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1951 Map of Alexandria

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Alexandria
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1951
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1951

About this map

The Pentagon Building and the sprawling grounds of Arlington National Cemetery anchor the northern landscape of this mid-century Potomac River study. Following the 1949 revision, the map documents the dense suburban expansion of Northern Virginia, where neighborhoods like Shirlington, Parkfairfax, and Arlington Village represent the rapid post-war residential development. Along the riverfront, industrial and military footprints are prominent, from the Potomac Yard rail facility and National Airport to the Naval Research Lab and Bolling Field on the eastern bank.

Further south, the landscape transitions into the rolling terrain of Fairfax County, featuring the Hybla Valley Airport and the Bureau of Public Roads Test Track. The map preserves the intricate network of local history, including family-named landmarks and institutions such as St Elizabeths Hospital, Episcopal High Sch, and Sharon Chapel. Transportation arteries like the Shirley Memorial Highway and the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad define the era's movement through established communities like Groveton and Huntington.