2013 Map of Elma

About this map

Elma and Alta Vista anchor this 2013 survey of the northern Iowa prairie, where the drainage systems of the Little Wapsipinicon River and the E Fork Wapsipinicon River define the local topography. The landscape is organized by a precise grid of county roads, including 190th ST and Cheyenne Ave, which link small rural hubs like Deerfield, Cecilia, and Pleasant Grove. The hydrological character of the region is further detailed by the courses of Mead Cr and Elk Cr as they move through Howard County farmland. This modern U.S. Geological Survey data reflects a century of agricultural continuity, showing the persistent placement of farmsteads and rural crossroads that have remained central to the community since the late 19th-century settlement era.