1981 Map of Clarksville

About this map

Columbia and its surrounding communities are captured in this 1981 orthophotoquad, which utilizes color infrared imagery to reveal the complex landscape of Howard County. The transition from established agricultural fields to the burgeoning suburban development of Clarksville and Dayton is visible through the distinct patterns of wooded corridors and cleared tracts. Hydrological patterns define the region, with the Middle Patuxent River cutting through the center and the Patuxent River feeding into the Rocky Gorge Reservoir in the south and the Triadelphia Reservoir in the west. This aerial perspective, produced in cooperation with the Soil Conservation Service, offers an unfiltered view of the road networks and land use changes near Highland during a period of significant growth in central Maryland.