Old Maps of Urbandale, Iowa for Academic Research

Study the evolution of Urbandale with 33 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 Urbandale has changed over the decades.


Urbandale, IA maps

(33)
  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. 1908 Map of Waukee
    1908 Map of Waukee
    1908 Waukee
    1908 Print · USGS
    Dallas County at the turn of the century shows a landscape shaped by competing railroads and the winding Raccoon River. Genealogists and local historians can trace early schoolhouse locations like Valley Grove School and the original rail footprints of Waukee and Van Meter.
    2 unique versions available

  4. 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

  5. 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.

  6. 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

  7. 1956 Map of Des Moines SW, 1958 Print
    1956 Map of Des Moines SW, 1958 Print
    1956 Des Moines SW
    1958 Print · USGS
    Mid-century expansion across Polk County shows the growth of the state capital as suburban neighborhoods reached toward West Des Moines. Researchers can trace historic rail lines, old schools like Plainview Sch, and the layout of Drake University or Glendale Cemetery.
    4 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. 1965 Map of Grimes, 1966 Print
    1965 Map of Grimes, 1966 Print
    1965 Grimes
    1966 Print · USGS
    Grimes and northern Urbandale are captured in the mid-sixties during a period of steady suburban expansion and rail-supported growth. Researchers can trace the heritage of local families at Sunny Hill Hill Cem or follow the historic routes of the Chicago and North Western railroad.
    2 unique versions available

  11. 1965 Map of Commerce, 1966 Print
    1965 Map of Commerce, 1966 Print
    1965 Commerce
    1966 Print · USGS
    Suburban development meets Iowa farmland in the mid-1960s as the Raccoon River valley undergoes rapid change. Trace old rail lines like the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific or locate local landmarks like Valley High Sch and Sugar Creek Lake.
    2 unique versions available

  12. 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.

  13. 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

  14. 2010 Map of Des Moines NW, 2010 Print
    2010 Map of Des Moines NW, 2010 Print
    2010 Des Moines NW
    2010 Print · USGS
    Greater Des Moines and its northern suburbs are shown here at a time of rapid growth and water management. Researchers can trace family history through numerous burial sites like Union Cemetery or explore the geography of Camp Dodge and the Saylorville Dam.

  15. 2010 Map of Grimes, 2010 Print
    2010 Map of Grimes, 2010 Print
    2010 Grimes
    2010 Print · USGS
    The community of Grimes is shown at a period of modern growth as suburban streets reach into the surrounding farmland. Researchers can trace the local landscape through historic sites like Hoff Cemetery and Herrold Bridge along the banks of Beaver Creek.

  16. 2010 Map of Commerce, 2010 Print
    2010 Map of Commerce, 2010 Print
    2010 Commerce
    2010 Print · USGS
    West Des Moines is shown during a period of rapid suburban growth and infrastructure development in the early 21st century. Genealogists and local historians can locate Huston Cemetery and Dale Moffit Reservoir Cemetery or trace the old settlements of Commerce and Ashawa.

  17. 2010 Map of Des Moines SW, 2010 Print
    2010 Map of Des Moines SW, 2010 Print
    2010 Des Moines SW
    2010 Print · USGS
    Des Moines and its southwestern suburbs show a densely integrated network of neighborhoods and riverfront parks in the early twenty-first century. Researchers can trace the layout of historic Drake University, the expansive Glendale Cemetery, and the operations of the Des Moines International Airport.

  18. 2013 Map of Grimes, 2013 Print
    2013 Map of Grimes, 2013 Print
    2013 Grimes
    2013 Print · USGS
    Grimes and the surrounding suburbs of Des Moines appear here during a period of significant growth in the early twenty-first century. Researchers can trace the development of residential neighborhoods near Robel Field Airport and the historic settlement of Rider.

  19. 2013 Map of Commerce, 2013 Print
    2013 Map of Commerce, 2013 Print
    2013 Commerce
    2013 Print · USGS
    The West Des Moines suburbs were rapidly expanding in the early 2010s, overtaking the traditional landscapes of Polk and Dallas counties. Researchers can trace the development of legacy areas like Commerce and Ashawa alongside the Dale Maffit Reservoir.

  20. 2013 Map of Des Moines NW, 2013 Print
    2013 Map of Des Moines NW, 2013 Print
    2013 Des Moines NW
    2013 Print · USGS
    The northern suburbs of Des Moines appear in 2013 as a landscape of military installations, managed waterways, and expanding residential tracts. Genealogists and local historians can trace the development of Johnston and Saylorville near Camp Dodge and the Des Moines River.

  21. 2013 Map of Des Moines SW, 2013 Print
    2013 Map of Des Moines SW, 2013 Print
    2013 Des Moines SW
    2013 Print · USGS
    Des Moines and its western suburbs appear here during a period of significant late-twentieth-century expansion. Genealogists and local historians can trace the growth of Valley Junction or locate landmarks like the Blank Park Zoo and the Des Moines International Airport.

  22. 2015 Map of Grimes, 2015 Print
    2015 Map of Grimes, 2015 Print
    2015 Grimes
    2015 Print · USGS
    Expanding suburbs meet the fertile plains of Dallas and Polk counties during this period of growth northwest of Des Moines. Researchers can trace the layout of Grimes and Urbandale, finding landmarks like Sunny Hill Cem and Robel Field.

  23. 2015 Map of Des Moines SW, 2015 Print
    2015 Map of Des Moines SW, 2015 Print
    2015 Des Moines SW
    2015 Print · USGS
    The southwestern suburbs and industrial corridors of Des Moines come into focus during this 2010s survey. Researchers can trace the sprawling grounds of Glendale Cem, the busy Des Moines International Airport, and the riverfront at Water Works Park.

  24. 2015 Map of Commerce, 2015 Print
    2015 Map of Commerce, 2015 Print
    2015 Commerce
    2015 Print · USGS
    The western Des Moines suburbs are captured here in a period of significant expansion across Dallas and Polk counties. Researchers can trace the legacy of the area through the Huston Cem, the small community of Ashawa, and the namesake village of Commerce near the Raccoon River.

  25. 2015 Map of Des Moines NW, 2015 Print
    2015 Map of Des Moines NW, 2015 Print
    2015 Des Moines NW
    2015 Print · USGS
    The northern suburbs of Des Moines are shown here in the mid-2010s as residential growth meets the shores of Saylorville Lake. Researchers can trace local heritage through numerous burial grounds like McDivitt Grove Cem and Rittgers Cem.

Showing maps 1-25 of 33

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