1973 Map of Las Vegas NW

About this map

Las Vegas and its northern expansion are captured here in a series of orthophotographic tiles from the early 1970s. This aerial perspective, prepared in cooperation with the U. S. Soil Conservation Service, reveals a landscape in the midst of rapid suburban development. Dense residential blocks and gridded streets push outward from the established hubs of North Las Vegas into the surrounding desert floor. The North Las Vegas Air Terminal stands as a prominent focal point in the northwest, its runways carved into the scrubland. This specific type of imagery allows for a rare, clear visualization of how the city’s residential footprint and transportation corridors were established before later decades of further expansion reshaped the valley's edge.