  We consider (n+1)--dimensional, stationary, asymptotically flat, or
Kaluza-Klein asymptotically flat black holes, with an abelian $s$--dimensional
subgroup of the isometry group satisfying an orthogonal integrability
condition. Under suitable regularity conditions we prove that the area of the
group orbits is positive on the domain of outer communications, vanishing only
on its boundary and on the "symmetry axis". We further show that the orbits of
the connected component of the isometry group are timelike throughout the
domain of outer communications. Those results provide a starting point for the
classification of such black holes. Finally, we show non-existence of zeros of
static Killing vectors on degenerate Killing horizons, as needed for the
generalisation of the static no-hair theorem to higher dimensions.
