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1959 Map of Benicia

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Benicia
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1978
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1978

About this map

Carquinez Strait serves as the focal point of this late 1950s survey, connecting the industrial waterfronts of Vallejo and Benicia. The map reveals a landscape defined by maritime and military utility, dominated by the sprawling Benicia Arsenal Military Reservation and significant shipping infrastructure like Nevada Dock and the California Maritime Academy. Regional transport is clearly delineated, showing the Southern Pacific and Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe rail lines hugging the coastlines, while the Carquinez Bridge provides a critical highway link between Solano and Contra Costa counties.

Industrial and residential growth is evident in the smaller settlements of Port Costa, Oleum, and Crockett, while the historic character of the region is preserved at the Benicia Capitol State Historical Monument. Away from the water, the terrain rises into Sulphur Springs Mountain and the Pinole Ridge, where open spaces like the Vallejo Municipal Golf Course and Lake Herman break the grid of the expanding urban centers.