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Old Maps of Altoona, Iowa for Academic Research

Study the evolution of Altoona with 27 high-resolution historic maps. Whether you're teaching, researching, or modeling changes in land use, these maps provide essential visual documentation of urban, environmental, and geographic change.

  • Analyze long-term change: Track patterns in development, transportation, and natural features.
  • Ideal for environmental or urban studies: Support academic projects with primary historical map data.
  • Use in the classroom or lab: Educators and researchers rely on these maps to bring historical context to life.

These maps are a powerful tool for teaching, research, and visualizing how Altoona has changed over the decades.

Altoona, IA maps

(27)
  1. 1905 Map of Des Moines, 1954 Print
    1905 Map of Des Moines, 1954 Print
    1905 Des Moines
    1954 Print · USGS
    At the dawn of the twentieth century, the state capital was a thriving rail hub where the Des Moines River met a complex network of iron rails. Genealogists and historians can trace early neighborhood development near the State Fairgrounds or locate family roots near rural landmarks like Red Brick School and Valley Junction.
  4. 1907 Map of Des Moines
    1907 Map of Des Moines
    1907 Des Moines
    1907 Print · USGS
    The capital city and its surrounding coal-and-rail towns are shown in detail at the start of the twentieth century. Genealogists can locate family homesteads near Fort Des Moines or trace ancestors in vanished settlements like Oralabor, Saylorville, and Valley Junction.
    3 unique versions available
  7. 1930 Map of Mitchellville
    1930 Map of Mitchellville
    1930 Mitchellville
    1930 Print · USGS
    Central Iowa's fertile prairie and river valleys come alive in this late 1920s survey of the settlements between the Skunk and Des Moines rivers. Researchers can locate dozens of country schools like Nebo Sch and Peacock Sch or trace family roots near Camp Center Ch.
    3 unique versions available
  10. 1954 Map of Des Moines, 1973 Print
    1954 Map of Des Moines, 1973 Print
    1954 Des Moines
    1973 Print · USGS
    Central Iowa's evolving landscape is captured here in the early seventies, just as major reservoirs were reshaping the river valleys. Genealogists and historians can trace the rail corridors of the Burlington Northern or locate family roots near Pella, Indianola, and Knoxville.
    2 unique versions available
  13. 1956 Map of Des Moines
    1956 Map of Des Moines
    1956 Des Moines
    1956 Print · USGS
    Central Iowa in the mid-fifties shows a landscape defined by bustling rail hubs and deep-rooted agricultural research. Genealogists and researchers can trace the growth of Des Moines and Ames, locate the Sac and Fox Indian Reservation, or study the paths of the Skunk River and South Skunk River.
  16. 1956 Map of Des Moines NE, 1958 Print
    1956 Map of Des Moines NE, 1958 Print
    1956 Des Moines NE
    1958 Print · USGS
    The northern Des Moines suburbs and the rail hubs of Polk County are captured here in the mid-fifties. Researchers can trace the original footprints of Ankeny and Oralabor, or locate rural landmarks like Greenwood Ch and Highland Memory Gardens.
    4 unique versions available
  19. 1956 Map of Des Moines, 1959 Print
    1956 Map of Des Moines, 1959 Print
    1956 Des Moines
    1959 Print · USGS
    The Des Moines metro area is captured in the mid-1950s, showing a landscape defined by rapid suburban growth and deep-rooted military and rail history. Trace the development of Urbandale and Windsor Heights alongside landmarks like Camp Dodge and the State Fairgrounds.
  22. 1957 Map of Des Moines
    1957 Map of Des Moines
    1957 Des Moines
    1957 Print · USGS
    Central Iowa's post-war landscape is defined here by the converging rail lines and river valleys that shaped its earliest settlements. Genealogists and historians can trace the paths of the Rock Island Railroad and locate community landmarks in Des Moines, Ames, and Newton.
  25. 1969 Map of Des Moines
    1969 Map of Des Moines
    1969 Des Moines
    1969 Print · USGS
    Central Iowa's fertile plains and growing capital are captured here during the late sixties, a time of major highway expansion and reservoir construction. Genealogists and researchers can trace rural township boundaries, local cemeteries, and rail lines serving towns like Pella, Grinnell, and Oskaloosa.
  28. 1972 Map of Altoona, 1974 Print
    1972 Map of Altoona, 1974 Print
    1972 Altoona
    1974 Print · USGS
    Polk County enters a decade of modern growth and infrastructure expansion in the early seventies. Genealogists and local researchers can trace the rail lines of the Chicago and North Western or locate family plots at Altoona Cem and Franklin Cem.
    2 unique versions available
  31. 1972 Map of Rising Sun, 1974 Print
    1972 Map of Rising Sun, 1974 Print
    1972 Rising Sun
    1974 Print · USGS
    Southeast of Des Moines in the early seventies, the river landscape around Carlisle and Rising Sun shows a blend of rural township life and growing suburban tracts. Researchers can trace the heritage of local families at Powers-Warren Cem and locate old rail corridors like the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railroad.
  34. 1984 Map of Des Moines, 1985 Print
    1984 Map of Des Moines, 1985 Print
    1984 Des Moines
    1985 Print · USGS
    Central Iowa's heartland is captured in the mid-1980s as suburban growth met long-standing farm and rail infrastructure. Genealogists and researchers can trace the reaches of the Chicago and North Western through Maxwell or locate Laurel Hill Cem and Camp Dodge Military Reservation.
    2 unique versions available
  37. 2010 Map of Rising Sun, 2010 Print
    2010 Map of Rising Sun, 2010 Print
    2010 Rising Sun
    2010 Print · USGS
    Southeast of Des Moines in the early twenty-first century, this landscape shows the quiet meeting of agricultural roots and modern residential growth. Researchers can find numerous family burial sites like Wicker Cemetery and Spry Cemetery alongside small communities such as Adelphi and Hastie.
  40. 2010 Map of Altoona, 2010 Print
    2010 Map of Altoona, 2010 Print
    2010 Altoona
    2010 Print · USGS
    Polk County experiences significant growth during the early twenty-first century as the corridor between Des Moines and its eastern neighbors develops. You can trace family roots at the Franklin Cemetery or explore the growth of Altoona near the Prairie Meadows Racetrack.
  43. 2010 Map of Des Moines NE, 2010 Print
    2010 Map of Des Moines NE, 2010 Print
    2010 Des Moines NE
    2010 Print · USGS
    The northern suburbs of the Iowa capital are captured here during a period of significant growth at the start of the decade. Genealogists can locate family sites at Oralabor Cemetery or Greenwood Cemetery and trace the footprints of communities like Berwick and Marquisville.
  46. 2013 Map of Rising Sun, 2013 Print
    2013 Map of Rising Sun, 2013 Print
    2013 Rising Sun
    2013 Print · USGS
    Southeast of Des Moines in the early 2010s, the river valleys and small crossroads communities show a mix of old farmland and new growth. Trace local history through landmarks like the De Louis Field Airport, the settlement of Adelphi, and the Randleman Lake area.
  49. 2013 Map of Altoona, 2013 Print
    2013 Map of Altoona, 2013 Print
    2013 Altoona
    2013 Print · USGS
    The eastern Des Moines suburbs and rural Polk County hinterlands are documented here just after the turn of the millennium. Researchers can trace the development of Bondurant and locate specialized landmarks like the Prairie Meadows Racetrack or the Terrace Hills Golf Course.
  52. 2013 Map of Des Moines NE, 2013 Print
    2013 Map of Des Moines NE, 2013 Print
    2013 Des Moines NE
    2013 Print · USGS
    Northeast Polk County in the early twenty-first century shows a landscape defined by its vital highway junctions and expanding neighborhoods. Trace the layouts of historic communities like Saylor and Berwick or the growing Ankeny Regional Airport.
  55. 2015 Map of Des Moines NE, 2015 Print
    2015 Map of Des Moines NE, 2015 Print
    2015 Des Moines NE
    2015 Print · USGS
    Des Moines and Ankeny are captured in a period of rapid suburban expansion during the mid-2010s. Researchers can trace family history at Highland Memory Gardens or locate the boundaries of small communities like Marquisville and Norwoodville.
  58. 2015 Map of Altoona, 2015 Print
    2015 Map of Altoona, 2015 Print
    2015 Altoona
    2015 Print · USGS
    Polk County at the height of its modern suburban and agricultural development is captured here just before the mid-2010s. Researchers can trace land management through features like Ditch Number 24 and locate historical family sites at Franklin Cem or Bondurant Cem.
  61. 2015 Map of Rising Sun, 2015 Print
    2015 Map of Rising Sun, 2015 Print
    2015 Rising Sun
    2015 Print · USGS
    The river valleys and farm plateaus east of Des Moines are captured here in the mid-2010s. Genealogists and local historians can trace legacy landmarks through numerous burial sites like Rising Sun Cem and the riverfront communities of Adelphi and Avon Lake.
  64. 2018 Map of Des Moines NE, 2018 Print
    2018 Map of Des Moines NE, 2018 Print
    2018 Des Moines NE
    2018 Print · USGS
    The northern suburbs of Des Moines appear here during a period of rapid growth and infrastructure expansion. Researchers can trace the boundaries of historic communities like Berwick, locate local family sites at Greenwood Cem, and follow the path of Fourmile Cr.
  67. 2018 Map of Altoona, 2018 Print
    2018 Map of Altoona, 2018 Print
    2018 Altoona
    2018 Print · USGS
    The northeast Des Moines suburbs and the outlying rural townships of Polk County are captured here in a period of modern expansion. Researchers can trace family history at Franklin Cem and Bondurant Cem or locate the historic settlement of Santiago.
  70. 2018 Map of Rising Sun, 2018 Print
    2018 Map of Rising Sun, 2018 Print
    2018 Rising Sun
    2018 Print · USGS
    Southeast of the capital in the late 2010s, this area reveals the meeting of the Des Moines River and rural township life. Genealogists can locate several local burial sites such as Spry Cem and trace the small communities of Adelphi and Rising Sun.
  73. 2022 Map of Des Moines NE, 2022 Print
    2022 Map of Des Moines NE, 2022 Print
    2022 Des Moines NE
    2022 Print · USGS
    The northern reaches of the Des Moines metro area are shown here at a moment of significant growth and suburban expansion. Genealogists and local historians can trace the foundations of the county through sites like Greenwood Friends Cem, Enterprise, and Berwick.
Showing maps 1-25 of 27

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