1973 Map of Las Vegas SW

About this map

Union Pacific tracks cut a stark diagonal through the desert southwest of the Las Vegas valley, marking a landscape in the early stages of massive suburban expansion. Captured in 1973 via orthophotoimagery, this sheet reveals the sparse industrial and transit footprint of Arden against a backdrop of undeveloped alluvial fans. Near the northern edge, the residential grid begins to push southward, meeting the drainage of Flamingo Wash. The presence of Mc Carran Field at the eastern margin highlights the infrastructure required for the region's burgeoning growth. Long desert stretches along Tropicana and the rail line provide a precise look at the valley's fringe before it was fully integrated into the modern metropolitan sprawl, showing the raw desert floor still dominant over the human built environment.