Iowa might not have the Continental Divide, the mountainous line that determines whether the rivers of the nation run toward the Pacific or Atlantic Oceans.
But we have our own M and M Divide, marking the line for Iowa watersheds toward the Missouri River on the west or the Mississippi on the east.
Highway 30: This sign and rock, just east of Arcadia, population 525, shows its location in Carroll County. It’s along the historic Lincoln Highway.
Highway 44: As you drive west of Guthrie Center, you will notice the road climbs steadily higher until you reach the point where a marker announces that this is the “Missouri-Mississippi Divide, Elevation 1440 feet.”
Interstate 80: According to a local, the M and M divide runs through the middle of Adair. “If you take the highway north from Exit 76 on Interstate 80, you are literally driving on it. It’s very close to the water tower with the happy face.”
Southern Iowa: Lorimor, Union County, touts its lofty spot on the M & M Divide.
Even the water draining to the Missouri River eventually ends up in the Mississippi River.
Here is a better version of the map of the Drainage Basins of Iowa, showing where the M and M Divide runs through the state.
What a fascinating piece of geographical knowledge!
Another interesting one is Minnesota, as some of its rivers flow north into Hudson Bay!
I didn’t know that!
That’s a cool bit of info! I learned a lot about watersheds in my geographic information science courses, but didn’t really consider other major divides.
I enjoyed learning about Minnesota’s!
Interesting! I wasn’t aware of that at all, but you do a fine job of explaining it. 🙂
I knew that Minnesota has watersheds that go three directions, but guess I was surprised that Iowa has a definite line through places I’ve been.
Fascinating. Never knew that.
You crossed it every time you drove to and from Ames!
the things one learns.
I grew up about a mile 1/2 east of the M&M divide in Guthrie County.
As I kid there was a small store with gas pumps. My Dad would take me up there and I loved it. The weather was spooky however, it could be raining, snowing or monsoon like conditions and once you cross the divide it could be sunny and calm.
This is the first I’ve heard about the spooky weather! Thank you for your delightful note, Deb!
[…] reading my post about the M & M Divide, a woman sent a note that she’d lived there as a child. The weather was spooky, she admitted. […]
My parents, Pauline and Ellsworth Randolph, purchased the M&M Divide Store, Guthrie County, Iowa, in October 1947. We lived there until October, 1952, selling the store to Jean Ann Olsen and her partner. I would love to hear more about your visits to the store and your life in the area. For example, did you attend Bear Grove No. 1 country school? Thank you, Corline Randolph
Thanks for your comment, Corline. My grandmother, Leora Wilson, lived in Guthrie Center for four decades after WWII. I grew up on a farm near Dexter, so Guthrie County was for visiting Grandma! You’d get comments if you’d join us on the Historic Guthrie County Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/893933030639017
This is from the Facebook page: Karen Moriarity Corline, I was and still am very good friends with your cousin, Beverly Randolph Ferren. I am Karen Brown Moriarity. Beverly has come to stay with me a few times over the past few years. I recognized your name right away, because she has talked about you often.