Clinton County lies in north-central Pennsylvania, where the broad river valley around Lock Haven contrasts sharply with the mountainous country around Renovo and Kettle Creek. U.S. 220 and PA 120, 144, 150, 44, and 664 provide the strongest road references, while the West Branch Susquehanna River, reservoirs, and deep tributary valleys explain much of the county’s shape. The four original A3 high-resolution JPG maps used on this page are available in the download box below for printing, classroom use, and regional reference.
The West Branch Susquehanna River is the simplest feature to use for orientation. It bends through the Renovo area, continues east through a long mountain corridor, and opens into the lower Lock Haven valley before reaching Avis and McElhattan. Most of the north is high and heavily dissected, while the southeastern end contains broader low valleys separated by long parallel ridges.
Table of Contents
Lock Haven anchors the U.S. 220 and PA 120 road network
Lock Haven is the clearest starting point on the general reference map. U.S. 220 passes just south of the city and connects the Mill Hall and Lamar side with Avis and McElhattan to the east. PA 120 follows the West Branch Susquehanna River west toward Renovo. Flemington sits directly west of Lock Haven, while Castanea and Mackeyville lie to the south, creating the county’s densest concentration of communities and roads.
East of Lock Haven, McElhattan and Avis occupy the river-and-highway corridor, while PA 664 climbs toward the northeastern uplands. To the southwest, PA 150 links the Mill Hall and Beech Creek side, and PA 64, PA 477, and PA 880 use long valleys between ridges. The road network is more continuous here than in the northern mountains, but long ridge crests still limit direct cross-country travel.
Renovo is much farther northwest and belongs to a separate mountain-valley setting. PA 120 remains close to the river for much of the route, and PA 144 provides an important connection into the high country around Renovo. PA 44 and PA 664 serve other northern and northeastern upland corridors, where road choices are strongly controlled by topography.
Lock Haven leads the ranking while Renovo forms a separate upper-river center
The ranked community map highlights Lock Haven, Mill Hall, Flemington, Avis, Renovo, and Beech Creek. The values printed on the supplied graphic are Lock Haven 8,447, Mill Hall 1,364, Flemington 1,322, Avis 1,171, Renovo 1,045, and Beech Creek 678. These numbers explain the ranking used on the map; readers needing the newest official population estimates should consult current Census Bureau releases.
Lock Haven, Flemington, and Mill Hall are close together in the southeastern lowlands, and Avis extends the settlement corridor eastward along the river. Beech Creek lies west of Mill Hall in another low valley connected to the same southern transportation system. Renovo is the outlier, sitting far northwest in a narrow West Branch Susquehanna valley enclosed by high mountain terrain.
The spacing of the six communities is more important than the ranking alone. Clinton County does not contain one continuous urban strip. Most population and road density is concentrated near Lock Haven, while Renovo serves a much smaller but geographically important center for the mountainous northwestern part of the county.
The West Branch Susquehanna links Renovo with the Lock Haven valley
The West Branch Susquehanna River is the dominant feature on the terrain-and-water map. It follows a deeply incised corridor through the Renovo area, bends across the county, and enters a much broader valley around Lock Haven. Clinton County planning material also describes the county’s more urban settlements as concentrated along the West Branch, matching the pattern visible on the supplied maps.
Kettle Creek is the strongest water reference in the northwest. Pennsylvania DCNR describes Kettle Creek State Park as a 1,793-acre park along Kettle Creek in western Clinton County, set in a valley surrounded by mountainous terrain and wilderness. Kettle Creek Lake and the branching tributaries around it stand out clearly against the shaded relief.
Renovo Reservoir and South Renovo Reservoir provide additional landmarks near the upper river. Lick Run occupies a long northeastern valley, while North Fork Tangascootack Creek and Tangascootack Creek cut through the south-central uplands. Farther southeast, Keller Reservoir, Warren H Ohl Reservoir, and Fishing Creek help distinguish the long valleys south of Lock Haven.
The terrain-and-water map is intended for geographic reference rather than flood-zone decisions, water depth, water quality, or current reservoir operations. Those questions require the latest information from FEMA, USGS, Pennsylvania agencies, or the organization responsible for a particular facility.
Elevation ranges from about 160 to 722 meters
The elevation map displays an actual range of roughly 160 to 722 meters and a mean near 443 meters. The lowest green terrain follows the West Branch Susquehanna River and the broad valley around Lock Haven, Mill Hall, and Avis. Brown uplands cover much of the north and northwest, creating a very large relief difference within one county.
Around Renovo, short tributary valleys cut deeply into the high plateau and mountain slopes. Kettle Creek and other streams appear as narrow green corridors surrounded by terrain that rises into the 500- to 700-meter range. PA 120 and PA 144 repeatedly use these lower passages, which explains their winding alignments on the road map.
The southeast has a different topographic form. South and east of Lock Haven, long parallel ridges alternate with broad low valleys, producing a more recognizable Ridge-and-Valley pattern than the tightly dissected northern uplands. Roads through Mill Hall, Lamar, and Loganton make use of those long low corridors.
The elevation surface is designed for county-wide comparison and is not a survey-grade measurement for a particular parcel, building, bridge, or construction site. Site-specific work should rely on authoritative source elevation data or professional surveying.
Lock Haven, Flemington, and Mill Hall occupy the county’s broadest lowland
The Lock Haven area contains one of the widest continuous lowlands in Clinton County. The West Branch Susquehanna River crosses the valley, while low terrain associated with Bald Eagle Creek approaches from the south. Flemington nearly adjoins Lock Haven on the west, and Mill Hall lies southwest near the U.S. 220 and PA 150 approaches.
Clinton County’s official court history records that the first county court session was held in Lock Haven in December 1839, the same year the county was formed. The first official courthouse was built in 1842 on East Church Street. Lock Haven remains the county seat today, so the county’s administrative center and largest mapped settlement occupy the same broad southeastern valley.
Castanea, McElhattan, and Avis continue the developed corridor east of the city. The northwestern mountains have much less room for continuous settlement, but this lower valley can accommodate roads, neighborhoods, institutions, and industry over a wider area. For general orientation, Lock Haven is therefore the most practical reference point in the county.
Renovo and Kettle Creek are defined by narrow mountain valleys
Renovo lies far northwest of Lock Haven along PA 120 and the West Branch Susquehanna River. It ranks fifth on the supplied community map but is the clearest settlement landmark in the upper-river mountains. The road bends with the river because steep ridges leave few alternative routes, making actual driving distance much longer than a simple straight-line measure might suggest.
Kettle Creek State Park lies northwest of Renovo and provides another strong natural landmark. DCNR describes the park as a mountain valley surrounded by wilderness, and the elevation map shows exactly that relationship: a low creek-and-lake corridor enclosed by high uplands. The park also reflects the large amount of forested public land that characterizes northern Clinton County.
Kettle Creek Lake, Renovo Reservoir, and South Renovo Reservoir are useful geographic references, but they are not interchangeable in purpose or management. On this map set, their main value is showing which valleys contain water and how those valleys relate to PA 120, PA 144, and the surrounding relief.
Avis and McElhattan occupy the eastern outlet of the main river valley
East of Lock Haven, McElhattan and Avis sit close to the West Branch Susquehanna River and U.S. 220. The valley remains broad enough for a relatively continuous road and settlement pattern, making the eastern side easier to navigate than the narrow mountain corridor toward Renovo.
PA 664 climbs north from the McElhattan area into higher terrain, where Chatham Run and numerous short tributaries divide the hills. Toward Lycoming County, the river and highway share the same broad regional corridor, so east-west travel is less constrained than in much of the northern interior.
This part of the county is easiest to understand by first following the river on the water map and then checking U.S. 220 and the communities on the general map. The relationship between low terrain and settlement is especially clear from Lock Haven through McElhattan and Avis.
The Lamar and Loganton side follows long agricultural valleys between ridges
South of Lock Haven, the terrain changes into long parallel ridges separated by broader valleys. Mill Hall and Lamar occupy one of the principal low corridors, while PA 64, PA 477, and PA 880 connect the southern interior. Loganton sits farther southeast in another elongated valley near the Union County side.
Official Clinton County planning material describes the southern portion of the county as primarily agricultural, with commercial farms and Amish communities in the high valleys. That description matches the elevation map, where long green valley floors alternate with higher ridge crests rather than the short branching hollows found across the northern uplands.
Fishing Creek and several smaller tributaries use these southern valleys, with Warren H Ohl Reservoir and Keller Reservoir providing additional water landmarks. Comparing the road and elevation maps makes it easier to see why communities and routes extend lengthwise through the valleys instead of crossing every ridge directly.
Clinton County was created in 1839 around a river-and-forest landscape
Pennsylvania State Archives records that Clinton County was created on June 21, 1839 from parts of Centre and Lycoming counties, with Lock Haven as the county seat. Clinton County’s own court history shows that court sessions began in Lock Haven that same year, reinforcing the city’s early administrative importance.
A recent county planning document describes Clinton County as an 897-square-mile county with extensive forest and agricultural land, while more urban settlement follows the West Branch Susquehanna River. Large state forest areas in the north and agricultural valleys in the south create the strong regional contrast visible across the elevation and road maps.
Modern Clinton County therefore combines the Lock Haven administrative and population center, the Renovo mountain-river corridor, Kettle Creek wilderness, and long agricultural valleys in the south. Roads, communities, water, and elevation all respond to that same terrain, so viewing the four maps together gives the clearest overall picture.
Choose the map according to the information you need
For roads and place names, the general reference map is the best starting point. It combines Lock Haven, Renovo, Mill Hall, Avis, McElhattan, U.S. 220, PA 120, PA 144, PA 150, and PA 664 in one view. The ranked community map is cleaner when the goal is to compare the six larger settlements and see how strongly population is concentrated in the southeast.
For rivers, reservoirs, and valley terrain, the terrain-and-water map provides more detail. The West Branch Susquehanna River, Kettle Creek Lake, Renovo Reservoir, Tangascootack Creek, Fishing Creek, and several southeastern reservoirs can be compared directly with shaded relief. The elevation map reduces labels and makes the low Lock Haven valley, high northern mountains, and long southern ridges especially easy to distinguish.
For printed handouts, classroom use, regional reference notes, or presentation slides, the A3 high-resolution JPG files in the download archive will remain sharper than enlarged web previews. Pairing the general and elevation maps works well for transportation and relief, while the community and water maps show how settlement follows major river and creek valleys.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the easiest reference point for locating places in Clinton County?
Start with Lock Haven. U.S. 220 and PA 120 pass nearby, and the West Branch Susquehanna River runs through the same valley. From there, follow the river northwest toward Renovo, or use Mill Hall and Avis as southwest and eastern reference points for the more developed part of the county.
Why does the trip between Renovo and Lock Haven follow such a winding route?
High mountain terrain surrounds the West Branch Susquehanna valley between the two communities. PA 120 uses the lower river corridor because relatively few roads cross the surrounding ridges directly. The elevation map makes the contrast between the narrow valley floor and the high slopes especially clear.
Can the 160–722 meter elevation range be used as an exact property elevation?
No. The range summarizes county-wide relief and is useful for comparing the Lock Haven lowlands with the northern mountains. Parcel, construction, or engineering work requires authoritative source elevation data or professional surveying.
Map File Information
The download ZIP contains four A3 high-resolution JPG files: the Clinton County general reference map, ranked community map, terrain-and-water map, and elevation map. The original files are larger than the web previews and are better suited to printing, classroom handouts, regional reference work, and presentation slides.
- 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 References
- Clinton County – County Courts: official history of the first county court sessions and courthouse in Lock Haven.
- Clinton County 2025 Comprehensive and Greenways Plan material: county area, West Branch settlement corridor, forests, and agricultural landscape.
- Pennsylvania DCNR – Kettle Creek State Park: official information on Kettle Creek and western Clinton County mountain terrain.
- Pennsylvania State Archives – County Courthouses: county creation date and Lock Haven county-seat record.
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line Shapefiles: county boundary and transportation geography.
- USGS National Hydrography: rivers, streams, lakes, and reservoir data.
- USGS 3D Elevation Program: elevation data and 3DEP documentation.
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.
