Description: The Physical map of Kansas showing major geographical features such as rivers, lakes, topography and land formations.
Physical Map of Kansas: Physical Map of Kansas or geographical map of Kansas showing the plains, Kansas rivers and lakes, elevation and relief, detailed map for students and travelers.
From there the Kansas River flows past Manhattan, Topeka, Lawrence, and into Kansas City. The east shows a second cluster of rivers: Neosho, Verdigris, Marais des Cygnes, Walnut, Fall, and Elk, all heading for Oklahoma or Missouri.
Scattered blue shapes mark large reservoirs such as Milford Lake, Tuttle Creek Lake, Perry Lake, Clinton Lake, Melvern Lake, Pomona Lake, Hillsdale Lake, Kanopolis Lake, Wilson Lake, Cedar Bluff Reservoir, Webster Reservoir, Kirwin Reservoir, Waconda Lake at Glen Elder, Cheney Reservoir, El Dorado Lake, Marion Reservoir, John Redmond Reservoir, Toronto Lake, Fall River Lake, and Elk City Lake. Even without a legend, the geographical map of Kansas is easy to read because the rivers and reservoirs line up with towns and roads.
Counties such as Cheyenne, Rawlins, Sherman, Wallace, Greeley, Hamilton, Kearny, Grant, Haskell, Stevens, Morton, Stanton, Seward, and Meade sit on a high, level plain. The grid roads are straight because the slope is gentle. Dry river names like Cimarron and Arkansas show up, but channels may be wide and sandy. Towns like Goodland, Colby, Tribune, Syracuse, Lakin, Garden City, Ulysses, Sublette, Hugoton, Liberal, Elkhart, Johnson City, and Meade follow these valleys or railroad lines.
From Wallace and Gove through Trego, Ellis, Rooks, Osborne, Russell, Lincoln, Ellsworth, and Saline counties the map shows many reservoirs fed by the Smoky Hill, Solomon, and Saline rivers. Here are Cedar Bluff, Webster, Kirwin, Waconda, Wilson, and Kanopolis. County seats such as Hays in Ellis County and Russell in Russell County sit near river crossings or on higher ground next to the valleys. This belt has low hills cut by sandstone and shale. The detailed map of Kansas makes this easy to spot because the rivers run in short, crooked segments with reservoirs behind dams.
The long north to south ridge that begins near Manhattan and Junction City, continues past Council Grove, Cottonwood Falls, and Matfield Green, and runs to Elk County is the Flint Hills. On a physical map this zone is marked by winding streams and fewer large towns. When you see Wabaunsee, Morris, Chase, Butler, Greenwood, Elk, and Chautauqua counties, you are in a landscape of tallgrass prairie, thin soils, and limestone steps. Reservoirs such as Council Grove Lake, Marion Reservoir, El Dorado Lake, Fall River Lake, Toronto Lake, and Elk City Lake hug the edges where valleys slice through the hills.
The east edge of Kansas has more rivers and more people. Kansas City, Leavenworth, Atchison, Lawrence, Olathe, Overland Park, Shawnee, Topeka, Emporia, Ottawa, Garnett, Iola, Chanute, Parsons, Pittsburg, Fort Scott, Independence, and Coffeyville appear along river bends. The land tilts gently to the southeast in steps called cuestas. Big lakes such as Perry, Clinton, Melvern, Pomona, Hillsdale, and John Redmond cluster here because valleys are tight enough to hold dams and broad enough to store water.
The Arkansas River enters near Syracuse and flows to Garden City in Finney County, Dodge City in Ford County, Kinsley and Great Bend in Edwards and Barton counties, then to Hutchinson in Reno County, Wichita in Sedgwick County, Mulvane, Derby, Wellington in Sumner County, Winfield and Arkansas City in Cowley County, and then into Oklahoma. Important tributaries on the map include the Pawnee River near Larned, the Little Arkansas River from McPherson and Newton to Wichita, the Ninnescah River west of Wichita, and the Walnut River from El Dorado and Augusta to Arkansas City.
The Smoky Hill River crosses from Wallace County through Gove, Trego, Ellis, Russell, Ellsworth, and Saline counties to Salina. There it turns east past Abilene and meets the Republican River at Junction City to form the Kansas River. Along the way the Saline River joins near Salina, and the Solomon River joins near the town of Solomon in Dickinson County. The river valley holds Kanopolis Lake and Wilson Lake. County seats such as Hays, Russell, Ellsworth, Salina, and Abilene follow the Smoky Hill route because early trails and railroads used the same gap.
From Junction City the Kansas River runs east. It passes Manhattan and the mouth of the Big Blue River below Tuttle Creek Lake, then continues past Wamego, St. Marys, Topeka, Perry Lake area, Lawrence with Clinton Lake nearby, De Soto, Bonner Springs, Edwardsville, Kansas City, and the state line. This corridor connects many campuses and capitals. The geographical map of Kansas shows the valley like a thread that ties the state together.
South and east of Emporia, the Neosho River flows past Council Grove Lake, Oswego, and into Oklahoma. Nearby the Verdigris River runs from Eureka and Fredonia through Neodesha, Independence, and Coffeyville. Lakes such as John Redmond, Toronto, and Elk City manage these basins. Towns grew on stable terraces above the floodplains, which the detailed map helps you see as wider pale areas along the rivers.
The Marais des Cygnes drains Osage, Franklin, Miami, and Linn counties. Look for Pomona and Melvern lakes, and towns like Ottawa, Osawatomie, Paola, Mound City, and La Cygne. The river eventually becomes part of Missouri’s Osage River system after crossing the state line.
In the far southwest the Cimarron River passes near Elkhart, Rolla, Hugoton, Liberal, Meade, and Clark County before entering Oklahoma. East of it, the Medicine Lodge River flows through Barber County with the town of Medicine Lodge. The terrain here is nicknamed the Red Hills because of red shale and gypsum. On the map this shows as curving streams and fewer straight roads.
Wichita: largest city on the Arkansas River, built at the mouth of the Little Arkansas with Cheney Reservoir to the west and El Dorado Lake to the northeast.
Topeka: state capital on the Kansas River. Its bridges are placed where firm rock reaches the channel.
Kansas City and Wyandotte County: at the mouth of the Kansas River on the Missouri, a natural trade point.
Lawrence: on a ridge above the Kansas River, near Clinton Lake and Perry Lake.
Manhattan and Junction City: at the meeting of the Big Blue, Smoky Hill, and Republican systems.
Salina: where the Smoky Hill meets the Saline and near the Solomon junction.
Hutchinson and Great Bend: straddle the Arkansas River and sit near bend points.
Garden City, Dodge City, Pratt, Kingman, Medicine Lodge, Greensburg, Liberal, Colby, Hays, Russell, Concordia, Clay Center, Emporia, Chanute, Parsons, Pittsburg, Fort Scott, Iola, Independence, Coffeyville, Atchison, Leavenworth, Olathe, Overland Park, and Shawnee all align with valleys or river terraces that offered water, protection from floods, and easy road or rail lines.
High elevation rises toward Colorado in the west. The land tilts gently east.
Smoky Hills show tighter, branching valleys with several long lakes in central counties.
Flint Hills appear as a north to south band with few lakes on the crest but several reservoirs along its edges.
Missouri border counties have many short streams and more towns because the land breaks into steps and small valleys.
I-70 uses the level divide across Goodland, Colby, Oakley, Quinter, Hays, Russell, Salina, Abilene, Junction City, Manhattan area exits, Topeka, Lawrence, and Kansas City.
I-35 and the Kansas Turnpike run from Wichita to Emporia, Topeka, and Kansas City along gentle valleys.
I-135 connects Wichita to Newton, McPherson, and Salina along the Little Arkansas and Smoky Hill basins.
US-54 and US-400 track the Arkansas River corridor through Pratt, Kingman, and Wichita. These roads match the Kansas elevation map because builders prefer divides and wide valleys over sharp hills.
Border study: Show how Kansas has no ocean coastline and depends on the Missouri and Arkansas systems for river travel.
Watershed web: Trace the Smoky Hill to the Kansas River and on to Kansas City. Add the Big Blue, Solomon, and Saline.
Reservoir lab: Mark Milford, Tuttle Creek, Perry, Clinton, Melvern, Pomona, Hillsdale, Kanopolis, Wilson, Cedar Bluff, Webster, Kirwin, Waconda, Cheney, El Dorado, Marion, John Redmond, Toronto, Fall River, and Elk City. Discuss flood control and water supply.
Hills vs plains: Compare town spacing in the High Plains to the tighter pattern in the Flint Hills and the Missouri edge.
River towns quiz: Pair Great Bend with the Arkansas River, Topeka with the Kansas River, Hutchinson with the Arkansas, Emporia with the Cottonwood and Neosho, Pittsburg with the Crawford County coal country and Spring River tributaries.
Starting at the Colorado border near Syracuse, the Arkansas valley is broad and sandy. Garden City marks a rich irrigation district. Dodge City sits above the floodplain on a slight bluff. From Kinsley the river arcs north toward Great Bend, then turns east. At Hutchinson, salt beds lie under the valley; the map shows Reno County roads that bend to cross the river at firm spots. Wichita appears at the mouth of the Little Arkansas River with the Ninnescah joining west of town and the Walnut River joining near Arkansas City. The best map for travelers keeps the highway lines thin so the valley remains easy to see.
Pawnee River: meets the Arkansas near Larned.
Little Arkansas River: runs from McPherson and Halstead into Wichita.
Ninnescah River: passes Kingman then bends east to meet the Arkansas below Cheney Reservoir.
Walnut River: flows from Marion County through El Dorado and Augusta to Arkansas City. These streams shape county seats, bridge sites, and park locations.
From Wallace to Salina, the Smoky Hill River picks up the Saline River near Salina and the Solomon River near Abilene and Solomon. Reservoirs stand behind sandstone bluffs: Cedar Bluff in Trego County, Webster in Rooks County, Kirwin in Phillips County, Waconda near Glen Elder in Mitchell County, Wilson Lake in Russell and Lincoln counties with blue water in a rocky basin, and Kanopolis Lake in Ellsworth County. Towns such as Hays, Russell, Ellsworth, Salina, and Abilene follow these valleys because the water gap offers a stable route.
At Junction City the Smoky Hill and Republican join to make the Kansas River. Upstream on the Republican, towns like Concordia and Clay Center appear. The Big Blue River flows from Nebraska to Tuttle Creek Lake and joins near Manhattan. This explains the cluster of college towns and military posts in Riley and Geary counties. Downstream, Topeka spreads across terraces with Perry Lake just upstream. Lawrence sits where a ridge pinches the river. Past Bonner Springs and Edwardsville, the Kansas meets the Missouri in Wyandotte County.
The Neosho begins near Council Grove Lake, runs past Emporia, Iola, Chanute, Erie, and Oswego, then continues into Oklahoma where it helps form Grand Lake. John Redmond Reservoir holds water at New Strawn. The Verdigris flows through Eureka, Fredonia, Neodesha, Independence, and Coffeyville with Elk City Lake nearby. The Marais des Cygnes drains Osage, Franklin, and Miami counties with Melvern and Pomona lakes controlling floods. In Miami County the river passes Osawatomie and Paola before crossing into Missouri.
Chikaskia River clips Harper and Sumner counties near the Oklahoma line.
Medicine Lodge River crosses Barber County.
Spring River touches Cherokee County near Baxter Springs.
North Fork Ninnescah and South Fork Ninnescah join west of Cheney Reservoir. These lines matter for field trips and flood planning.
Use blue reservoirs as quick checks on the detailed map of Kansas:
Milford Lake north of Junction City on the Republican system.
Tuttle Creek Lake north of Manhattan on the Big Blue.
Perry Lake north of Topeka on the Delaware system into the Kaw.
Clinton Lake southwest of Lawrence.
Hillsdale Lake south of the Kansas City suburbs.
Melvern Lake and Pomona Lake southwest of Ottawa.
Kanopolis and Wilson west of Salina in rocky basins that show bright blue outcrops.
Cheney Reservoir west of Wichita.
El Dorado Lake east of El Dorado on the Walnut basin.
Marion Reservoir north of Marion.
John Redmond, Toronto, Fall River, and Elk City across the southeast.
Cedar Bluff, Webster, Kirwin, and Waconda across the Smoky Hills. These are ideal for classroom labeling, kayak planning, and simple orientation.
Floodplains: Wide pale corridors along the Arkansas, Kansas, Neosho, and Verdigris mark low lands that can flood in spring. Towns often sit on terraces just above those zones.
Wind and snow: Open High Plains counties such as Sherman, Wallace, Greeley, Hamilton, Kearny, Grant, Haskell, Stevens, and Morton have long, straight stretches that can drift in winter.
Hills: In the Flint Hills and Smoky Hills curving roads climb limestone steps and cross narrow valleys.
Heat and water: Reservoirs like Cheney, El Dorado, Milford, Tuttle Creek, and Wilson anchor state parks with water access during hot months.
Rivers and towns chain: Start at Garden City and list every Arkansas River town to Arkansas City.
Confluence hunt: Mark the junction at Junction City where the Republican and Smoky Hill create the Kansas River.
Reservoir spacing: Measure distance between Perry, Clinton, Melvern, and Pomona and explain why several storage lakes cluster on short rivers near the Missouri edge.
Hill profile: Draw a west to east profile from Goodland to Kansas City using county lines and list where hills and plains switch.
County-seat check: Use the county blocks to pair each county with a river or lake connection. Example: Sedgwick with the Arkansas River in Wichita, Douglas with the Kansas River in Lawrence, Riley with the Big Blue and Tuttle Creek in Manhattan.
Capital and key metros: Topeka on the Kansas River; Wichita on the Arkansas River; Kansas City metro at the Kansas–Missouri line; Lawrence, Manhattan, Salina, Hutchinson, Emporia, Hays, Garden City, Dodge City, Pittsburg, Parsons, Independence, Coffeyville.
Physiographic pattern: High Plains in the west; Smoky Hills across the center with many reservoirs; Flint Hills north to south through the middle east; Osage cuestas and river lowlands in the far east; Red Hills in the south central edge near Barber and Comanche counties.
Borders: Colorado to the west, Nebraska to the north, Missouri to the east, Oklahoma to the south.
Major rivers: Arkansas, Kansas, Smoky Hill, Republican, Big Blue, Saline, Solomon, Neosho, Verdigris, Marais des Cygnes, Walnut, Ninnescah, Cimarron, Medicine Lodge, Chikaskia.
Key lakes: Milford, Tuttle Creek, Perry, Clinton, Hillsdale, Melvern, Pomona, Kanopolis, Wilson, Cedar Bluff, Webster, Kirwin, Waconda, Cheney, El Dorado, Marion, John Redmond, Toronto, Fall River, Elk City.
Main travel corridors: I-70 across the state, I-35 and the Kansas Turnpike from Wichita to Kansas City, I-135 from Wichita to Salina, US-54 and US-400 across the Arkansas valley, US-36 near the Nebraska line.
Best seasons: Spring for rivers and wildflowers, summer for lakes, fall for Flint Hills color, winter for views on the open plains.
Reminder: Printing or copying maps from the site is not permitted.
The Arkansas River flows through Wichita and continues to Arkansas City before entering Oklahoma.
At Junction City where the Smoky Hill and Republican rivers meet.
Manhattan, Topeka, Lawrence and Kansas City follow the river east from Junction City.
Milford Lake on the Republican River system.
Tuttle Creek Lake on the Big Blue River.
Perry Lake is north of Topeka; Clinton Lake is southwest of Lawrence.
The Little Arkansas River in downtown Wichita and the Ninnescah River west of the city.
The Walnut River, which joins the Arkansas near Arkansas City.
Both are west of Salina in the Smoky Hills, with Wilson Lake in Russell and Lincoln counties and Kanopolis Lake in Ellsworth County.
Topeka is the capital, located on the Kansas River in Shawnee County.
It flows from the Council Grove area past Emporia, Iola and Chanute to Oklahoma.
Eureka, Fredonia, Neodesha, Independence and Coffeyville.
Cheney Reservoir, a major water supply and recreation lake.
Clinton Lake near Lawrence and Pomona and Melvern lakes near Ottawa and Osage County.
Wilson Lake lies east of Hays and west of Salina along the Smoky Hill corridor.
Wabaunsee, Geary, Morris, Chase, Butler, Greenwood, Elk and Chautauqua counties hold most of the Flint Hills belt.
Cedar Bluff is in Trego County, Webster is in Rooks County and Kirwin is in Phillips County.
I-70 runs from the Colorado line through Hays, Salina, Topeka and Lawrence to Kansas City.
I-135 connects Wichita to Newton, McPherson and Salina.
Just east of El Dorado in Butler County on the Walnut River basin.
Hillsdale Lake in Miami County south of Olathe and Spring Hill.
In Morris County near the town of Council Grove on the Neosho River.
Emporia sits where the Cottonwood River meets the Neosho system.
Both lie on the Arkansas River, with Great Bend at a big bend and Hutchinson downstream to the east.
Perry, Clinton, Hillsdale, Pomona and Melvern sit in the eastern counties close to the Missouri line.
Between Manhattan and El Dorado where streams twist across Wabaunsee, Chase and Butler counties.
The Verdigris River flows past both towns in Montgomery County.
No. Kansas is landlocked. Its borders follow Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri and Oklahoma.
No. Printing or copying maps from the site is not permitted.
Follow the Arkansas valley across the south and the Kansas River across the north, then scan the Flint Hills band through the middle.
Counties and Road Map of Kansas
Counties and Road map and map image of Kansas.
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