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1953 Map of El Paso

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

USGS Topo · Published 1953

About this map

El Paso and Ciudad Juárez anchor this international landscape, which captures the binational urban core during the post-war era. The sprawling Fort Bliss Military Reservation dominates the northeastern terrain, while the Rio Bravo Del Norte carves its way through the valley, flanked by agricultural infrastructure like the Franklin Canal and Mesa Drain. To the southeast, old valley settlements such as Ysleta, San Elizario, and Fabens line the river, highlighting the historic settlement pattern along the fertile floodplain.

Transportation networks define the region, with the Southern Pacific and Texas and New Orleans railroads converging on the border. Across the line in Chihuahua, the Nacionales de México rail line serves communities like Samalayuca. The map also reveals the arid basin-and-range topography to the west, from the West Potrillo Mountains to the expansive Laguna de Guzmán, providing a comprehensive look at the Chihuahuan Desert landscape before extensive modern suburbanization.