Old Maps of Polk City, Iowa

Explore 22 old maps of Polk City, spanning from 1905 to today. These high-resolution historic maps reveal how streets, neighborhoods, landmarks, and natural features evolved over time — perfect for genealogy, metal detecting, research, and local history exploration.

What you can do with these maps:

  • See how Polk City changed over time: Compare historical maps to modern-day views to trace roads, homesites, rail lines & more.
  • View detailed metadata: Each map includes creators, publishers, year, scale, and archive source.
  • Overlay maps with satellite & LiDAR: Visualize the past alongside modern tools to explore terrain & human change.
  • Trusted historical sources: Maps sourced from the USGS, Library of Congress, and other archives.
  • Access maps your way: View online, download high-res files, or order prints for personal or research use.

Start exploring old maps of Polk City to uncover forgotten places, hidden landmarks, and the deep history beneath your feet.


Polk City, IA maps

(22)
  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.

  2. 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

  3. 1911 Map of Slater, 1960 Print
    1911 Map of Slater, 1960 Print
    1911 Slater
    1960 Print · USGS
    Central Iowa at the dawn of the twentieth century was a landscape of rail-driven prairie towns and a schoolhouse at nearly every mile. Genealogists can trace the rural roots of local families through specific sites like Nip-and-tuck School, Polk City Junction, and Huxley.

  4. 1913 Map of Slater
    1913 Map of Slater
    1913 Slater
    1913 Print · USGS
    Central Iowa's farm country and rail corridors are captured here just before the First World War, showing a landscape tightly knit by steam and electric lines. Genealogists can locate dozens of neighborhood landmarks like Nip-and-tuck School, the Sydnes School, and the early plats of Slater and Huxley.
    2 unique versions available

  5. 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

  6. 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.

  7. 1956 Map of Des Moines NW, 1958 Print
    1956 Map of Des Moines NW, 1958 Print
    1956 Des Moines NW
    1958 Print · USGS
    Northwest of Des Moines in the mid-fifties, the landscape was a mix of military training grounds and rapidly growing suburbs. Genealogists and historians can trace the footprint of Camp Dodge, find lost family plots like Kinsey Cem, and locate the early sites of Dodge Airport and Olmstead Sch.
    5 unique versions available

  8. 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.

  9. 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.

  10. 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.

  11. 1972 Map of Polk City, 1975 Print
    1972 Map of Polk City, 1975 Print
    1972 Polk City
    1975 Print · USGS
    Central Iowa was undergoing a massive landscape shift in the early seventies as the Saylorville project took shape. Researchers can trace the original rail path of the Chicago and North Western and locate quiet rural landmarks like Sheldahl Cem and Crocker.
    2 unique versions available

  12. 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

  13. 2010 Map of Des Moines NW, 2010 Print
    2010 Map of Des Moines NW, 2010 Print
    2010 Des Moines NW
    2010 Print · USGS
    Covers Polk City, including Des Moines, Ankeny, and other nearby areas

  14. 2010 Map of Polk City, 2010 Print
    2010 Map of Polk City, 2010 Print
    2010 Polk City
    2010 Print · USGS
    Covers Polk City, including Ankeny, Slater, and other nearby areas

  15. 2013 Map of Polk City, 2013 Print
    2013 Map of Polk City, 2013 Print
    2013 Polk City
    2013 Print · USGS
    Covers Polk City, including Ankeny, Slater, and other nearby areas

  16. 2013 Map of Des Moines NW, 2013 Print
    2013 Map of Des Moines NW, 2013 Print
    2013 Des Moines NW
    2013 Print · USGS
    Covers Polk City, including Des Moines, Ankeny, and other nearby areas

  17. 2015 Map of Polk City, 2015 Print
    2015 Map of Polk City, 2015 Print
    2015 Polk City
    2015 Print · USGS
    Covers Polk City, including Ankeny, Slater, and other nearby areas

  18. 2015 Map of Des Moines NW, 2015 Print
    2015 Map of Des Moines NW, 2015 Print
    2015 Des Moines NW
    2015 Print · USGS
    Covers Polk City, including Des Moines, Ankeny, and other nearby areas

  19. 2018 Map of Des Moines NW, 2018 Print
    2018 Map of Des Moines NW, 2018 Print
    2018 Des Moines NW
    2018 Print · USGS
    Covers Polk City, including Des Moines, Ankeny, and other nearby areas

  20. 2018 Map of Polk City, 2018 Print
    2018 Map of Polk City, 2018 Print
    2018 Polk City
    2018 Print · USGS
    Covers Polk City, including Ankeny, Slater, and other nearby areas

  21. 2022 Map of Polk City, 2022 Print
    2022 Map of Polk City, 2022 Print
    2022 Polk City
    2022 Print · USGS
    The tri-county borderlands of central Iowa are captured here in the early 2020s, showing the intersection of outdoor recreation and growing commuter communities. Researchers can trace historic family burial sites like Lem Small Cemetery and Beebe Cem or follow the modern paths of the High Trestle Trl and Neal Smith Trl.

  22. 2022 Map of Des Moines NW, 2022 Print
    2022 Map of Des Moines NW, 2022 Print
    2022 Des Moines NW
    2022 Print · USGS
    The northern edge of the Des Moines metro area comes into focus in the early 2020s as suburban growth meets the waters of Saylorville Lake. Researchers can trace old transportation routes like the Interurban Trl or locate legacy sites such as Ridgedale Cem and Morningstar Field.

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