1948 Map of Dana Point

About this map

Dana Point and the adjacent Orange County coastline are captured here in the late 1940s, showing a string of seaside communities connected by the Coast Highway and the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad. The landscape transitions from the residential enclaves of South Laguna and Three Arch Bay in the northwest to the developing tracts of Capistrano Beach and San Clemente in the southeast. Significant infrastructure of the era is visible, including the Capistrano Airport and an Airway Beacon near the bluffs. The natural topography is defined by the steep canyons of Boca de la Playa and the drainage of San Juan Creek, which meets the sea near Doheny Beach State Park. This survey illustrates the early post-war character of the South Coast before the massive expansion of the modern harbor.