Carter County in south-central Oklahoma is centered on Ardmore, with Lone Grove, Healdton, Wilson, Dickson, Springer, Gene Autry, and smaller communities spread across a landscape of hills and stream valleys. Interstate 35 passes through the Ardmore area, U.S. 70 links Lone Grove, Ardmore, and Dickson, and State Highways 53, 76, 77, 177, and 7 provide additional references across the north and west. Caddo Creek crosses the county’s interior, while the Washita River forms a major lowland on the eastern side. This page compares settlement and road context, city distribution, waterways, and elevation, and high-resolution JPG originals of all four supplied maps are available in the download ZIP.
The physical landscape changes sharply from north to east. Oklahoma’s county almanac describes northern Carter County as hilly and rugged, with the Arbuckle Mountains providing the strongest terrain reference, while the southern part transitions into rolling plains. The supplied elevation map shows the same contrast: high ridges occupy the northern extension and north-central belt, while the Caddo Creek corridor and Washita River side are much lower.
Table of Contents
Ardmore anchors I-35 and the U.S. 70 corridor
The general county map places Ardmore in the east-central portion, with the largest developed area, railway, and concentration of major roads. Carter County’s official website locates its administration in Ardmore, and the Oklahoma county almanac identifies Ardmore as the county seat. I-35 runs north-south along the city’s western side, while U.S. 70 crosses from Lone Grove through Ardmore toward Dickson.
Lone Grove lies immediately west of Ardmore and forms a broad developed strip along U.S. 70. Wilson and Healdton extend the settlement pattern farther west, with Healdton tied more closely to State Highway 76 and local rural roads. The western side has wider gaps between communities and a denser pattern of small drainage valleys than the Ardmore corridor.
Springer lies north of Ardmore, and Gene Autry provides another northeastern reference. State Highway 53 crosses the north-central county toward the I-35 side, while Highway 177 follows the eastern edge. Fox and Highways 76 and 7 help orient the narrow northwestern extension where Carter County reaches toward the Murray County side.
The southeastern side moves toward Lake Murray and lower rolling terrain, while the north rises quickly into much more rugged relief. That difference explains why the road network is relatively straightforward around Ardmore but becomes more curved through the northern and western valleys. The supplied map is a geographic reference rather than a live traffic product, so current construction and closures should be checked separately.
The city view separates Ardmore from the western and northern towns
The city-distribution map highlights Ardmore, Lone Grove, Healdton, Wilson, Dickson, and Springer. Ardmore dominates the east-central area, Lone Grove lies directly west, Dickson is east, and Springer sits to the north. Healdton and Wilson form the western and southwestern pair, showing that Carter County’s settlement pattern extends well beyond the Ardmore urban area.
The CITY INDEX prints values beside the six place names, but those figures belong to the supplied map and are not reused here as current official population estimates. Reference years may differ. The durable geographic information is the arrangement: Ardmore is the main center, Lone Grove the closest western neighbor, Healdton and Wilson the western pair, Dickson the east, and Springer the north.
Returning to the road map adds important context. Ardmore, Lone Grove, and Dickson share the U.S. 70 corridor, while Healdton depends more on Highway 76 and western local roads. Springer lies close to the northern I-35, Highway 77, and Highway 53 network. The city and road views together make it easier to separate the county’s major travel corridors from its more isolated hill-country communities.
Caddo Creek leads toward the Washita River lowland
Caddo Creek is the dominant interior stream on the supplied water map. It gathers tributaries from western and north-central Carter County, bends eastward across the middle, and continues toward the Washita River side. Its valley forms a broad low corridor between higher hills, and the same route is easy to identify on the elevation layer.
Wildhorse Creek crosses the far northern side, while Bear Creek descends through the northwestern highlands toward the central drainage network. Hickory House Creek cuts south through the north-central hills, and Big Branch drains part of the eastern interior toward the Washita lowland. The dense tributary pattern in the north matches the much more rugged topography visible on the relief map.
Walnut Creek and Cottonwood Creek form longer valleys across the southwest, while Hickory Creek and Walnut Bayou provide southern drainage references. Ardmore Club Lake and City Lake sit near the Ardmore area, and Chickasaw Lake appears farther southeast. Lake Murray forms the largest mapped waterbody along the southeastern side and provides a strong regional landmark south of Ardmore.
Oklahoma’s official tourism site lists Lake Murray State Park with an Ardmore address and provides park and lake map resources. That source helps connect the southeastern waterbody with local recreation, but the supplied county water layer is not a flood-hazard map, legal shoreline record, current depth or discharge chart, or navigation product.
Elevation from about 199 to 392 meters highlights the northern Arbuckle terrain
The elevation legend reports an actual county range of about 199 to 392 meters, with a mean near 276 meters. The highest brown terrain is concentrated in the northern extension and across a north-central ridge belt, with additional orange hills in the west. The eastern Washita River side and lower Caddo Creek drainage are much greener and lower.
The northern extension is broken into narrow ridges and creek valleys, especially where the darkest brown and orange terrain covers the uplands. Oklahoma’s county almanac describes this part of Carter County as hilly and rugged within the Arbuckle Mountains setting. Wildhorse Creek, Bear Creek, and Hickory House Creek cut lower routes through that elevated ground.
West of Ardmore toward Healdton and Wilson, the terrain remains rolling but generally falls below the highest northern ridges. Walnut Creek and Cottonwood Creek create elongated low corridors between those hills. East of Ardmore, elevation drops more sharply toward the Washita River, producing the strongest high-to-low contrast on the map.
Brown marks the high end of Carter County’s local elevation scale, with the supplied map reaching about 392 meters. The layer is intended for county-scale terrain comparison rather than engineering. Exact parcel elevations, road grades, drainage design, and construction measurements should come from original USGS elevation data or a professional survey.
Compare Springer, Healdton, and Dickson from Ardmore
Using Ardmore as a fixed reference makes the county’s terrain differences easier to see. North toward Springer, roads approach the higher hill country and creek valleys become more closely spaced. West toward Healdton, the landscape is still rolling but broad Walnut and Cottonwood creek systems divide the terrain into lower and higher strips.
Dickson and Gene Autry provide the eastern contrast. The Washita River lowland is closer, green elevation colors become more extensive, and Caddo Creek and smaller tributaries converge toward the east. The change from northern ridges to eastern lowlands occurs over a relatively short distance around the Ardmore side of the county.
Lake Murray adds a southern and southeastern comparison point. Its state park and recreation setting contrasts with the rugged northern Arbuckle terrain, while the surrounding land remains lower than the county’s highest ridges. Carter County is therefore best understood as a combination of northern uplands, western rolling hills, a central Caddo Creek corridor, and an eastern Washita River lowland.
Choose the Carter County map for roads, settlements, water, or relief
Use the general county map when you need Ardmore, Lone Grove, Healdton, Wilson, Dickson, Springer, Gene Autry, I-35, U.S. 70, and the main state highways together. The city-distribution view is cleaner for comparing the six highlighted communities. Choose the water map for Caddo Creek, the Washita River, Wildhorse Creek, Walnut Creek, and Lake Murray.
The elevation map is the clearest choice for comparing the northern Arbuckle highlands with western hills, the Caddo Creek valley, and the low eastern Washita side. The WebP previews on the page are convenient for quick viewing, while the high-resolution JPG originals in the ZIP below are better for printing and zooming into small road and stream labels. These maps are regional reference products and should not replace legal parcel records, live navigation, flood determinations, or survey-grade elevation data.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are Ardmore and Lone Grove positioned on the map?
Ardmore sits in the east-central county, while Lone Grove lies immediately to the west. U.S. 70 provides the clearest connection, and Ardmore is also the county’s main I-35 and administrative center.
Where does the Washita River run in Carter County?
The Washita River occupies the eastern side of the county, where Caddo Creek and other tributaries converge toward a broad lowland. The water map shows the river as the strongest eastern channel, and the elevation layer shows the same area in low green terrain.
Can the 199–392 meter elevation range be used for surveying?
No. The elevation layer is intended for county-scale comparison of northern uplands, western hills, and the Caddo Creek and Washita River lowlands. Exact parcel elevations, road grades, drainage design, and construction measurements should come from original USGS data or a professional survey.
Map File Information
The download ZIP contains high-resolution JPG originals of the Carter County general map, city distribution map, water map, and elevation map.
- File Type: JPG
Related Maps
Sources and references
- Official Carter County website – county government and administrative information in Ardmore
- Oklahoma Almanac · County Government – Ardmore county-seat context and northern Arbuckle terrain background
- TravelOK · Lake Murray State Park – official park and map resources for the Lake Murray area south of Ardmore
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line Shapefiles – county boundaries and geographic reference data
- USGS National Hydrography – river, creek, and lake reference data
- USGS 3D Elevation Program – elevation and terrain reference data
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.
