1973 Map of Las Vegas NE

About this map

Nellis Air Force Base dominates the northeastern landscape of this 1973 orthophotograph, its runways and taxiways appearing as sharp geometric signatures against the Mojave desert. This aerial perspective, captured just before the explosive suburban expansion of the late 20th century, reveals the emerging grid of North Las Vegas as it pushes against the open desert. To the south, the early urban footprint of Las Vegas begins to coalesce, separated from the arid highlands by the distinct drainage path of the Las Vegas Wash. Unlike a traditional topographic map, this photographic survey provides a literal view of land use during the early 1970s, showing the precise density of residential blocks, the industrial corridors of the military installation, and the stark contrast between the irrigated valley floor and the surrounding desert scrub.