Download four high-resolution JPG maps of Moultrie County, Illinois, in one ZIP from this page, then use the article views to compare Sullivan, Lovington, Bethany, Dalton City, Lake Shelbyville, the West Okaw River, and the county’s elevation. Sullivan sits slightly south of center and serves as the easiest reference point. Lovington is farther north, Bethany lies to the west, Dalton City is near the northwestern edge, and Allenville and Gays extend the settlement pattern toward the southeast and south.
The terrain becomes much clearer when the water and elevation maps are read together. West Okaw River runs down through the central-western part of the county toward Lake Shelbyville, while Jonathan Creek and the Kaskaskia River system occupy the east and southeast. The elevation map reports an actual range of about 181 to 235 meters and a mean near 203 meters. The river and reservoir valleys form the strongest low corridors, while higher ground spreads across the northwest, east-central interior, and southeastern edge.
Table of Contents
Sullivan connects Bethany, Lovington, and the southern county roads
The county map is easiest to read from Sullivan, where the Moultrie County Courthouse is marked. Route 32 runs north-south through the Sullivan area and continues toward Lovington, while Route 121 reaches the city from the Bethany side and continues across the central county. Those two roads make Sullivan the best starting point for locating the other communities without treating the entire road network as one hub-and-spoke system.
Lovington sits in the north-central part of the county, with Route 133 continuing east toward Arthur. Bethany is west of Sullivan, and Dalton City lies near the northwestern edge. Allenville is southeast of Sullivan, while Gays is close to the southern end near Route 16. Route 36 follows the northern side and Route 128 appears along the western edge, providing additional reference lines for the county boundary.
The county outline is fairly straight along much of the north and east but becomes more irregular on the west and south. The southwestern side is especially complex near the Lake Shelbyville landscape and adjoining county boundary. This map is designed for geographic orientation rather than live navigation, so current traffic, road closures, and driving times should still be checked with a dedicated road service.
Six ranked communities spread from Sullivan to the county edges
The ranked city map lists Sullivan at 4,348, Bethany at 1,176, Lovington at 1,045, Dalton City at 694, Gays at 165, and Allenville at 126. Sullivan is clearly the largest highlighted place, while Bethany and Lovington form the next tier. The three smaller communities are still useful because each marks a different edge or direction within the county.
Sullivan is south of the county’s center, Bethany lies west, and Lovington is north-central. Dalton City is close to the northwestern boundary, Allenville is southeast of Sullivan, and Gays is near the southern end. The six points therefore form a broad distribution rather than a continuous urban corridor, which is easier to recognize on the simplified city map than on the more detailed road view.
Once those positions are clear, the county map adds the transportation context. Bethany and Sullivan align with the Route 121 side of the county, while Lovington and Sullivan are connected by the north-south road system. Dalton City and Gays are much closer to the outer boundary, so their road relationships make more sense after their locations are established on the city map.
West Okaw River descends toward Lake Shelbyville while eastern creeks feed the Kaskaskia side
The terrain and water map is anchored by West Okaw River through the central-western part of Moultrie County. The river enters from the north, bends south through a long low valley, and approaches the Lake Shelbyville system. Marrowbone Creek and Brush Creek occupy the western side, while smaller branches such as Stingtown Branch add narrow tributary valleys farther north.
Lake Shelbyville dominates the southern and southwestern water landscape. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages the reservoir, and Illinois DNR notes that the lake extends from the Shelbyville dam northward to its limits above Sullivan and Bethany. On the supplied map, the reservoir’s branching shoreline forms a broad low-water corridor that is very different from the narrow creeks crossing the northern uplands.
Jonathan Creek is the main labeled stream on the eastern side, joined by smaller features such as Jonathan Branch, Twomile Branch, and Ash Creek. The Kaskaskia River appears in the southeast, with additional tributaries reaching the lower county. The map is a geographic water reference rather than a flood-risk map, legal water-boundary product, navigation chart, or drainage-engineering document.
A 181–235 m county cut by the West Okaw and Lake Shelbyville valleys
The elevation map reports an actual range of about 181 to 235 meters and a mean near 203 meters. The strongest green lowlands follow West Okaw River through the central-western county and widen dramatically around Lake Shelbyville. Tributary valleys reach north and east from the reservoir, creating a branching network of low ground through otherwise rolling terrain.
Higher brown and tan ground is broadest across the northwest, parts of the east-central interior, and the southeastern edge. The east is not uniformly high because Jonathan Creek and the Kaskaskia system cut their own green valleys through the uplands. The result is a county where multiple high areas are separated by long river and reservoir corridors rather than a landscape that simply rises in one direction.
The elevation surface is generalized for county-scale comparison and should not be treated as survey-grade height, parcel elevation, or engineering data. For ordinary map reading, however, it explains the water map well. West Okaw River, Jonathan Creek, and the reservoir arms line up with lower green corridors, while the broad tan and brown areas between them represent higher rolling ground.
Follow Sullivan, Lake Shelbyville, and Lovington across the four views
Use the county map when roads, the full boundary, and all labeled settlements matter most. The ranked city map is better for comparing Sullivan, Bethany, Lovington, Dalton City, Gays, and Allenville without extra road detail. The terrain and water map is the clearest source for West Okaw River, Lake Shelbyville, Jonathan Creek, and the Kaskaskia system, while the elevation map explains the low reservoir valleys and higher uplands around them.
Sullivan is a useful place to trace through all four views. The county map shows Routes 32 and 121 and the courthouse marker, the city map establishes Sullivan as the largest highlighted community, the water map places West Okaw River and Lake Shelbyville to the west and south, and the elevation view shows the same low valley system in green. Lovington provides a northern road-and-upland reference, while Bethany helps connect the western settlement pattern with tributary valleys approaching the reservoir.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which map is best for comparing Sullivan, Bethany, and Lovington?
The ranked city map is the quickest comparison. Sullivan is south of center, Bethany is west, and Lovington is north-central. Dalton City lies near the northwestern boundary, while Allenville and Gays extend toward the southeast and south. Switch to the county map when you also want Routes 32, 121, 133, and the smaller road connections.
How does Lake Shelbyville appear on the elevation map?
Lake Shelbyville and the West Okaw River corridor occupy some of the lowest green terrain in the county. The reservoir arms create a broad branching lowland through the southern and southwestern area, while higher tan and brown ground rises around them. The northwestern and southeastern edges contain some of the strongest high terrain on the map.
What files are included in the downloadable ZIP?
The ZIP contains four high-resolution JPG files: the county and road map, ranked city map, terrain and water map, and elevation map. Each image is 2572 × 3638 pixels. Smaller WebP versions are used in the article for faster viewing, while the JPG files are better for close inspection and print. The water and elevation maps are general geographic references rather than flood, legal-boundary, survey, or engineering products.
Map File Information
Download the Moultrie County county map, ranked city map, terrain and water map, and elevation map together as 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
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line Shapefiles – county boundaries, roads, and place reference
- USGS National Hydrography – rivers, creeks, lakes, and other hydrography reference
- USGS 3D Elevation Program – elevation and terrain reference
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Lake Shelbyville – official Lake Shelbyville information
- Illinois State Archives – Moultrie County – official county-history and courthouse reference for Sullivan
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.
