2024 Map of Shirland

About this map

The confluence of the Sugar River and the Pecatonica River defines this northern Winnebago County landscape, where the meandering waterways dictate the placement of roads and settlements. Near the village of Shirland, the river network creates a complex system of wetlands and oxbows, much of which is conserved within the Sugar River Forest Preserve. The map reveals a rural economy supported by a network of local thoroughfares like Yale Bridge Rd and Freeport Rd, punctuated by several private aviation strips including Loeppert CPL-Aero and Severson Airport. For local historians, the placement of the Shirland Cem, Harrison Cem, and Meridian Cem provides a clear view of early community centers along the Wisconsin Illinois border. This modern survey by the U.S. Geological Survey preserves the names of small drainages like Rhule Creek and Tunnison Creek that feed the larger river basins.