1940s Maps of Palm Desert, California
Explore 6 historic maps of Palm Desert from the 1940s. These maps offer a rare glimpse into what life looked like during the 1940s — showing old roads, neighborhoods, homes, and landmarks that have changed or disappeared over time.
Whether you're researching your family's past, planning a metal detecting trip, or studying how Palm Desert's landscape evolved across the 1940s, these high-resolution maps are a powerful tool for exploring the history of this region.
- Focus on a specific era: All maps on this page are from the 1940s, giving you a focused view of this time period.
- See what’s changed: Compare century-old streets, trails, and buildings to today's modern landscape using overlays and satellite layers.
- Research with precision: Use these maps for genealogy, historical research, land use analysis, or educational projects.
- View, download, or print: Maps are fully viewable online in high resolution, and can be downloaded or printed for your own records.
Start exploring Palm Desert's history through authentic maps from the 1940s. This is your window into the past.
Palm Desert, CA maps
(6)- 1941 Map of Toro Peak, 1954 Print1941 Toro Peak1954 Print · USGSThe Coachella Valley and Santa Rosa Mountains appear here in the early 1940s, just as modern desert communities were emerging. Trace the early development of Rancho Mirage and La Quinta or locate historical sites like the Garnet Queen Mine and Pinyon Flat.
- 1941 Map of Edom, 1957 Print1941 Edom1957 Print · USGSThe Coachella Valley and Little San Bernardino Mountains appear here during the early 1940s as desert ranching and date cultivation expanded. Genealogists and historians can locate family-named landmarks like Two Bunch Palms Ranch, Snyder Date Gardens, and the original settlement at Edom.
- 1944 Map of Toro peak1944 Toro peak1944 Print · USGSThe Coachella Valley and Santa Rosa Mountains appear here in the 1940s as desert resorts began to expand. Trace early footprints in Rancho Mirage and La Quinta, or locate the remote Asbestos Mine and Garnet Queen Mine.
- 1944 Map of Edom1944 Edom1944 Print · USGSThe Coachella Valley was a landscape of date gardens and emerging desert retreats during the early 1940s. Genealogists and desert historians can trace early settlements at Desert Hot Springs and Cathedral City, or locate historic sites like Yerba Trading Post and Thousand Palms Oasis.
- 1947 Map of Santa Ana, 1949 Print1947 Santa Ana1949 Print · USGSSouthern California is depicted here in the late forties, showing the expansion of the Inland Empire and the Orange County coast. Researchers can trace the early layout of Palm Springs or locate long-standing tribal lands like the Pala Indian Reservation and Rincon Indian Res.
- 1949 Map of Santa Ana1949 Santa Ana1949 Print · USGSSouthern California underwent a profound transformation in the late 1940s as military installations and citrus groves shared the landscape. Researchers can trace early coastal growth at Laguna Beach, military history at Camp Pendleton, and the rail corridors of the Pacific Electric.
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