2015 Map of Elkader

About this map

Turkey River and Volga River wind through this part of Clayton County, framing a landscape defined by sharp ridges and deep hollows. The city of Elkader sits prominently at a bend in the Turkey River, where the historic Keystone Bridge and Elkader Bridge provide vital crossings. To the south, the smaller settlements of Osborne and Mederville occupy the valley floor near the confluence of the Volga and its tributaries like Cox Cr. This survey captures a rural Iowa landscape where local history is preserved in a high density of family and community burial grounds, including the Erhardt Cem, Dohrer Cem, and Hartmann Cem. The presence of the Elkader Airport and local bridges emphasizes the importance of regional connectivity across the undulating terrain of Chicken Ridge and French Hollow.