Jasper County in central Iowa is organized around Newton, an east-west I-80 corridor, and two major Skunk River valleys that cut across the rural road grid. Colfax lies to the west, Monroe and Prairie City anchor the south and southwest, Baxter sits in the north, and Sully provides a southeastern reference. I-80 runs through the central part of the county, U.S. 6 is visible near Colfax, Iowa 14 crosses the Newton area, and Iowa 117 and Iowa 163 help organize the southwest. The terrain-and-water map adds the North and South Skunk rivers, several named creeks, and lakes such as Ken Wolfe Lake, Rock Creek Lake, and Wire Lake. 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 Newton near the center and Colfax to the west, then follow I-80 east toward Kellogg. Baxter provides a northern reference, Monroe and Prairie City define the south and southwest, and Sully marks the southeast. The elevation map shows why the county is more varied than the road grid suggests: lower green corridors follow the Skunk River systems, while higher brown terrain is concentrated across much of the north and northeast.
Table of Contents
Newton and I-80 provide the clearest road reference
Newton is the strongest first landmark on the general county map. I-80 passes through the central part of the county from the Colfax side toward Kellogg and Oakland Acres, while Iowa 14 provides a north-south reference through the Newton area. U.S. 6 appears near Colfax in the west, and Iowa 330 enters the northwest near Mingo. These routes create a simple framework for locating the rest of the county.
Iowa 117 runs south from the Colfax area toward Prairie City, while Iowa 163 helps locate Prairie City and Monroe in the south. Baxter lies to the north, and Iowa 224 is shown near Kellogg on the eastern side. Reasnor, Sully, and Lynnville provide useful references in the southern and southeastern rural areas. The map is intended for broad county orientation rather than live navigation, so current construction, closures, and exact access points should be checked with current transportation information.
The highways and farm roads are mostly straight, but the water network follows a very different geometry. South Skunk River bends through the western and central-southern landscape, while North Skunk River crosses from the north toward the southeast. Comparing the road and water maps reveals the valleys hidden beneath the regular transportation grid.
Newton leads a widely spaced six-city pattern
The city map ranks Newton first with a mapped population of 15,700. Colfax is second at 2,210 and Monroe third at 2,120. Prairie City is fourth at 1,711, Baxter fifth at 1,247, and Sully sixth at 1,022. Newton is by far the largest highlighted center, while the other communities are spread across the west, south, north, and southeast.
Colfax is the clearest western reference, Monroe the southern one, and Prairie City the southwestern one. Baxter anchors the north, while Sully helps locate the southeastern interior. Marshall, Story, Poweshiek, Tama, Mahaska, Marion, and Polk counties are labeled around the city map, placing Jasper County within central Iowa.
The city distribution also helps make sense of the relief map. Newton and Colfax are close to lower corridors associated with the South Skunk system, while Baxter and the northern countryside sit among more strongly dissected uplands. Sully and the southeast contain broad lower tributary zones that contrast with the higher northeastern terrain.
South Skunk River forms a broad western and central low corridor
The water map labels the main western-central channel as S Skunk River, corresponding to the South Skunk River. It enters from the west, bends across the central-southern part of the county, and occupies one of the broadest lower valleys on the elevation map. Indian Creek and Clear Creek connect with the same western drainage setting, adding smaller branches to the main corridor.
Prairie Creek and Cherry Creek extend through the central and southern interior, creating narrower valleys that feed into the broader lowland. Wire Lake is labeled in the south-central area and provides a useful fixed water reference. These features show why the west and southwest contain broad green corridors even though the road map above them is dominated by straight lines.
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 river valleys, creeks, and lakes fit around the road grid and towns. Current hydrologic or regulatory information should be checked with the responsible agency.
North Skunk River and Rock Creek divide the northeast
The water map labels a second major channel as N Skunk River, corresponding to the North Skunk River. It enters from the north and follows a long southeast-trending valley. Ken Wolfe Lake is shown nearby, providing a useful water reference along this part of the county. Rock Creek and Rock Creek Lake are farther northeast, where the drainage network is especially dense.
Sugar Creek follows the eastern side, while Elk Creek creates another long lower corridor through the east-central and southeastern interior. These tributaries are narrower than the two Skunk River channels, but on the elevation sheet they appear as green bands cutting into higher tan and brown terrain. The northeastern part of the county therefore combines some of the highest ground with numerous deeply incised creek valleys.
Baxter and Kellogg are useful town references for the northern and eastern side. Moving east from Newton, the North Skunk River system and its tributaries become more important, while the Sully side contains another set of lower creek corridors. Pairing the towns with these waterways makes the drainage map easier to remember.
Elevation ranges from 213 to 316 meters
The supplied elevation map shows an actual county range of about 213 to 316 meters, with a mean elevation of 272 meters. Higher brown and dark-orange ground covers much of the north and northeast. Lower green terrain follows the South Skunk River and North Skunk River systems, producing long valleys that cut through the uplands. The mapped difference between the low and high ends exceeds 100 meters, enough to create a clear relief pattern at county scale.
The northeastern high ground is not a smooth plateau. Rock Creek, Sugar Creek, and many smaller tributaries carve narrow valleys into it. In the west-central area, the South Skunk River lowland broadens, while the North Skunk River creates another long green corridor farther east. Southern tributaries add additional low areas around Monroe, Reasnor, and Sully.
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 river lowlands and the higher terrain to the north and northeast.
Roads and river valleys reveal two different county patterns
The general map is easy to orient with I-80, Iowa 14, Iowa 117, and Iowa 163, while the terrain map follows the curved South and North Skunk river valleys. Newton is the strongest central road reference, and Colfax and Prairie City help connect the western transportation network with the South Skunk lowlands.
Baxter works well as a reference for the higher north, Kellogg for the east, Monroe for the south, and Sully for the southeast. Using these local anchors makes it easier to compare the same part of the county across the general, city, water, and elevation maps without treating each sheet as a separate topic.
Choose the Jasper 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 Newton, Colfax, Baxter, Prairie City, Monroe, and Kellogg with I-80, U.S. 6, Iowa 14, Iowa 117, Iowa 163, Iowa 224, and Iowa 330. The city map is better when the goal is to compare the six highlighted communities and the population ranking shown on the supplied graphic.
The terrain-and-water map is best for South Skunk River, North Skunk River, Clear Creek, Indian Creek, Prairie Creek, Rock Creek, Ken Wolfe Lake, Rock Creek Lake, and Wire Lake. The elevation map adds the 213–316 m height range and makes the broad river lowlands and higher northeastern terrain 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 Newton and Colfax?
The general county map is the best starting point. Newton is near the center and I-80 passes just south of the city, while Colfax is farther west near I-80 and U.S. 6. Baxter, Prairie City, Monroe, Kellogg, Iowa 14, Iowa 117, and Iowa 163 are also labeled on the same sheet.
What are the main waterways and lakes shown in Jasper County?
South Skunk River and North Skunk River are the strongest channels, with Clear Creek, Indian Creek, Prairie Creek, Rock Creek, and other tributaries adding smaller valleys. Ken Wolfe Lake, Rock Creek Lake, and Wire Lake are also labeled on the water map.
What does the 213–316 m elevation range show?
The elevation map shows higher terrain across much of the north and northeast and lower corridors along the South and North Skunk river systems. The mapped mean elevation is 272 meters. Precise site elevations require original elevation data or professional survey information.
Map File Information
The ZIP contains four high-resolution JPG maps for Jasper 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.
