Elevation Map of Iowa

This Iowa topographic elevation map shows the Hawkeye State in 24 terraced elevation bands. The scale runs from 146 meters (479 ft) up to 509 meters (1,670 ft). Each band steps through the relief in sequence, so the map reads like a physical relief model. Lowlands appear in deep greens, middle elevations warm into golds and reds, and the highest terrain fades into grays and whites.

Iowa covers about 145,746 square kilometers (56,272 sq mi). The Loess Hills along the Missouri River rose from windblown silt, and they form the distinctive ridge on the western edge of this elevation map.

Highest Point in Iowa

Hawkeye Point, at 1,670 ft (509 m), is the highest point in Iowa. On this topographic map, it anchors the pale summit end of the elevation scale.

Lowest Point in Iowa

The lowest point in Iowa is the Mississippi River at Keokuk, at an elevation of 479 ft (146 m). On the relief map, this terrain fills the deep green base of the color scale.

Iowa Map Datasets

I prepared this relief map with elevation data from the AWS Terrain Tiles dataset. The dataset builds on the NASA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) along with other open topographic sources, and it serves global elevation data as map tiles that anyone can access.

The map spaces its 24 elevation bands with a blend of two methods. Half of the spacing follows equal elevation steps. The other half follows equal land area, a technique known as histogram equalization.

Why blend them?

A fixed interval scale would leave flatter regions sitting in a single color, which hides their topography. On the other hand, full histogram equalization would push a quarter of the land into summit tones. The blend lets this elevation map use the entire relief palette while the legend stays honest. Each label marks the true elevation behind its band, which is why the values are not evenly spaced.