Lee County occupies Iowa’s southeastern tip, where Fort Madison and Keokuk sit along major river lowlands and the interior rises into a dense network of creek-cut hills. U.S. 61 follows the eastern side through Fort Madison toward Wever, U.S. 2 crosses the county through Donnellson toward Fort Madison, and U.S. 218 with Iowa 27 provides a north-south reference near the western interior. The terrain-and-water map is dominated by the Mississippi River along the east and southeast and the Des Moines River along the south, with Skunk River and numerous creeks adding smaller valleys inland. 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 Fort Madison and Keokuk as the two largest riverfront centers. Donnellson and West Point provide useful inland references, while Montrose lies between the larger river cities along the Mississippi side. The elevation map shows higher uplands across much of the west and northwest and much lower terrain beside the Mississippi and Des Moines rivers.
Table of Contents
Fort Madison and U.S. 61 organize the eastern riverfront
Fort Madison is the strongest first landmark on the general county map. U.S. 61 runs north from the city toward Wever, while U.S. 2 approaches from Donnellson in the west. Together, those roads provide a simple way to locate the central-eastern part of the county before adding smaller rural routes.
U.S. 218 and Iowa 27 run through the Donnellson area and continue toward the southern interior. Iowa 394 is shown near Argyle, and Iowa 16 connects the Denmark and Wever side of the north. West Point, Franklin, St. Paul, and several other small places help divide the broad farm country. The map is intended for county-scale orientation rather than live navigation, so current construction, closures, and exact access should be checked with current transportation information.
The county boundary bends with the Mississippi River on the east and narrows toward the south near Keokuk. Roads through the interior are comparatively straight, but the river edge and creek valleys follow irregular curves. Comparing the road map with the water and elevation sheets makes the contrast between the river lowlands and western uplands much clearer.
Fort Madison and Keokuk form two major settlement centers
The city map ranks Fort Madison first with a mapped population of 10,133 and Keokuk second at 9,662. West Point is third at 840, Donnellson fourth at 770, Montrose fifth at 744, and Franklin sixth at 148. The two largest highlighted cities occupy different sections of the riverfront, while the smaller communities are distributed across the interior and central river corridor.
West Point and Donnellson are the strongest inland references, and Montrose helps locate the Mississippi River side between Fort Madison and Keokuk. Franklin is a much smaller interior settlement. Des Moines, Henry, and Van Buren counties are labeled around the city map, placing Lee County at the southeastern edge of Iowa.
The settlement pattern becomes more informative when it is compared with relief. Fort Madison and Montrose sit beside broad low ground associated with the Mississippi River, and Keokuk occupies another low riverfront setting near the county’s southern tip. West Point and Donnellson are farther inland where the terrain rises into a more dissected upland.
Mississippi River creates the broad eastern lowland
The Mississippi River is the dominant feature on the terrain-and-water map. It follows the eastern side of Lee County and creates a broad low corridor from the Fort Madison area toward Keokuk. Skunk River approaches the Mississippi near the northeastern side, adding another large drainage route close to the county boundary. On the elevation map, these river corridors appear as extensive dark-green lowlands.
Lost Creek, Prairie Creek, and Devils Creek drain toward the eastern lowland from the interior. Lake Wilderness is labeled in the north, and Wilson Lake appears farther southwest. Painter Creek and Jack Creek create additional low corridors through the central-southern uplands before reaching the major river side.
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 major rivers and smaller creeks fit around the county’s towns, roads, and uplands.
Des Moines River and southern creeks divide the Keokuk side
Des Moines River forms the strongest natural reference along the southern boundary and approaches the larger Mississippi lowland near the Keokuk end of the county. Hog Thief Creek drains toward the same southern river country, while Sugar Creek and Little Sugar Creek cut long valleys through the southwestern uplands.
Lost Creek and a labeled West Branch divide the western interior, and Painter Creek with Jack Creek creates additional lower routes toward the Mississippi side. These creeks are much narrower than the two major rivers, but they remain clearly visible on the elevation sheet as green bands separating higher ridges.
Keokuk and Montrose are useful references for the riverfront, while Donnellson and West Point help locate the inland creek valleys. Pairing town locations with the water network makes the shift from broad river lowland to rolling interior terrain easier to follow.
Elevation ranges from 147 to 238 meters
The supplied elevation map shows an actual county range of about 147 to 238 meters, with a mean elevation of 197 meters. Higher brown terrain covers much of the west and northwest, while the Mississippi River side forms a broad dark-green lowland. Low terrain also follows the southern Des Moines River corridor and the Keokuk end of the county.
The western uplands are not one smooth surface. Sugar Creek, Little Sugar Creek, Lost Creek, and other tributaries carve repeated valleys into the higher ground. Across the center, Prairie Creek and Devils Creek create long green corridors. Near the northeastern Skunk River and eastern Mississippi River, lower terrain spreads across much wider areas.
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 elevated interior and the broad low ground beside the major rivers.
River cities and inland roads reveal two sides of Lee County
Lee County is easiest to understand by combining its river cities with the interior road network. Fort Madison and Keokuk provide two strong riverfront references, while U.S. 61, U.S. 2, and U.S. 218 connect the central and western parts of the county. Adding the Mississippi River, Des Moines River, and creek valleys explains why the terrain changes quickly away from the river edge.
West Point and Donnellson work well as inland anchors, while Montrose provides a midpoint along the Mississippi side. Wever and Denmark help locate the northern U.S. 61 and Iowa 16 corridor. Comparing the same places across the county, city, water, and elevation maps makes the county’s shape and relief much easier to understand.
Choose the Lee 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 Fort Madison, Keokuk, Donnellson, West Point, and Montrose with U.S. 61, U.S. 218, U.S. 2, Iowa 16, Iowa 27, and Iowa 394. 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 Mississippi River, Des Moines River, Skunk River, Lost Creek, Prairie Creek, Devils Creek, Sugar Creek, Painter Creek, and the mapped lakes. The elevation map adds the 147–238 m range and makes the western uplands and eastern-southern river lowlands 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 Fort Madison and Keokuk?
The general county map is the best starting point. Fort Madison is on the central-eastern Mississippi River side and connects with U.S. 61 and U.S. 2. Keokuk lies near the southern tip in another major river lowland, while Donnellson, West Point, and Montrose are also labeled on the same sheet.
What are the main rivers and creeks shown in Lee County?
Mississippi River dominates the eastern and southeastern edge, while Des Moines River defines the southern river corridor. Skunk River, Lost Creek, Prairie Creek, Devils Creek, Painter Creek, Sugar Creek, and other tributaries divide the interior uplands.
What does the 147–238 m elevation range show?
The elevation map shows higher terrain across much of the west and northwest and lower ground beside the Mississippi and Des Moines rivers. The mapped mean elevation is 197 meters. Precise site elevations require original elevation data or professional survey information.
Map File Information
The ZIP contains four high-resolution JPG maps for Lee 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.
