Jones County in eastern Iowa is organized around Anamosa and Monticello, with smaller towns spread across a deeply dissected landscape of ridges and stream valleys. U.S. 151 enters the southwest near Martelle and reaches the Anamosa area, Iowa 64 runs east from Anamosa toward Wyoming, Iowa 38 crosses the Olin side, and Iowa 136 provides a reference near Oxford Junction. Monticello sits farther north, where local roads converge around the Maquoketa River drainage. The terrain-and-water map adds Maquoketa River, Maquoketa Creek, Mineral Creek, Bear Creek, and Wapsipinicon River. 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 Anamosa in the southwest and Monticello in the north. Olin anchors the south, Wyoming the east-central area, Oxford Junction the southeast, and Martelle the west. The elevation map shows higher ridges across much of the north and central interior, while lower green corridors follow the major streams toward the south and southeast. Combining the town pattern with the drainage network makes the county’s relief much easier to understand.
Table of Contents
Anamosa and U.S. 151 provide the clearest southwestern reference
Anamosa is the strongest first landmark on the general county map. U.S. 151 approaches from Martelle on the west and reaches the Anamosa area, while Iowa 64 heads east toward Wyoming. Iowa 1 is visible along the western side and helps place Martelle. Using these routes first makes it easier to locate the surrounding rural roads without treating every small junction as a separate reference.
Monticello is farther north and acts as the main northern town reference. Cascade appears just outside the county near the northern edge. Olin lies in the south along Iowa 38, while Oxford Junction anchors the southeast near Iowa 136. Center Junction and Onslow provide additional reference points across the central and eastern interior. The map is intended for county-scale orientation rather than live navigation, so current road conditions and closures should be checked separately.
The road network looks relatively regular across the farm country, but the stream valleys cut through it at many different angles. Between Anamosa and Monticello, short tributaries divide the uplands into repeated ridges. Farther east, the terrain becomes even more intricately dissected. Once the road layout is familiar, the water and elevation sheets make the underlying landscape much easier to see.
Anamosa and Monticello form two separate settlement centers
The city map ranks Anamosa first with a mapped population of 5,629 and Monticello second at 4,071. Olin is third at 830, Wyoming fourth at 525, Oxford Junction fifth at 461, and Martelle sixth at 457. The two largest highlighted cities are separated between the southwest and north rather than forming one continuous urban area.
Anamosa provides the clearest southwestern reference, while Monticello organizes the northern side. Olin is useful for the south, Wyoming for the east-central interior, Oxford Junction for the southeast, and Martelle for the west. Neighboring counties shown around the city map include Delaware, Jackson, Clinton, Johnson, Linn, Dubuque, and Cedar, placing Jones County within eastern Iowa.
The city distribution becomes more meaningful when it is compared with elevation. Anamosa is surrounded by alternating ridges and tributary valleys, while Monticello sits close to the Maquoketa River drainage. The Olin and Oxford Junction sides contain broader lower areas associated with the southern and southeastern creek systems.
Maquoketa River cuts through the northern and central uplands
Maquoketa River is one of the strongest named waterways on the terrain-and-water map. It enters the northern-central part of the county and follows a winding southeastward valley. Maquoketa Creek and Farm Creek add separate tributary corridors farther east. On the elevation sheet, these channels correspond with lower green valleys between higher brown ridges.
Silver Creek and Deer Creek are labeled in the northwest, while Mineral Creek creates a long valley across the central-eastern interior. The number of small streams makes the north and center much more dissected than the road map first suggests. Monticello and Center Junction are useful town references for this section of the drainage network.
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 and creek valleys divide the county’s uplands and connect different parts of the rural landscape.
Bear Creek and Wapsipinicon River define the southern lowlands
Bear Creek crosses the central-southern part of the county in a long eastward valley. Lime Bear Creek runs nearby and adds another lower corridor through the rolling terrain. Buffalo Creek lies farther north and west, creating a separate valley between the larger stream systems.
Wapsipinicon River appears in the southeastern corner and is the largest waterway in that part of the county. W Goose Lake is labeled close to the river. S Fork Walnut Creek and Walnut Creek form additional valleys in the southwest. Together, these waterways explain the broader green lowlands shown around Olin and Oxford Junction on the elevation map.
Moving south from Anamosa, high ridges are increasingly broken by short tributaries before the terrain opens into larger creek valleys. Olin and Oxford Junction provide useful references for the lower southern and southeastern landscape. Connecting the town locations with the major waterways makes the relief pattern easier to remember.
Elevation ranges from 214 to 331 meters
The supplied elevation map shows an actual county range of about 214 to 331 meters, with a mean elevation of 268 meters. Higher brown and dark-orange ridges cover much of the north and central interior. Lower green corridors follow Maquoketa River, Bear Creek, and Wapsipinicon River, producing a clear contrast between the ridge country and the southern-southeastern lowlands.
The northern uplands are not a single smooth surface. Numerous tributaries carve long, narrow valleys into the higher ground. Across the center, a prominent ridge system is crossed by the Maquoketa and Mineral Creek valleys. Lower terrain becomes more extensive toward the south and southeast, especially around the Bear Creek and Wapsipinicon drainage.
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 drop from the northern and central ridges into the lower southern and southeastern drainage corridors.
Roads and stream valleys reveal different county patterns
The general map is easy to orient with U.S. 151 and Iowa 64, Iowa 38, and Iowa 136, while the terrain map follows the winding Maquoketa River and Bear Creek systems. Anamosa is the strongest road reference for the southwest, and Monticello is the best northern reference for the Maquoketa drainage.
Olin works well as a reference for the southern lowlands, Wyoming for the east-central interior, Oxford Junction for the Wapsipinicon side, and Martelle for the western road network. Using those town anchors makes it easier to compare the same part of the county across the general, city, water, and elevation maps.
Choose the Jones 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 Anamosa, Monticello, Olin, Wyoming, Oxford Junction, and Martelle with U.S. 151, Iowa 1, Iowa 64, Iowa 38, and Iowa 136. 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 Maquoketa River, Maquoketa Creek, Mineral Creek, Bear Creek, Lime Bear Creek, Wapsipinicon River, and the smaller tributaries. The elevation map adds the 214–331 m range and makes the high northern-central ridges and lower southern-southeastern valleys 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 Anamosa and Monticello?
The general county map is the best starting point. Anamosa is in the southwest near U.S. 151 and Iowa 64, while Monticello is farther north. Olin, Wyoming, Oxford Junction, Martelle, Iowa 38, and Iowa 136 are also labeled on the same sheet.
What are the main waterways shown in Jones County?
Maquoketa River and Maquoketa Creek dominate the northern-central drainage, while Mineral Creek crosses the east-central interior. Bear Creek and Lime Bear Creek shape the south, and Wapsipinicon River appears in the southeast near W Goose Lake.
What does the 214–331 m elevation range show?
The elevation map shows higher ridges across much of the north and center and lower valleys along Maquoketa River, Bear Creek, and Wapsipinicon River. The mapped mean elevation is 268 meters. Precise site elevations require original elevation data or professional survey information.
Map File Information
The ZIP contains four high-resolution JPG maps for Jones 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.
