Mitchell County lies in north-central Kansas with Beloit as its most prominent mapped community and Glen Elder, Cawker City, Tipton, Simpson, and Hunter spread around it. Waconda Lake dominates the northwest, while the Solomon River winds eastward across the northern half of the county. Around Beloit, US 24, K-9, and K-14 provide clear road references, but the water and elevation layers reveal a landscape that is much more varied than the highway map alone suggests. High-resolution map files are available for download in the section below.
This page uses the supplied county, city, water, and elevation maps to explain the places and terrain visible in the files. WebP previews are convenient for online viewing, and the original high-resolution JPG versions of all four maps can be downloaded together in one ZIP for printing, classroom use, or offline reference. The most useful physical contrast is between the low Solomon River corridor and the much higher, more rugged southwestern uplands.
Table of Contents
Beloit provides the clearest road reference for the eastern half of the county
Beloit is the largest city marker on the general map and sits near several important routes. K-9 passes east–west just north of town, US 24 leaves Beloit toward the southeast and Simpson, and K-14 runs south from the city toward the lower county boundary. Those routes make Beloit a practical starting point when comparing destinations in the eastern, southern, and northwestern parts of Mitchell County.
Glen Elder and Cawker City sit farther west along the northern side of Waconda Lake. K-128 is visible in that area, while K-181 provides a road reference near Tipton in the southwest. Simpson is close to the eastern boundary along the US 24 direction, and Hunter lies near the southern edge. The pattern is therefore quite dispersed: northern towns cluster near the lake and river, while southern communities are separated by broad rural areas.
Neighboring counties also help orient the map. Jewell County is north, Cloud and Ottawa counties are east, Lincoln County is south, and Osborne County is west, with Smith County toward the southwest. These labels place Mitchell County within the north-central Kansas grid before the map is narrowed to individual towns or waterways.
The six-city index shows how strongly Beloit stands apart from smaller communities
The simplified city map ranks six major communities and removes much of the highway detail. Its printed index lists Beloit at 3,029, Glen Elder at 476, Cawker City at 352, Tipton at 241, Simpson at 154, and Hunter at 58. These are the index values displayed on the supplied map rather than a replacement for the latest official population estimates, but they make the relative visual emphasis of the cities clear.
Geography matters as much as the ranking. Beloit is in the northeastern part of the county, Glen Elder and Cawker City are farther west beside the reservoir, Tipton is southwest, Simpson is east, and Hunter is close to the southern edge. The northern half therefore contains most of the larger settlement markers, while the southern half is dominated by rural land and branching creek valleys.
Road directions reinforce this pattern. From Beloit, Glen Elder and Cawker City are reached to the northwest, while Simpson lies to the southeast along the US 24 side of the county. Tipton and Hunter are much farther south and west, where local roads and stream valleys become more important than the concentrated northern road network.
Waconda Lake feeds a winding Solomon River corridor across northern Mitchell County
Waconda Lake is the largest water body on the physical map. Also known as Glen Elder Reservoir, it occupies the northwest and narrows eastward into the Solomon River. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks places Glen Elder State Park on the north shore just west of the city of Glen Elder, making the reservoir an important local landmark as well as the head of the county’s largest river corridor.
The Solomon River meanders east across the northern half of the county and receives a long list of tributaries. Limestone Creek, Browns Creek, Mulberry Creek, and Plum Creek descend from the north. West Asher Creek and East Asher Creek enter farther east, while Leban Creek joins from the south. Salt Creek, Carr Creek, Mill Creek, and Walnut Creek shape the western and southern interior.
The river does not follow a straight channel. East of the reservoir it forms repeated bends, and those curves match a long low corridor on the elevation map. This makes the Solomon River the county’s clearest example of how a major waterway and a broad valley occupy the same part of the landscape.
This layer is intended for geographic water reference rather than floodplain, navigation, water-quality, or legal-access decisions. Current flow, depth, boating conditions, and reservoir access can change, so site-specific questions should be checked with the appropriate agency.
Elevation from about 398 to 581 meters separates the river lowlands from the southwest hills
The elevation map spans roughly 398 to 581 meters, with a mean near 458 meters. The lowest broad zone follows Waconda Lake and the Solomon River from northwest to east, appearing as a long green belt. The southwest is very different: darker brown terrain rises into a broad area of higher, strongly dissected hills.
Those southwestern uplands are not a single smooth plateau. Around the Tipton–Hunter side of the county, narrow creek valleys cut repeatedly into the higher surface and leave ridges between them. Farther east and north, relief becomes lower around the Solomon corridor, though smaller tributaries still create local cuts and short ridges.
Comparing the physical layers makes the relationship easy to see. Salt Creek and Leban Creek occupy lower strips through the interior, and many northern tributaries descend through short green valleys toward the Solomon River. The main river forms the widest depression, while the highest terrain remains concentrated well to the southwest.
This county-scale elevation surface is not survey-grade or engineering-grade data. It is useful for comparing broad valleys and uplands but should not be used to establish parcel elevations, construction grades, drainage design, or legal boundaries. Detailed site work requires more precise official elevation data and, where appropriate, field surveying.
Glen Elder and Cawker City sit in the county’s most lake-focused setting
Glen Elder and Cawker City have a different geographic setting from the smaller southern towns because both are closely tied to Waconda Lake. Cawker City is near the northwestern side of the reservoir, while Glen Elder is closer to its northeastern end where the lake narrows into the Solomon River. Their position makes the reservoir an obvious reference whenever the western half of the county is being described.
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks describes Glen Elder Reservoir, or Waconda Lake, as a roughly 12,500-acre lake with Glen Elder State Park on the north shore. The supplied maps are not campground or marina plans, but they clearly show how the lake sits between Cawker City, Glen Elder, and the downstream Solomon River. Current recreation information and lake conditions should be checked on the official park site before a visit.
East and south of Beloit, tributary valleys become the dominant landscape detail
Beloit lies close to the Solomon River lowland, but the surrounding interior quickly rises into rolling terrain cut by smaller streams. Plum Creek and the Asher Creek system are visible east of the city, while Leban Creek creates a longer valley to the south. Following K-14 away from Beloit therefore moves from the main river corridor into a more rural landscape of ridges, creek bottoms, and straight county roads.
Simpson occupies a similar eastern setting where small streams are closely spaced. The elevation map shows moderate uplands between them, with narrow lower channels repeatedly cutting through the surface. That pattern explains why the eastern county looks much more textured on the physical maps than it does on the simplified road layer.
Choose the file that matches the question
Use the general county map when roads, towns, Waconda Lake, and neighboring counties need to appear together. The city map is cleaner when the goal is to compare Beloit, Glen Elder, Cawker City, Tipton, Simpson, and Hunter without highway clutter. For the Solomon River and named tributaries, the terrain-and-water map provides the most useful detail.
The elevation map is the best choice for explaining why the north is dominated by a broad river lowland while the southwest contains much higher hills. Starting with the general map and then switching to the physical layers is especially useful around Glen Elder and Beloit, where the road network, reservoir, river, and low valley all overlap.
For large prints or presentation slides, use the original JPG files in the download archive rather than enlarging the web previews. The high-resolution versions preserve small road labels, creek names, town text, and the elevation legend more clearly. If part of a map is cropped for a handout, keep enough surrounding context—such as a north arrow, highway number, or legend—to make the selected area understandable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Waconda Lake relative to Beloit?
Waconda Lake is west of Beloit in the northwestern part of the county. Glen Elder and Cawker City sit close to its northern shore, and the Solomon River continues east from the reservoir toward the Beloit area.
Which part of Mitchell County does the Solomon River cross?
The Solomon River runs across the northern half of the county from Waconda Lake toward the east. It passes through the broad lowland near Beloit and receives tributaries including Limestone, Browns, Mulberry, Plum, and Leban creeks.
Can the 398–581 meter elevation map be used for surveying?
No. It is a generalized county-scale surface for comparing the Solomon River lowland with higher uplands. Parcel elevations, engineering grades, drainage design, and legal boundary work require more precise official data and, where needed, professional surveying.
Map File Information
The archive contains the Mitchell County, Kansas general county map, city map, terrain-and-water map, and elevation map as original high-resolution JPG files.
- 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 references
- Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks: Glen Elder State Park — Waconda Lake, park location, and recreation context
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line Shapefiles — county boundary and geographic reference data
- USGS National Hydrography — river and stream reference data
- USGS 3D Elevation Program — elevation and terrain reference data
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.
