2018 Map of Des Moines NW

About this map

Saylorville Lake dominates the upper-central landscape of this Des Moines-area survey, where the Des Moines River and its backwaters, including Fisher Lake and Lake Loop, define the terrain north of the city. The map documents the extensive suburban expansion of Ankeny, Johnston, and Urbandale, showing a dense network of residential streets and arterial roads like NW Beaver Dr and Meredith Dr. For local historians and genealogists, the sheet is particularly dense with burial sites, preserving the locations of Union Cem, Valley View Cem, Ridgedale Cem, and Rittgers Cem. These sites, along with smaller landmarks like Kinsey Cem and Morningstar Field, provide essential anchor points for tracing the lineage of families who settled the townships of t80n r25w and t79n r24w before the modern suburban footprint took shape.