Mitchell County in northeastern Iowa is centered on Osage and a landscape cut by Cedar River, Little Cedar River, Wapsipinicon River, and many smaller creeks. U.S. 218 provides a strong north-south reference through the Osage-Orchard area, while Iowa 9 marks the eastern side near Riceville and Iowa 105 helps locate St. Ansgar to the west. Stacyville, Mitchell, McIntire, Carpenter, and several smaller places are spread across the county. 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 Osage and U.S. 218. St. Ansgar lies to the west, Stacyville to the north, Mitchell northwest of Osage, and McIntire in the northeast. The elevation sheet shows higher uplands across much of the east and northeast, while lower green corridors follow Cedar River and several tributary valleys toward the west and south.
Table of Contents
Osage and U.S. 218 provide the main north-south reference
Osage is the strongest first landmark on the general county map. U.S. 218 continues south toward Orchard, while the local road grid spreads north toward Stacyville and McIntire. Using Osage as the center also makes it easier to locate Mitchell and St. Ansgar on the western side and New Haven or Riceville farther east.
Iowa 105 is labeled near St. Ansgar, while Iowa 9 forms a clear east-west route near Riceville. Little Cedar, Toeterville, Meyer, and Carpenter provide additional rural place references. The map is intended for county-scale orientation rather than live navigation, so current construction and road closures should be checked separately.
The rural road grid is comparatively straight, but the streams follow winding valleys through the uplands. The western side is strongly influenced by the Cedar River system, while the eastern half contains the Little Cedar River, Wapsipinicon River, and a denser network of smaller tributaries. Comparing the road and water sheets makes these differences easier to see.
Osage leads a six-city pattern concentrated toward the west and north
The city map ranks Osage first with a mapped population of 3,561 and St. Ansgar second at 1,206. Stacyville is third at 545, Mitchell fourth at 117, McIntire fifth at 89, and Carpenter sixth at 81. The largest community sits in the southern-central part of the county, while most of the other highlighted towns are located farther north or west.
St. Ansgar and Carpenter provide useful western references, Stacyville anchors the north-central area, McIntire the northeast, and Mitchell the area between Osage and St. Ansgar. Neighboring counties shown around the city map include Worth, Floyd, Cerro Gordo, Howard, and Chickasaw, placing Mitchell County in northeastern Iowa.
The city distribution becomes more informative when compared with relief. McIntire is close to the higher northeastern uplands, while St. Ansgar and Carpenter lie nearer the lower Cedar River system. South of Osage, the river and tributary valleys create another broad area of lower terrain.
Cedar River forms a long western and southern low corridor
Cedar River is one of the strongest natural references on the terrain-and-water map. It follows a long winding course through the western and southern part of the county. On the elevation sheet, the same route appears as a dark-green valley cut deeply below the surrounding uplands.
Otter Creek, Deer Creek, Willow Creek, Turtle Creek, Sugar Creek, and Rock Creek are labeled around the Cedar River side. Markhams Pond provides another small water reference in the northwest. Together, these tributaries show how the western and southern landscape is divided into repeated ridges and narrow valleys.
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 main rivers and smaller creeks divide the county’s uplands and lowlands.
Little Cedar River and Wapsipinicon River divide the eastern uplands
Little Cedar River follows a long route through the east-central part of the county and creates a distinct lower corridor between higher ridges. Burr Oak Creek approaches from the west and Bailey Creek from the east, adding more branching valleys around the same drainage system.
Wapsipinicon River occupies the eastern edge and receives a dense network of smaller tributaries from the northeast and east. Rice Creek forms another valley farther south, while Spring Creek cuts through the central-southern countryside. These waterways help explain why the eastern uplands are deeply dissected rather than smoothly rolling.
McIntire is a useful town reference for the higher northeastern side, while Riceville helps locate the eastern road and river system. Comparing those places with Osage and St. Ansgar shows the contrast between the higher east and the lower Cedar River side of the county.
Elevation ranges from 313 to 429 meters
The supplied elevation map shows an actual county range of about 313 to 429 meters, with a mean elevation of 364 meters. Higher brown terrain covers much of the northeast and east, while lower green corridors follow Cedar River and several major tributaries across the west and south. The difference between the mapped high and low ends exceeds 110 meters.
The northeastern high ground is not one smooth plateau. Wapsipinicon River and many smaller streams carve narrow valleys into the uplands, while Little Cedar River creates a stronger green corridor through the east-central interior. On the western side, the Cedar River system forms another deep valley network that becomes broader toward the south.
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 eastern uplands and the lower river valleys.
Roads and three river systems reveal the county’s terrain contrast
The general map is easy to orient with U.S. 218, Iowa 9, and Iowa 105, while the terrain map is organized around Cedar River, Little Cedar River, and Wapsipinicon River. Osage is the best central reference for comparing the road and drainage layers, while St. Ansgar works well for the western Cedar River side.
Stacyville helps locate the northern uplands and tributaries, while McIntire provides a reference for the higher northeastern country and the Wapsipinicon River side. Looking at the same places across the county, city, water, and elevation maps makes Mitchell County’s relief much easier to understand.
Choose the Mitchell 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 Osage, St. Ansgar, Stacyville, Mitchell, McIntire, and Riceville with U.S. 218, Iowa 9, and Iowa 105. The city map is better when the goal is to compare Osage, St. Ansgar, Stacyville, Mitchell, McIntire, and Carpenter using the population ranking shown on the supplied graphic.
The terrain-and-water map is best for Cedar River, Little Cedar River, Wapsipinicon River, Burr Oak Creek, Bailey Creek, Spring Creek, Rice Creek, Turtle Creek, Sugar Creek, and other tributaries. The elevation map adds the 313–429 m range and makes the higher eastern uplands and lower western-southern river corridors 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 Osage and St. Ansgar?
The general county map is the best starting point. Osage is the main southern-central reference near U.S. 218, while St. Ansgar lies farther west near Iowa 105. Stacyville, Mitchell, McIntire, and Riceville are also labeled on the same sheet.
What are the main rivers and creeks shown in Mitchell County?
Cedar River creates the major western and southern valley, while Little Cedar River crosses the east-central interior and Wapsipinicon River follows the eastern side. Burr Oak Creek, Bailey Creek, Spring Creek, Rice Creek, Turtle Creek, and other tributaries add more lower corridors.
What does the 313–429 m elevation range show?
The elevation map shows higher terrain across much of the northeast and east and lower valleys along Cedar River and Little Cedar River. The mapped mean elevation is 364 meters. Precise site elevations require original elevation data or professional survey information.
Map File Information
The ZIP contains four high-resolution JPG maps for Mitchell 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.
