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USA LAND OFFERS · IA LAND BUYERS

Sell my land in
Howard County.

Howard County has 473.2 square miles of land in Iowa. 2 mapped landscape regions meet across Howard County: Eastern Iowa and Minnesota Drift Plains, Blufflands and Coulees.

A local understanding of the land. A straightforward conversation about what comes next.

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Larry G · “The Land Buyer”40+ years in real estate
Natural-color aerial photograph of land around Howard County, Iowa
THE LAND FROM ABOVE

A closer look at Howard County, Iowa · USDA NAIP aerial photography

Photo & credit
Land around Howard County, Iowa from above

USDA Farm Service Agency · National Agriculture Imagery Program, served by the USGS National Map

Public domainAbout our local imagery →
THE SETTINGEastern Iowa and Minnesota Drift Plains
COMMUNITIES IN THE ATLAS6 listed localities
YOUR STARTING POINTOpen Howard County on the map

THE HOWARD COUNTY LAND BRIEF

Land in the
Eastern Iowa and Minnesota Drift Plains setting.

Howard County has 473.2 square miles of land in Iowa. 2 mapped landscape regions meet across Howard County: Eastern Iowa and Minnesota Drift Plains, Blufflands and Coulees.

Glacial till plains and windblown loess hills make up the Western Corn Belt landscape. Near-level and rolling terrain are interspersed with steeper river valleys and hills.

Regional context: Western Corn Belt Plains ↗ · Regional mapping across the county footprint

Where the landscape changes

Howard County intersects 2 mapped regional units. The largest mapped shares are:

  1. Eastern Iowa and Minnesota Drift Plains95.8%
  2. Blufflands and Coulees4.2%
Percent of the county footprint covered by the regional layer, which covers approximately 100% of its cartographic area. Regional units do not define individual parcels.

Driftless Area in Howard County

Deeply cut valleys divide a bedrock plateau with windblown soil on many uplands. Glaciers had less influence here than in neighboring regions, leaving a distinctly hilly landscape.

Read the regional source ↗

Finding your parcel within Howard County

The atlas lists 6 cities, towns, townships, and Census communities associated with Howard County, including Cresco, Chester, Elma. The list includes overlapping geography types and does not divide the county into exclusive service areas.

Howard County

Howard County by land and water

The Census records 0.36 square miles of water within Howard County, or 0.1% of its total area. That share is close to Howard County’s 0.1%. This is geographic context; waterfront status and usable land must be checked at the parcel.

For scale, Howard County has 466.3 times the land area of nearby Lime Springs city (1.02 square miles). These areas describe boundaries, not comparable property prices.

The Census boundary meets Chickasaw County, Floyd County, Mitchell County, Winneshiek County within Iowa. A tract near one of these lines should be matched to the county identifier on its own records.

FROM LOCAL CONTEXT TO YOUR PARCEL

Three questions for
Howard County land.

These starting questions follow this location’s jurisdiction, regional setting, and nearby geography. The answers come from the property itself.

01

Locate the parcel within Howard County

Use a tax bill, deed, or assessor’s parcel number to pin down the land in Howard County. The county includes 6 listed community geographies; a nearby community name does not prove the parcel is inside its limits.

02

Read the Eastern Iowa and Minnesota Drift Plains setting

Eastern Iowa and Minnesota Drift Plains belongs to Western Corn Belt Plains. Is the parcel on a till plain, loess hill or valley edge, and what existing drainage and access documentation is available? The wider county also reaches Driftless Area; use the parcel’s location to choose the relevant setting.

03

Check the route, beyond Lime Springs

Lime Springs is 6.1 miles north of the Howard County reference point. That geographic proximity does not establish a drivable route or legal access. Which road reaches your land, and is the right to use it recorded?

OPEN THE RIGHT MAP. FIND THE RIGHT RECORD.

Howard County resources,
ready to explore.

The topographic link opens at this location’s reference point. Government links identify the actual named jurisdiction in the Census directory.

MAP CENTERED ON HOWARD COUNTY

USGS National Map

Begin at 43.3653° N, 92.3219° W. Locate your parcel and inspect the available terrain and geographic layers.

Explore Howard County ↗CENSUS-LISTED GOVERNMENT WEBSITE

County Of Howard

Use this county government’s site to identify the relevant office and its current instructions. Confirm that it administers the record or land-use question for your parcel.

Open County Of Howard ↗THIS GEOGRAPHY’S CENSUS PROFILE

Howard County data

View Census information selected by this county’s geographic identifier. Available statistics depend on the geography and survey.

View the geography profile ↗THE REGIONAL MAP SOURCE

Eastern Iowa and Minnesota Drift Plains

Explore the agency mapping behind the Western Corn Belt Plains context in this guide. Use the detailed map to identify the unit at your actual property.

View regional mapping ↗
Additional Iowa landowner resources

Iowa floodplain mapping

DNR floodplain-map resources, including statewide mapping initiatives.

Iowa well logs and reports

DNR guidance for finding well-construction, geology, and water information.

FEMA flood mapsUSDA Web Soil SurveyWetlands mapper

PLACES, DISTANCES & CONNECTIONS

The communities of Howard County.

Lime Springs lies about 6.1 miles north of Howard County by reference-point distance. The diagram locates nearby community reference points within the county geography.

WITHIN THE COUNTY GEOGRAPHY

Howard County in context

NSEWLime Springs · 6.1 miles1Chester · 9 miles2Elma · 10.1 miles3Cresco · 10.3 miles4Riceville · 11.6 miles5Protivin · 15.6 miles6OUTER RING: 15.6 MILES
  1. 1
    Lime Springs6.1 mi · city
  2. 2
    Chester9 mi · city
  3. 3
    Elma10.1 mi · city
  4. 4
    Cresco10.3 mi · city
  5. 5
    Riceville11.6 mi · city
  6. 6
    Protivin15.6 mi · city
Positions are calculated from Census reference points. Crowded labels use a leader line to their exact dot. Straight-line distances within Iowa; no roads, travel times, or service boundaries are implied.
Chestercity
Crescocity
Elmacity
Lime Springscity
Protivincity
Ricevillecity
Browse all 6 communities
Explore IowaSearch another location

QUESTIONS GROUNDED IN THIS PLACE

Your Howard County
land questions.

Have a tax bill, an inherited deed, or simply a map pin? Start with what you have.

What should I send for land in Howard County?+

Send the parcel number or legal description, approximate acreage, and a map pin showing the property in Howard County. Howard County’s 473.2 square miles of land include many different property situations; the exact parcel is what we review.

Does Eastern Iowa and Minnesota Drift Plains describe all of Howard County?+

The county’s mapped footprint intersects 2 regional units; Eastern Iowa and Minnesota Drift Plains is the largest mapped share. County-scale information cannot establish the soil, slope, drainage, or development potential of one tract.

Can I use Lime Springs as a reference for my land?+

It can help explain the location: its Census point is about 6.1 miles north of Howard County’s. That distance is not a driving route, utility connection, or comparable-sale adjustment. Share the actual access road and parcel records so we can review your property on its own facts.

Can I request an offer without being near Howard County?+

Yes. Begin online with the property location and ownership details. Tell Larry G and the team what you know about the land, access, and any co-owners. We review the parcel before deciding whether to propose a purchase; if a sale moves forward, the closing company can explain remote signing arrangements.

Sources for this guide. 2025 U.S. Census geography supplies local names, area measurements, reference points, and map boundaries. Regional context uses EPA Level IV ecoregions mapping. Government links come from the Census 2026 Government Units Listing and are not individually certified by USA Land Offers. Read the mapping methods, coverage, and source details →

This guide describes a service area, not a local office. Maps and regional facts do not establish an individual parcel’s boundaries, permitted use, risk, or value.

GREAT LAND. GOOD PEOPLE.

Your land in Howard County.
Your next chapter.

Tell Larry G and the team what you own and what you have in mind. Start with a free property review and a straightforward conversation.

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Request my cash offer(855) 956-2650