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1953 Map of Denver

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Denver
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1964
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1964

About this map

The South Platte River and its major tributaries, Cherry Creek and Clear Creek, anchor this 1:250,000 scale survey of the Colorado Front Range during a period of significant mid-century expansion. The urban footprint of Denver is shown alongside established suburbs like Aurora, Englewood, and Arvada, while the surrounding plains are dotted with critical Cold War era military installations including the Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Lowry Air Force Base, and Buckley Naval Air Station.

To the west, the terrain rises sharply into the Front Range and the high peaks of the Arapaho National Forest, where historic mining settlements such as Central City and Black Hawk are situated. The map captures a complex transportation network of major rail lines like the Union Pacific and Denver & Rio Grande Western alongside the developing highway system. Notable regional landmarks such as Fitzsimons Army Hospital and the State Capitol provide specific points of reference for local historians and researchers.