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1954 Map of Detroit

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Detroit
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1954
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1954

About this map

The Detroit metropolitan area and its international border with Ontario are depicted during a period of massive post-war industrial and suburban expansion. Dense residential corridors extend from the city center toward Pontiac, Royal Oak, and Dearborn, while the shoreline is defined by the affluent communities of Grosse Pointe and St. Clair Shores. The strategic importance of the waterway is evident, from the industrial waterfronts at River Rouge and Zug Island to the naval and aviation presence at Selfridge Air Force Base.

Transit networks form the backbone of this landscape, with the Michigan Central Railroad and Grand Trunk Western Railroad converging on the river. Across the Detroit River, the Ontario landscape around Windsor and Chatham appears more agricultural, though linked by rail and ferry to the American side. From the marshlands of Lake St. Clair to the inland waters of Cass Lake, the map documents a region defined by its reliance on the Great Lakes and heavy industry.