Putnam County lies along Missouri’s northern border, with Unionville providing the clearest road and settlement reference. Powersville and Lucerne lie to the west, while Livonia and Worthington sit near the irregular eastern edge. Route 5 runs north-south through Unionville and U.S. 136 approaches from the west, while Routes 129, 139, and 149 serve more distant rural sections. The western and central county is higher and more strongly ridged, while eastern creek valleys form a broader zone of lower terrain. High-resolution map files are available for download in the section below.
This page separates those features into a general county map, a city distribution map, a terrain-and-water map, and an elevation map. High-resolution JPG originals of all four can be downloaded together in one ZIP for closer viewing, A3 printing, classroom work, reports, or other large-format reference use.
Table of Contents
Unionville anchors Route 5 and the U.S. 136 corridor
Unionville sits near the center of the county and is the easiest place to begin reading the general map. Route 5 runs north-south through the area, giving a clear reference toward the Iowa border and toward southern neighboring counties. U.S. 136 approaches from Lucerne in the west and reaches Unionville, creating the strongest east-west road reference on the map.
Route 139 helps organize the northwestern countryside near Powersville and Lucerne. Southeast of Unionville, Route 129 crosses rolling terrain, while Route 149 appears farther south and east near the Worthington side. Beginning with the numbered routes makes the network of smaller rural roads easier to follow through the narrow creek valleys.
Livonia lies near the eastern boundary, and Worthington sits farther south along the same side of the county. The eastern outline is irregular and stepped compared with much of the straighter western boundary. That shape, combined with a dense creek network, gives the eastern map a noticeably different appearance from the broader western uplands.
A useful orientation sequence is Unionville in the center, Lucerne and Powersville to the west and northwest, Livonia to the east, and Worthington to the southeast. The county has few large roads, but local routes still respond to the rolling terrain. Comparing roads with the water and elevation views explains many of the bends that appear in otherwise rural areas.
Five highlighted communities spread across a largely rural county
The city map highlights Unionville, Powersville, Lucerne, Worthington, and Livonia. Unionville ranks first and sits near the center. Powersville is second in the northwest, Lucerne third in the west, Worthington fourth in the southeast, and Livonia fifth along the eastern side.
The map’s index shows a large difference in scale: Unionville is labeled with 1,824, compared with 62 for Powersville, 35 for Lucerne, 24 for Worthington, and 12 for Livonia. Those values make Unionville’s role as the county’s main settlement visually clear, but the smaller communities remain important geographic anchors because they define the western and eastern edges.
Powersville and Lucerne both lie west of Unionville but occupy different positions. Powersville is farther northwest, while Lucerne sits along the U.S. 136 corridor. Worthington and Livonia lie close to the eastern boundary and are useful when tracing the lower Blackbird Creek country on the terrain and elevation maps.
The simplified city view removes most local roads and stream names so the settlement pattern is easy to see. Nearby places outside the county, such as Pollock and Newtown, appear on the broader general map but are not part of the five-place city index. Using both views prevents the small rural communities from being confused with neighboring locations.
Medicine Creek and the Blackbird Creek system divide the rolling hills
Medicine Creek is one of the strongest water references in the western county. It follows a long north-south valley, with Elm Branch and other tributaries cutting into the surrounding ridges. Barker Creek appears farther west, adding another narrow low corridor through the Lucerne and Powersville side.
Near Unionville, Lake Thunderhead and Unionville Reservoir are easy to identify and provide useful landmarks on the terrain map. East Locust Creek crosses part of the central-western interior, giving the area another distinct drainage line separate from the reservoirs. These features help locate Unionville even after most road labels have been removed.
The eastern half is dominated by North Blackbird Creek and South Blackbird Creek. Spring Creek and Bean Creek add more branching valleys in the northeast, while Wildcat Creek extends through the southeast. The close spacing of these waterways corresponds with a larger area of lower green terrain on the elevation map.
The terrain-and-water map is intended for geographic reference, not flood determination, depth analysis, navigation, parcel boundaries, or legal water boundaries. Reservoir levels and creek conditions can change, so current recreation, flood, or safety decisions should rely on the appropriate official source.
Elevation ranges from about 231 to 335 meters
The elevation map reports an actual range of roughly 231 to 335 meters and a mean near 294 meters. Brown and dark tan terrain is most extensive across the west and central county, where long ridges rise above Medicine Creek and many smaller tributaries. The western half therefore appears more strongly dissected by alternating ridges and narrow valleys.
East of Unionville, green and light-green terrain becomes much more widespread. North Blackbird Creek, South Blackbird Creek, Spring Creek, and Wildcat Creek occupy connected low corridors, and the eastern boundary contains some of the lowest terrain shown on the map. The transition from higher central ridges to lower eastern valleys is one of the clearest county-wide patterns.
The Unionville area itself remains rolling rather than flat. Lake Thunderhead, Unionville Reservoir, and nearby tributaries sit between ridges, while higher ground becomes more extensive toward the west. Comparing the terrain-and-water map with the elevation colors makes the relationship between creek valleys and lower ground easy to see.
This county-scale elevation surface is useful for broad relief comparison, not for engineering, construction, drainage design, parcel-level elevation decisions, or survey-grade measurement. Site-specific work requires more detailed official elevation data or field surveying.
Use Unionville, the creek network, and elevation colors as reference layers
Start with the general county map when roads and settlement locations matter most. Unionville, Route 5, and U.S. 136 provide an immediate framework, after which Powersville, Lucerne, Livonia, and Worthington are easy to place. The city map is faster when you only need the relative distribution of the five highlighted communities.
For waterways, begin with Medicine Creek in the west and then compare the North and South Blackbird Creek system in the east. Lake Thunderhead and Unionville Reservoir provide easy central landmarks, while Wildcat Creek helps identify the southeast. Moving to the elevation map afterward shows how those waterways occupy lower corridors between higher ridges.
Putnam County is shaped less by a major urban corridor than by small towns, rolling ridges, and a dense network of creeks. The road map explains where the communities connect, while the water and elevation maps reveal the broad shift from higher western and central uplands to lower eastern valleys.
The downloadable JPG originals contain more pixels than the WebP previews embedded on the page, making them better for enlargement, A3 printing, classroom handouts, reports, and personal reference. They remain general-purpose maps, however. Legal boundaries, property ownership, live road restrictions, flood status, reservoir conditions, and precise site elevations should always be checked against the appropriate current official source.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are the main highlighted communities relative to Unionville?
Powersville lies to the northwest, Lucerne to the west, Livonia to the east, and Worthington to the southeast. Route 5 and U.S. 136 provide the easiest road references for organizing those directions around Unionville.
How much elevation change is shown across Putnam County?
The elevation map shows an actual range of about 231 to 335 meters with a mean near 294 meters. Western and central ridges are higher, while the Blackbird Creek system and other eastern valleys occupy lower ground.
Which waterways are the best starting points on the terrain map?
Medicine Creek is the clearest western reference, while North Blackbird Creek and South Blackbird Creek organize the eastern side. Lake Thunderhead, Unionville Reservoir, and Wildcat Creek provide additional landmarks.
Map File Information
The download ZIP contains high-resolution JPG versions of the Putnam County general map, city map, terrain-and-water map, and elevation map.
- File Type: JPG
Related Maps
Sources and References
Boundary and road reference data are supported by U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line, water features by USGS National Hydrography, and elevation data by the USGS 3D Elevation Program. County office information in Unionville is available from the Missouri Association of Counties Putnam County page.
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.
