Marion County in south-central Iowa combines the Knoxville-Pella area with the broad Lake Red Rock and Des Moines River lowlands and a more deeply cut network of creeks to the south and west. Iowa 92 crosses Knoxville from west to east, Iowa 14 runs north-south through the central county, and Iowa 163 provides a strong northeastern reference near Pella. Pleasantville, Melcher-Dallas, Harvey, and Bussey help locate the outer parts of the county. 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 Knoxville and Pella. Knoxville lies near the center, while Pella occupies the northeast. Pleasantville anchors the west, Melcher-Dallas the southwest, Harvey the east-central side, and Bussey the southeast. The elevation sheet shows higher uplands across much of the west and southwest and extensive low ground around Lake Red Rock and the Des Moines River.
Table of Contents
Knoxville and Iowa 92 provide the main central road reference
Knoxville is the strongest first landmark on the general county map. Iowa 92 passes through the city from west to east, while Iowa 14 runs north-south through the same central area. Iowa 5 is also labeled just south of Knoxville, giving another reference for the road network around the county seat.
Pella lies in the northeast near Iowa 163. Pleasantville is farther west near Iowa 316, while Melcher-Dallas anchors the southwest. Harvey appears east of Knoxville, and Bussey with Hamilton provides a southeastern reference. The map is intended for county-scale orientation rather than live navigation, so current construction and road closures should be checked separately.
The rural road grid is comparatively direct, but the waterways follow winding valleys through the hills. North of Knoxville, the terrain opens into the Lake Red Rock area. South and west of the city, White Breast Creek, English Creek, and other tributaries divide the uplands into shorter ridges. Comparing the road and water sheets makes that contrast much easier to see.
Pella and Knoxville form the two largest city centers
The city map ranks Pella first with a mapped population of 10,720 and Knoxville second at 7,473. Pleasantville is third at 1,899, Melcher-Dallas fourth at 1,176, Bussey fifth at 414, and Harvey sixth at 174. The two largest highlighted cities occupy different parts of the county, with Pella in the northeast and Knoxville closer to the center.
Pleasantville provides the clearest western reference, Melcher-Dallas the southwestern one, Harvey the east-central one, and Bussey the southeastern one. Neighboring counties shown around the city map include Polk, Jasper, Mahaska, Monroe, Lucas, and Warren, which places Marion County within south-central Iowa.
The city pattern becomes more useful when compared with relief. Pella lies close to the broad low ground around Lake Red Rock, while Pleasantville and Melcher-Dallas are nearer higher western and southwestern uplands. Around Knoxville, numerous creek valleys create repeated low corridors through the central hills.
Lake Red Rock and Des Moines River dominate the northern and eastern lowlands
Lake Red Rock is the largest water feature on the terrain-and-water map. It stretches across the northern-central part of Marion County and narrows eastward into the Des Moines River corridor. On the elevation sheet, the reservoir and river appear as extensive dark-green low ground that contrasts sharply with the higher surrounding ridges.
Wildcat Creek and Teter Creek approach the reservoir from different parts of the surrounding uplands. Thunder Creek provides another northeastern tributary reference, while South Skunk River is visible beyond the county’s northeastern side. Together, these waterways help explain the lower terrain between the Pella and Knoxville areas.
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 reservoir, river, and creek valleys divide the county’s uplands and lowlands.
White Breast Creek and English Creek divide the southern hills
White Breast Creek follows a long valley across the southwestern side, while Long Branch creates another lower route farther south. English Creek crosses the central-southern interior, and Hawk Run provides an additional western tributary reference. These waterways are much narrower than Lake Red Rock but remain easy to match with green valleys on the elevation sheet.
Walnut Creek and North Coal Creek cross the southeastern half, with Cedar Creek labeled farther south. These tributaries cut the terrain around Harvey and Bussey into repeated short ridges and lower corridors. The southern half therefore has a much more dissected appearance than the broad reservoir lowland to the north.
Pleasantville and Melcher-Dallas are useful references for the higher western side, while Harvey and Bussey help locate the eastern and southeastern creek systems. Pairing towns with named streams makes it easier to move between the road map, the water map, and the elevation sheet.
Elevation ranges from 207 to 308 meters
The supplied elevation map shows an actual county range of about 207 to 308 meters, with a mean elevation of 255 meters. Higher brown terrain is concentrated across much of the west and southwest, while Lake Red Rock and the Des Moines River occupy broad green lowlands. The difference between the mapped high and low ends exceeds 100 meters, producing a strong contrast between the reservoir corridor and the western uplands.
The western high ground is not one smooth plateau. White Breast Creek and many smaller tributaries carve narrow valleys through it. English Creek creates another lower route across the central-southern area, while Walnut Creek and North Coal Creek divide the southeastern hills. East of Lake Red Rock, the Des Moines River lowland becomes especially broad.
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 transition from higher western ridges into the large reservoir and river lowlands.
Roads and water features reveal two very different parts of Marion County
The general map is easy to orient with Iowa 92 and Iowa 14 around Knoxville and Iowa 163 near Pella. The terrain map is dominated by Lake Red Rock and the Des Moines River to the north and east, while the southern half is cut by smaller creeks. Knoxville is the best central reference for comparing the road and drainage layers.
Pella works well for the reservoir side, Pleasantville and Melcher-Dallas for the higher western uplands, and Harvey with Bussey for the eastern and southeastern creek valleys. Looking at the same places across the county, city, water, and elevation maps makes Marion County’s relief and road layout much easier to understand.
Choose the Marion 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 Knoxville, Pella, Pleasantville, Melcher-Dallas, Harvey, and Bussey with Iowa 92, Iowa 14, Iowa 163, Iowa 5, and Iowa 316. 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 Lake Red Rock, Des Moines River, White Breast Creek, English Creek, Walnut Creek, Wildcat Creek, Teter Creek, Thunder Creek, Long Branch, and the southern tributaries. The elevation map adds the 207–308 m range and makes the higher western uplands and lower reservoir-river corridor 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 Knoxville and Pella?
The general county map is the best starting point. Knoxville is near the center along Iowa 92 and Iowa 14, while Pella lies farther northeast near Iowa 163. Pleasantville, Melcher-Dallas, Harvey, and Bussey are also labeled on the same sheet.
What are the main rivers, creeks, and water bodies shown in Marion County?
Lake Red Rock is the dominant water feature, and the Des Moines River continues east from the reservoir. White Breast Creek, English Creek, Walnut Creek, Wildcat Creek, Teter Creek, Thunder Creek, Long Branch, and several other tributaries divide the surrounding uplands.
What does the 207–308 m elevation range show?
The elevation map shows higher terrain across much of the west and southwest and lower ground around Lake Red Rock and the Des Moines River. The mapped mean elevation is 255 meters. Precise site elevations require original elevation data or professional survey information.
Map File Information
The ZIP contains four high-resolution JPG maps for Marion 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.
