Ringgold County in southern Iowa is organized around Mount Ayr and a scattered network of small communities including Kellerton, Diagonal, Tingley, Redding, and Maloy. Route 2 crosses the Mount Ayr-Kellerton area, route 169 provides a north-south reference through the center, route 25 follows the western side, and route 344 is marked north of Mount Ayr. The supplied map set also shows several branches of the Grand River system, Sun Valley Lake, and a terrain range from 293 to 389 meters. High-resolution JPG versions of the county, city, terrain-and-water, and elevation maps can be downloaded in the ZIP near the end of the article. High-resolution map files are available for download in the section below.
The county is more dissected than a simple flat plain. Platte River and Grand River form long western valleys, Middle Fork Grand River crosses the south-central area, and E Fork Grand River creates another major lower corridor farther east. Higher ridges remain between those waterways, especially across the northern half of the county.
Table of Contents
Mount Ayr provides the clearest road reference in the center
Mount Ayr is the most useful starting point on the general county map. Route 2 runs east-west through the town toward Kellerton, while route 169 crosses the central county and continues north toward Tingley. Route 344 provides another numbered reference immediately north of Mount Ayr.
Route 25 follows the western side, with Benton and Maloy located farther east inside the county. Diagonal sits in the northwest-central area, Tingley near the north center, and Redding and Delphos in the southwest. These towns divide the large rural areas into clear reference points.
Ellston and Beaconsfield provide additional references in the northeast, with Sun Valley Lake visible nearby. Several places outside the county boundary, including Clearfield, Shannon City, Grand River, and Lamoni, help orient the surrounding region. The map is intended for county-scale reference rather than live navigation or current road-condition information.
Mount Ayr leads a six-city pattern of very small communities
The city map ranks Mount Ayr first with a mapped population of 1,816. Kellerton is second at 286 and Diagonal third at 254. Tingley is fourth at 128, Redding fifth at 51, and Maloy sixth at 30.
Mount Ayr sits near the south-central part of the county and acts as the main geographic anchor. Kellerton lies to the east, Diagonal to the northwest, and Tingley to the north. Redding and Maloy provide two separate southwestern references, which is useful in a county where most communities are small and widely spaced.
Neighboring county labels include Union County to the north, Taylor County to the west, and Decatur and Clarke counties to the east. Those labels make it easier to place Ringgold County within southern Iowa and to see how the highlighted communities relate to the surrounding rural region.
Platte River and Grand River form the western valley system
Platte River and Grand River are the strongest named waterways on the western side of the terrain-and-water map. Both run generally from north to south and create long lower corridors. On the elevation map, these valleys appear in green and lighter tones against the higher brown ridges around them.
Sun Valley Creek descends through the northern interior, while Crooked Creek forms another valley farther south. Middle Fork Grand River crosses the southwestern and south-central part of the county, connecting a separate low corridor with the broader western drainage.
This map is intended for general geographic reference. It does not provide current water levels, flood forecasts, navigable-depth information, parcel boundaries, or legal water limits, so those questions require current agency data.
East Fork Grand River and smaller creeks cut the central and eastern ridges
E Fork Grand River forms a prominent north-south valley through the central-eastern county. Gooseberry Creek lies to its west, while Lots Creek and Wolf Creek add separate drainage lines farther east. The close spacing of these streams divides the uplands into long, narrow ridges.
Near Mount Ayr, Loch Ayr City Reservoir and Old Reservoir provide small but useful fixed water references, with Walnut Creek nearby. Walnut Creek Lake appears farther west, while Sun Valley Lake is the most prominent named lake in the northeast. These water bodies help distinguish areas that otherwise look similar on the road map.
Middle Fork Grand River and E Fork Grand River together show how the lower southern terrain is split into several separate corridors. The eastern half contains many small tributaries, and the elevation map shows their valleys as repeated green channels between higher ridges.
Elevation ranges from 293 to 389 meters
The supplied elevation map shows an actual county range of about 293 to 389 meters, with a mean elevation of 349 meters. Higher brown terrain is especially common across the northern, northwestern, and north-central ridges. Lower green corridors follow Grand River, Middle Fork Grand River, E Fork Grand River, and their tributaries.
The western side contains broad low areas along Platte River and Grand River, while the center is cut by numerous narrow tributary valleys. The eastern side repeats the same pattern around E Fork Grand River and Lots Creek. The difference between the mapped high and low ends is about 96 meters.
The elevation colors are designed for broad terrain comparison rather than survey-grade measurement. Exact parcel elevations, road grades, engineering design, or construction work require original elevation data or professional surveying.
Mount Ayr, Tingley, and Kellerton reveal different terrain zones
Mount Ayr is a useful central reference for comparing several parts of the county. Moving north toward Tingley reaches higher ridges interrupted by small tributaries, while the Kellerton side is closer to the E Fork Grand River and Lots Creek valley system. West of Mount Ayr, the terrain transitions toward the Grand River drainage.
Diagonal provides a good reference for the northwestern uplands and nearby Grand River valleys. Redding helps locate the lower southwestern drainage, while Maloy and Benton are useful for the western interior. Comparing the same towns across the road, water, and elevation maps makes the county’s relief much easier to understand.
Choose the Ringgold 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 Mount Ayr, Kellerton, Diagonal, Tingley, Benton, Maloy, and Redding with routes 2, 25, 169, and 344. The city map is better for comparing the six highlighted communities and their mapped population ranking.
The terrain-and-water map is best for Platte River, Grand River, Middle Fork Grand River, E Fork Grand River, Sun Valley Creek, Crooked Creek, Gooseberry Creek, Lots Creek, and Wolf Creek. Sun Valley Lake, Loch Ayr City Reservoir, Old Reservoir, and Walnut Creek Lake provide additional fixed water references.
The elevation map adds the 293–389 m range and makes the contrast between the higher northern ridges and lower river valleys immediately visible. The WebP images in the article are optimized for browser viewing, while the ZIP below contains high-resolution JPG copies for printing, classroom use, presentations, and closer regional comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which map is best for locating Mount Ayr, Kellerton, and Diagonal?
The general county map is the best starting point. Mount Ayr is the main south-central reference, Kellerton lies to the east, and Diagonal is in the northwest-central part of the county. Routes 2, 169, 25, and 344 help distinguish those areas.
What are the main rivers, creeks, and lakes shown in Ringgold County?
Platte River, Grand River, Middle Fork Grand River, and E Fork Grand River are the largest named waterways. Sun Valley Creek, Crooked Creek, Gooseberry Creek, Lots Creek, and Wolf Creek are also labeled, along with Sun Valley Lake and several smaller reservoirs.
What does the 293–389 m elevation range show?
The elevation map shows higher ridges across much of the northern half of the county and lower terrain along the Grand River system and its tributaries. The mapped mean elevation is 349 meters. Precise site elevations require original elevation data or professional survey information.
Map File Information
The ZIP contains four high-resolution JPG maps for Ringgold 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
Iowa DOT provides a county-specific Ringgold map page, while the federal links below provide boundary, hydrography, and elevation reference data.
- Iowa DOT – Ringgold County Maps
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line Shapefiles
- USGS National Hydrography
- USGS 3D Elevation Program
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.
