Johnson County in eastern Iowa combines the dense Iowa City-Coralville urban area with a deeply dissected river-and-reservoir landscape extending north toward Coralville Lake and Lake Macbride. I-80 crosses the central county, I-380 runs north near North Liberty, U.S. 6 links the western side with Coralville, and U.S. 218 continues south from the Iowa City area. Iowa 1 provides an eastern north-south reference through Solon and the Iowa City side, while Iowa 22 appears near Lone Tree in the southeast. The terrain-and-water map adds the Iowa River, Coralville Lake, Lake Macbride, Clear Creek, Rapid Creek, Old Mans Creek, and many smaller tributaries. 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 Iowa City and Coralville, then move north to North Liberty and Tiffin and northeast toward Solon. Hills sits south of Iowa City, Oxford provides a western rural reference, and Swisher and Shueyville mark the northern side. The elevation sheet shows broad low ground along the Iowa River and reservoir system, surrounded by higher ridges that are especially pronounced in the north, east, and western rural areas.
Table of Contents
Iowa City and Coralville organize the main highway network
Iowa City and Coralville are the strongest first landmarks on the general county map. I-80 passes east-west along the northern side of the urban core, while I-380 runs north from the Coralville and North Liberty side. U.S. 6 crosses the western part of the county through Oxford, Tiffin, and Coralville, and U.S. 218 continues south from the Iowa City area. Together, these roads provide a clear framework for locating the main urban corridor.
Iowa 1 follows the eastern side through the Solon and Iowa City area, and Iowa 22 is shown near Lone Tree in the southeastern extension. Iowa 27 is labeled near the central-southern highway corridor. Tiffin sits west of Coralville, North Liberty is to the north, and Hills lies south of Iowa City. The map is intended for county-scale orientation rather than live navigation, so current closures, construction, and exact access should be checked with current transportation information.
The urban road network becomes much more concentrated around Iowa City and Coralville, while the rural road pattern opens up toward the north, west, and south. The waterways cut across that road geometry in broad curves, especially around the Iowa River and reservoir system. Comparing the two layers explains why nearby places can sit on very different terrain even when major highways connect them directly.
Iowa City, Coralville, and North Liberty dominate the city pattern
The city map ranks Iowa City first with a mapped population of 75,752. Coralville is second at 23,234, and North Liberty is third at 21,125. Tiffin is fourth at 5,737, Solon fifth at 3,152, and University Heights sixth at 1,384. The three largest highlighted communities form a close central and north-central cluster, giving Johnson County a much more urbanized pattern than many surrounding rural counties.
Iowa City and Coralville are directly adjacent, with University Heights close to Iowa City on the west. North Liberty sits farther north, Tiffin to the west, and Solon to the northeast. Neighboring counties shown around the city map include Linn, Cedar, Muscatine, Washington, Iowa, and Louisa, providing regional context for Johnson County’s location in eastern Iowa.
The settlement pattern becomes even more informative when it is compared with relief. The Coralville Lake and Iowa River corridor creates a long low zone immediately beside major developed areas, while higher dissected terrain surrounds North Liberty, Solon, and the western rural side. South of Iowa City, the main river valley broadens again before entering the county’s long southeastern extension.
Iowa River and Coralville Lake form the central water corridor
Iowa River is the dominant waterway on the terrain-and-water map. It enters the northern part of the county, widens into Coralville Lake, then narrows and continues south through the Iowa City area. Coralville Lake has a strongly branching shoreline because numerous tributary valleys enter the reservoir. On the elevation sheet, the same corridor appears as a broad dark-green lowland surrounded by much higher ridges.
Matson Pond, Wisniewski Pond, and Swan Lake are labeled west and northwest of the main river system. Lake Macbride lies northeast of Coralville Lake and provides another major water reference in the Solon side of the county. The number of small tributary valleys around the reservoirs explains why the northern terrain is so deeply cut despite the presence of large open water bodies.
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 main river, reservoirs, creeks, and urban areas relate to one another across the county.
Clear Creek, Rapid Creek, and Old Mans Creek divide the surrounding uplands
Clear Creek crosses the western side toward Coralville and forms one of the most prominent tributary valleys outside the main Iowa River corridor. Deer Creek follows a lower route farther south, while Rapid Creek enters the central-eastern side and approaches the main river system. Mill Creek is labeled in the northeast near the Cedar River side of the map. These streams divide the higher ground into a dense network of short ridges.
Old Mans Creek crosses the southern half from west to east, and Snyder Creek is labeled farther east. Lake Bend provides another fixed water reference along the southern Iowa River corridor. Compared with the large reservoir system in the north, the southern half contains fewer broad water surfaces but many long stream valleys that remain easy to recognize on the elevation map.
Tiffin and Coralville are useful references for Clear Creek, while Solon helps locate Lake Macbride and the northeastern ridges. Hills and Lone Tree provide references for the southern river-and-creek country. Using towns and waterways together makes the drainage pattern much easier to remember than studying the stream names in isolation.
Elevation ranges from 161 to 276 meters
The supplied elevation map shows an actual county range of about 161 to 276 meters, with a mean elevation of 226 meters. The lowest dark-green terrain follows the Iowa River, Coralville Lake, and the lower river corridor south of Iowa City. Higher brown and dark-orange ridges are concentrated across much of the north, east, and western rural interior. The overall mapped difference exceeds 110 meters, producing strong local relief around the river valleys.
The reservoir zone is broad and low, but steep, short ridges rise immediately around many inlets. North of North Liberty and around Solon, tributaries carve the uplands into narrow fingers. The western countryside is also strongly dissected by creek valleys. Farther south, the Iowa River lowland broadens and the long southeastern extension contains a larger proportion of lower green terrain.
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 low central river corridor surrounded by much more strongly dissected uplands.
Urban corridors and natural valleys overlap across the county
One of Johnson County’s defining features is the close overlap between a large urban corridor and a complex river landscape. Iowa City, Coralville, and North Liberty are connected by I-80, I-380, U.S. 218, and other major roads, yet the same area is split by Iowa River, Coralville Lake, and Clear Creek valleys. The road map emphasizes connections between communities, while the terrain map reveals the low corridors and ridges beneath those connections.
Tiffin is a useful anchor for the western urban edge and Clear Creek, while Solon links the northeastern road network with Lake Macbride and the surrounding ridge country. Hills marks the southern Iowa River corridor, and Oxford and Frytown help locate the less developed western interior. Comparing the same places across all four supplied sheets makes the county’s structure much easier to understand.
Choose the Johnson 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 Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, Tiffin, Solon, and the surrounding communities with I-80, I-380, U.S. 6, U.S. 218, Iowa 1, Iowa 22, and Iowa 27. 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 Iowa River, Coralville Lake, Lake Macbride, Clear Creek, Rapid Creek, Old Mans Creek, and the mapped ponds. The elevation map adds the 161–276 m height range and makes the low river corridor and higher surrounding ridges 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 Iowa City and Coralville?
The general county map is the best starting point. Iowa City and Coralville are adjacent in the central urban area and connect with I-80, U.S. 6, and U.S. 218. North Liberty, Tiffin, Solon, and Hills are also labeled on the same sheet.
What are the main rivers, lakes, and creeks shown in Johnson County?
Iowa River is the dominant channel, and Coralville Lake and Lake Macbride are the largest mapped water bodies. Clear Creek, Rapid Creek, Old Mans Creek, and several smaller streams are also labeled, along with Matson Pond, Wisniewski Pond, and Swan Lake.
What does the 161–276 m elevation range show?
The elevation map shows low terrain along Iowa River and Coralville Lake and higher ridges across much of the north, east, and western interior. The mapped mean elevation is 226 meters. Precise site elevations require original elevation data or professional survey information.
Map File Information
The ZIP contains four high-resolution JPG maps for Johnson 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.
