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==Geography==

==Geography==

Iron County is located in southeastern Missouri, and is part of the St. Francois Mountains that make up the eastern portion of the Ozarks. It is shaped somewhat like an inverse "L," with the "corner" or apex to the northeast around Ironton, and the "arms" extending west toward Viburnum and south toward Annapolis and Des Arc. The county is bordered by [[Madison County, Missouri|Madison County]] to the east, [[Wayne County, Missouri|Wayne County]] to the south, [[Reynolds County, Missouri|Reynolds County]] to the southwest, Dent County to the west, Crawford County to the northwest, Washington County to the north, and [[St. Francois County, Missouri|St. Francois County]] to the northeast. It has a total area of 552.06 square miles, including 550.26 of land and 1.80 of water.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20131021170230/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_29.txt</ref>

Iron County is located in southeastern Missouri, and is part of the St. Francois Mountains that make up the eastern portion of the Ozarks. It is shaped somewhat like an inverse "L," with the "corner" or apex to the northeast around Ironton, and the "arms" extending west toward Viburnum and south toward Annapolis and Des Arc. The county is bordered by [[Madison County, Missouri|Madison County]] to the east, [[Wayne County, Missouri|Wayne County]] to the south, [[Reynolds County, Missouri|Reynolds County]] to the southwest, Dent County to the west, Crawford County to the northwest, [[Washington County, Missouri|Washington County]] to the north, and [[St. Francois County, Missouri|St. Francois County]] to the northeast. It has a total area of 552.06 square miles, including 550.26 of land and 1.80 of water.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20131021170230/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_29.txt</ref>

The county consists largely of forested uplands, including some of the highest peaks in the Ozarks region. Taum Sauk Mountain, in the southern part of the county, is the highest point in Missouri (and therefore in Iron County as well), rising to 1,772 feet above sea level, and at least six other mountains in the county have peaks of 1,500 feet or higher. There are only a few areas of relatively flat terrain, consisting mostly of long, narrow valleys cut by the numerous streams; the most notable of these are Big Creek, which drains the southern half of the county, and Stouts Creek, which with its tributaries drains Arcadia Valley, in which the towns of Arcadia, Ironton, and Pilot Knob are located. The lowest point in the county is at Blue Spring in the far southeast, with an elevation of about 455 feet.<ref>https://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=6575</ref>

The county consists largely of forested uplands, including some of the highest peaks in the Ozarks region. Taum Sauk Mountain, in the southern part of the county, is the highest point in Missouri (and therefore in Iron County as well), rising to 1,772 feet above sea level, and at least six other mountains in the county have peaks of 1,500 feet or higher. There are only a few areas of relatively flat terrain, consisting mostly of long, narrow valleys cut by the numerous streams; the most notable of these are Big Creek, which drains the southern half of the county, and Stouts Creek, which with its tributaries drains Arcadia Valley, in which the towns of Arcadia, Ironton, and Pilot Knob are located. The lowest point in the county is at Blue Spring in the far southeast, with an elevation of about 455 feet.<ref>https://www.peakbagger.com/peak.aspx?pid=6575</ref>