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1953 Map of Clayton

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Clayton
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1981
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1981

About this map

Mount Diablo dominates the southern landscape of this Contra Costa County region, standing as a primary landmark above the expanding residential corridors of Clayton and Cowell. The map illustrates a period of significant suburban growth, particularly evident in the purple-tinted urban extensions near Clayton Valley High Sch and the Highlands neighborhood. While modern development presses from the west, the eastern and northern reaches maintain their industrial and military character, defined by the Naval Weapons Station Concord and the historical Nortonville townsite.

Resource extraction and infrastructure are central to the area's identity, seen in the path of the Contra Costa Canal and various quarries along Lime Ridge. For genealogists and local historians, the inclusion of Live Oak Cem and numerous named schools like El Dorado Intermediate Sch provides essential touchpoints for mid-century community life. The transition from the rugged slopes of the Mt Diablo State Park to the valley floor is traced by several drainages, including Mt Diablo Creek and Mitchell Creek.