Perry County lies in southeastern Missouri, where Perryville provides the main road and settlement reference between higher interior hills and the Mississippi River lowlands. Longtown, Frohna, and Altenburg stretch east and southeast from Perryville, while smaller places such as Brewer, Lithium, Biehle, and Old Appleton occupy other parts of the county. Interstate 55 and Route 51 frame the western side, U.S. 61 runs southeast from Perryville, and the eastern boundary follows broad bends of the Mississippi River. High-resolution map files are available for download in the section below.
This page separates those features into a general county map, a city-connections map, a terrain-and-water map, and an elevation map. High-resolution JPG originals of all four can be downloaded together in one ZIP for closer inspection, A3 printing, classroom work, reports, or other large-format reference use.
Table of Contents
Perryville organizes the I-55, Route 51, and U.S. 61 road pattern
Perryville sits a little west of the county’s center and is the easiest place to begin reading the general map. Interstate 55 runs north-south to the west, while Route 51 approaches from the southwest. U.S. 61 leaves the Perryville area toward the southeast, giving the county three clear travel directions before smaller roads are considered.
U.S. 61 provides the most useful reference for the Longtown and Old Appleton side of the county. Farther east, Frohna and Altenburg sit closer to the Mississippi River and are reached through a road network shaped by numerous creek valleys. The roads there bend more often than the major western corridors because they cross rolling terrain rather than a simple grid.
Northwest of Perryville, St. Mary, Lithium, and Brewer help identify the upper part of the county. Shakertown and Biehle provide smaller references south of the city. These places are not the focus of the city-connections map, but they are useful on the general map because they fill the spaces between the major highways and the county boundary.
The eastern and northeastern county line is irregular because it follows the Mississippi River, while much of the southern and western boundary is straighter. That difference matters when estimating travel: two locations can appear close across a river bend or creek valley while the actual road route is considerably longer.
Longtown, Frohna, and Altenburg extend east from Perryville
The city-connections map uses Perryville as its hub and shows three direct-distance links. Longtown lies about 7 miles southeast of Perryville, Frohna about 15 miles to the east-southeast, and Altenburg about 17 miles farther east. These are straight-line distances, not driving mileage, so actual trips follow longer and more winding roads.
The three communities provide a useful sequence from the county interior toward the Mississippi River side. Longtown remains relatively close to Perryville, while Frohna and Altenburg sit much nearer the eastern edge. Altenburg is especially useful as a river-side reference, and Frohna marks the rolling terrain immediately west of it.
The connector lines are not roads. Between Perryville and the eastern towns, the landscape contains numerous tributary valleys and ridges, so a straight line does not represent the route a driver would actually take. The simplified map is best used for orientation before consulting the general road map.
Perry County includes many smaller communities beyond these four labels. Brewer, Lithium, Biehle, and Old Appleton appear on the general map and help fill in the county’s rural geography. Remembering the eastward sequence from Perryville to Longtown, Frohna, and Altenburg makes the water and elevation maps easier to interpret.
Mississippi River lowlands contrast with Cinque Hommes Creek and interior valleys
The Mississippi River is the dominant water feature along the eastern side of the terrain-and-water map. It follows the county boundary from the northeast toward the southeast and is bordered by a broad low floodplain. Numerous smaller tributaries descend from the interior hills toward the river, widening as they reach lower ground.
Cinque Hommes Creek is one of the clearest interior waterways, crossing the central county before continuing east. Bois Brule Creek and Old River appear farther north, while South Fork Saline Creek provides a strong reference in the western-central hills. Seminary Lake lies nearby and adds a small but useful landmark among the branching tributaries.
The southwest contains the Whitewater River and Apple Creek, along with Lake Perry and Lake Kah-tan-da. Farther east, Omete Creek and Barrenau Creek descend toward the Mississippi River. Rather than memorizing every tributary, it is easier to begin with the Mississippi River, Cinque Hommes Creek, South Fork Saline Creek, and Whitewater River, then locate the smaller streams between them.
The terrain-and-water map is a geographic reference, not a flood-risk map, depth chart, navigation product, parcel map, or legal water-boundary survey. Mississippi River stage and local stream conditions change over time, so current decisions should rely on appropriate official hydrologic or emergency-management sources.
Elevation ranges from about 100 to 326 meters
The elevation map reports an actual range of roughly 100 to 326 meters and a mean near 167 meters. The lowest dark greens form a broad band along the Mississippi River in the north and east, where floodplain surfaces sit well below most of the county interior. Tributary valleys extend those low colors inland.
The highest terrain is concentrated in the west and especially the southwest. Brown and dark tan ridges rise near the Bollinger County side and are cut by the Whitewater River and smaller tributaries. West and southwest of Perryville, the contrast between high ridges and narrow valleys is much stronger than along the river edge.
Moving east from the central county, the landscape generally descends toward the Mississippi River lowlands. Cinque Hommes Creek and Omete Creek occupy lower corridors between ridges, and those valleys become broader as they approach the river. Comparing the terrain and elevation maps makes the relationship between waterways and lower ground especially clear.
This county-scale elevation surface is useful for broad relief comparison, not for engineering, construction, drainage design, parcel-level elevation decisions, or survey-grade measurement. Site-specific work requires more detailed official elevation data or field surveying.
Choose the map by the detail you need
Start with the general county map when roads and settlement locations matter most. Perryville gives the central reference, while Interstate 55, Route 51, and U.S. 61 define the main travel directions. The city map is faster when you only need the relative position and straight-line distance from Perryville to Longtown, Frohna, and Altenburg.
For streams and physical terrain, begin with the Mississippi River and Cinque Hommes Creek, then compare South Fork Saline Creek, Whitewater River, and Apple Creek. Moving to the elevation map afterward shows how those waterways occupy lower corridors between ridges and how the interior drops toward the eastern floodplain.
Perry County is especially useful for comparing two very different settings within a short distance: high dissected ridges in the west and southwest, and broad Mississippi River lowlands in the east. The road map alone does not show that contrast as clearly as the water and elevation maps viewed together.
The downloadable JPG originals contain more pixels than the WebP previews embedded on the page, making them better for enlargement, A3 printing, classroom handouts, reports, and personal reference. They remain general-purpose maps, however. Legal boundaries, property ownership, live road restrictions, flood status, and precise site elevations should always be checked against the appropriate current official source.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far are Longtown, Frohna, and Altenburg from Perryville?
The city map shows straight-line distances of about 7 miles from Perryville to Longtown, 15 miles to Frohna, and 17 miles to Altenburg. These are direct distances, so driving mileage is longer because roads follow ridges and creek valleys.
How much elevation change is shown across Perry County?
The elevation map shows an actual range of about 100 to 326 meters and a mean near 167 meters. Mississippi River lowlands are lowest, while the western and southwestern ridges contain the county’s highest terrain.
Which waterways are the best starting points on the terrain map?
Start with the Mississippi River on the east and Cinque Hommes Creek through the central county. South Fork Saline Creek, Whitewater River, and Apple Creek then provide useful references for the western and southwestern valleys.
Map File Information
The download ZIP contains high-resolution JPG versions of the Perry County general map, city map, terrain-and-water map, and elevation map.
- File Type: JPG
Related Maps
Sources and References
Boundary and road reference data are supported by U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line, water features by USGS National Hydrography, and elevation data by the USGS 3D Elevation Program. County government information centered in Perryville is available from the official Perry County website.
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.
