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1948 Map of Baltimore

Name: 1948 Topographic Map of Baltimore
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1948
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1948

About this map

Baltimore anchors this expansive post-war survey, which spans from the industrial shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay to the ridges of the Blue Ridge mountains. In the years following World War II, the region's heavy reliance on rail and maritime transport is evident in the dense network of lines including the Pennsylvania RR and Baltimore & Ohio RR. Military readiness is a defining theme, with sprawling installations like the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Edgewood Arsenal, and Fort George Meade Military Reservation occupying significant acreage along the coastal and inland corridors.

Beyond the urban centers, the landscape transitions into the rolling hills of the Parr's Ridge and the historic terrain surrounding Gettysburg. Major river systems, notably the Susquehanna River and the Potomac River, serve as natural boundaries and transportation arteries. Small settlements like Cockeysville, Mount Airy, and Mercersburg appear as essential local hubs connected by a developing system of U.S. Highways, such as U.S. 40 and U.S. 111, marking the early stages of mid-century suburban expansion.