest. Patterson lies east of Winterset along Iowa 92, while St. Charles is farther southeast. Truro and East Peru mark the southeastern interior, and Macksburg provides a southwestern reference. The map is intended for county-scale orientation rather than live navigation, so current road conditions should be checked separately.
The rural road grid is comparatively straight, but the streams follow winding valleys across the uplands. Tributaries of North River occupy much of the northern half, while the Middle River and South River systems create separate low corridors farther south. Comparing the road and water sheets makes the county’s ridge-and-valley structure easier to see.
Winterset leads a dispersed six-city pattern
The city map ranks Winterset first with a mapped population of 5,416. Earlham is second at 1,528 and St. Charles third at 914. Truro is fourth at 518, Patterson fifth at 346, and East Peru sixth at 92. The largest community occupies the center of the county, while the other highlighted places are distributed toward the northwest, east, and southeast.
Earlham provides the clearest northwestern reference, Patterson the east-central one, and St. Charles the eastern one. Truro and East Peru sit farther southeast. Neighboring counties shown around the map include Polk, Dallas, Warren, Guthrie, Adair, Union, and Clarke, which places Madison County within south-central Iowa.
The city pattern becomes more useful when compared with relief. The western countryside rises into higher uplands, while the terrain east of Winterset is more strongly divided by lower river corridors. St. Charles, Truro, and East Peru are close to several branching valleys that stand out clearly on the elevation sheet.
North River forms the main northern valley
North River is the dominant waterway across the northern half of the terrain-and-water map. It enters from the west, follows a broad winding route across the county, and continues east into lower terrain. On the elevation sheet, the same corridor appears as a green valley between higher ridges.
Badger Creek lies north of the main river, while Howerton Creek approaches from the southwest. Cedar Lake is labeled near the central-northern interior, and Cedar Creek forms another lower route to the east. These features provide useful fixed references for reading the terrain north and northeast of Winterset.
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 large river valleys and smaller creeks divide the county’s uplands.
Middle River and Clanton Creek divide the central and southern hills
Middle River crosses the central part of the county in another long west-to-east valley. Jones Creek and Cedar Creek add smaller tributary routes nearby. The Middle River corridor is a useful natural reference between Winterset and the southeastern towns because it separates several blocks of higher terrain.
Farther south, North Fork Clanton Creek and South Fork Clanton Creek cut through the uplands before joining the broader Clanton Creek system. These channels are narrower than the major rivers but remain visible on the elevation map as green corridors. Around Truro and East Peru, the combination of short ridges and branching creeks creates a tightly dissected landscape.
Grand River and Thompson River appear near the southwestern edge, while South River provides the strongest named waterway in the southeast. The southern half therefore contains several independent drainage corridors rather than a single broad valley. Using town locations together with river names makes this part of the county easier to read.
Elevation ranges from 253 to 388 meters
The supplied elevation map shows an actual county range of about 253 to 388 meters, with a mean elevation of 325 meters. Higher brown terrain covers much of the west and southwest, while lower green corridors follow North River and Middle River through the central and eastern county. The northeastern side also contains extensive low terrain cut by many tributaries.
The western uplands are not one smooth plateau. Numerous streams carve narrow valleys into the higher ground, producing short ridges that repeat across the landscape. North River and Middle River create stronger eastward low corridors, and the southern Clanton Creek and South River systems add another set of lower routes.
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 key pattern is the contrast between the higher western uplands and the lower river valleys to the east.
Roads and three river valleys reveal the county’s structure
The general map is easy to orient with U.S. 169 and Iowa 92, while the terrain map is organized by North River, Middle River, and South River. Winterset is the best central reference for comparing the road and drainage layers, and Earlham helps locate the higher northwestern side.
Patterson and St. Charles work well for the eastern lowlands, while Truro and East Peru provide references for the southern creek-and-river country. Looking at the same places across the county, city, water, and elevation maps makes Madison County’s relief and road layout much easier to understand.
Choose the Madison 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 Winterset, Earlham, Patterson, St. Charles, Truro, East Peru, and Macksburg with U.S. 169 and Iowa 92. The city map is better when the goal is to compare the six highlighted communities and the population ranking shown on the supplied graphic.
The terrain-and-water map is best for North River, Middle River, South River, Grand River, Thompson River, Badger Creek, Cedar Creek, Jones Creek, Clanton Creek, and Cedar Lake. The elevation map adds the 253–388 m range and makes the higher western uplands and lower central-eastern valleys immediately visible.
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 Winterset and Earlham?
The general county map is the best starting point. Winterset is near the center along U.S. 169 and Iowa 92, while Earlham lies near the northwestern side. Patterson, St. Charles, Truro, East Peru, and Macksburg are also labeled on the same sheet.
What are the main rivers and creeks shown in Madison County?
North River crosses the northern half, Middle River follows a separate central corridor, and South River appears in the southeast. Grand River, Thompson River, Badger Creek, Cedar Creek, Jones Creek, and the Clanton Creek system add other important valleys.
What does the 253–388 m elevation range show?
The elevation map shows higher terrain across much of the west and southwest and lower valleys along North River, Middle River, and South River. The mapped mean elevation is 325 meters. Precise site elevations require original elevation data or professional survey information.
Map File Information
The ZIP contains four high-resolution JPG maps for Madison 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.
