Sac County in western Iowa is organized around Sac City and a scattered group of smaller communities including Lake View, Odebolt, Early, Schaller, and Wall Lake. Route 20 crosses the northeastern side, route 71 and route 196 help locate the east and south-central areas, route 110 is visible in the northwest, and routes 39 and 175 provide southern references. The supplied map set also highlights Black Hawk Lake, the North Raccoon River corridor, and a strong west-to-east elevation change. High-resolution JPG versions of the county, city, terrain-and-water, and elevation maps can be downloaded in the ZIP near the end of the article. High-resolution map files are available for download in the section below.
The western and northwestern parts of the county are much higher and more dissected than the east. Black Hawk Lake and Provost Bay sit in a broad lower area near Lake View, while N Raccoon River continues east and southeast through some of the county’s lowest terrain. The elevation sheet gives an actual range of 338 to 475 meters with a mean of 400 meters.
Table of Contents
Sac City and the numbered routes provide the main orientation
Sac City is the strongest central reference on the general county map. Early lies to the west, and Schaller sits farther northwest near route 110. Route 20 crosses the northeastern part of the county and continues toward Lytton, creating a clear east-west reference across the upper half.
Odebolt, Lake View, Wall Lake, and Auburn provide southern reference points. Route 196 runs near the Lake View side, while routes 71 and 175 meet near the southeastern corner around Auburn. Route 39 appears near the southwestern boundary and helps distinguish the area south of Odebolt.
Nemaha appears as another small northern reference, and nearby places such as Ida Grove and Arthur are labeled outside the county. The roads are comparatively straight, but streams wind through the hills in a much more irregular pattern. Comparing the road and water sheets makes the transition from settlements to terrain easy to follow.
Sac City leads a six-city pattern spread across the county
The city map ranks Sac City first with a mapped population of 1,885. Lake View is second at 967 and Odebolt third at 945. Early is fourth at 869, Schaller fifth at 775, and Wall Lake sixth at 725.
Sac City lies in the central-eastern part of the county, while Lake View and Wall Lake give useful southern references. Odebolt sits farther southwest, Early is north-central, and Schaller marks the northwestern side. The highlighted cities are therefore spread across several parts of the county rather than concentrated in one cluster.
Neighboring labels include Buena Vista and Pocahontas counties to the north, Ida and Crawford counties to the west, and Calhoun and Carroll counties to the east and south. Those surrounding names help place Sac County within the broader western Iowa interior.
Black Hawk Lake and North Raccoon River form the southeastern lowland
Black Hawk Lake is the most prominent named water body on the supplied terrain map. Provost Bay is labeled on its western side, while N Raccoon River continues east and southeast from the same general area. On the elevation sheet, this lake-and-river corridor appears in dark green and stands out as one of the county’s lowest zones.
Indian Creek approaches the lake area from the north, and Ditch No 71 and Ditch No 57 provide additional drainage references nearby. Lime Creek extends south from the lake area toward Boyer River. The concentration of named water features makes the Lake View side especially easy to identify across the water and elevation maps.
This sheet is intended for general geographic reference rather than flood forecasting, current water levels, navigation, parcel boundaries, or legal water limits. Those questions require current information from the responsible agencies.
Odebolt Creek and Boyer River tributaries divide the southwestern hills
Odebolt Creek crosses the southwestern interior, while Porter Creek and E Otter Creek form separate lower corridors closer to the southern boundary. These streams cut into the higher western terrain and create a repeated ridge-and-valley pattern on the elevation map.
Boyer River forms a larger southern reference, and Lime Creek joins the same general lowland from farther east. In the northwest, Halfway Creek provides a strong named valley, while Buck Run appears as a smaller northern tributary. Ditch No 71 and Indian Creek help mark the transition from the higher central terrain toward the lower east.
The western valleys are generally narrower and surrounded by higher ridges than the broad low terrain around Black Hawk Lake and N Raccoon River. Looking at the water and elevation maps together makes this difference especially clear.
Elevation ranges from 338 to 475 meters
The supplied elevation map shows an actual county range of about 338 to 475 meters, with a mean elevation of 400 meters. Higher brown terrain dominates the west, northwest, and much of the southwest. The center retains several elevated ridges, but the landscape drops noticeably toward the eastern side.
Black Hawk Lake and the N Raccoon River corridor occupy some of the lowest terrain in the county. Lower valleys also extend through the northeast and southeast, while Halfway Creek, Odebolt Creek, Porter Creek, and other western tributaries cut deeply into the higher hills. The difference between the mapped high and low ends is about 137 meters.
The elevation colors are designed for broad terrain comparison rather than survey-grade measurement. Exact parcel elevations, road grades, engineering design, or construction work requires original elevation data or professional surveying.
Schaller to Lake View shows the strongest terrain transition
The northwestern countryside around Schaller contains some of the highest brown terrain and a dense network of small valleys. Moving through Early toward Sac City, the elevation gradually decreases. The drop becomes more obvious near Lake View, Black Hawk Lake, and the N Raccoon River lowland.
Odebolt and Wall Lake are useful references for the southern drainage network, while Auburn marks the southeastern corner near routes 71 and 175. Lytton provides another eastern reference near route 20. Matching these towns with the waterways makes it easier to locate the same areas across all four supplied maps.
Choose the Sac County map that fits the task
Use the general county map when you need communities and numbered roads in one view. It is the quickest way to compare Sac City, Lake View, Odebolt, Early, Schaller, Wall Lake, and Auburn with routes 20, 71, 110, 175, 196, and 39. The city map is better when the goal is to compare the six highlighted communities and their mapped population ranking.
The terrain-and-water map is best for Black Hawk Lake, Provost Bay, N Raccoon River, Indian Creek, Boyer River, Lime Creek, Odebolt Creek, Porter Creek, E Otter Creek, Halfway Creek, and the labeled drainage ditches. The elevation map adds the 338–475 m range and makes the contrast between the western uplands and eastern lowlands immediately visible.
The WebP images in the article are optimized for quick browser viewing. For printing, classroom use, presentations, or closer regional comparison, the ZIP below contains the county, major-city, terrain-and-water, and elevation maps as high-resolution JPG files. They are general-reference maps rather than legal, flood, navigation, or engineering products.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which map is best for locating Sac City, Lake View, and Odebolt?
The general county map is the best starting point. Sac City is in the central-eastern part of the county, Lake View lies to the south near Black Hawk Lake, and Odebolt is farther southwest. Routes 20, 71, 196, and 39 provide useful orientation between those areas.
What are the main rivers, creeks, and lakes shown in Sac County?
Black Hawk Lake and Provost Bay are the strongest lake references, while N Raccoon River forms a major eastern drainage corridor. Indian Creek, Boyer River, Lime Creek, Odebolt Creek, Porter Creek, E Otter Creek, and Halfway Creek are also labeled.
What does the 338–475 m elevation range show?
Higher terrain dominates much of the west and northwest, while the Black Hawk Lake and N Raccoon River side is lower. The mapped mean elevation is 400 meters. Precise site elevations require original elevation data or professional survey information.
Map File Information
The ZIP contains four high-resolution JPG maps for Sac 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
Iowa DOT provides a county-specific Sac County map page, while the federal links below provide boundary, hydrography, and elevation reference data.
- Iowa DOT – Sac County Maps
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line Shapefiles
- USGS National Hydrography
- USGS 3D Elevation Program
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.
