1950 Map of Mercer Island

About this map

Lake Washington defines the geography of this mid-century survey, separating the growing residential communities of Mercer Island City and Bellevue from the city of Seattle. This era captures a landscape in transition as postwar suburban expansion accelerates, visible in the dense network of new schools such as Burbank Boys Sch, Sammamish High Sch, and Tyee Jr High Sch. The map documents the early paths of Interstate 90 and Interstate 405, which forever changed the connectivity of the Eastside. Smaller enclaves like Beaux Arts and Medina sit along the waterfront, while the eastern hills reveal a mix of emerging neighborhoods like Lake Hills and Eastgate alongside established features like Bellevue Airfield and the State Fish Hatchery on the Bailey Peninsula.