1961 Map of Mountain View

About this map

Naval Air Station Moffett Field and the adjacent Ames Research Center dominate the landscape of the South Bay during this era of rapid suburban and aerospace expansion. The map illustrates a transitional period where industrial Salt Evaporators and winding sloughs like Mowry Slough meet the burgeoning residential grids of Mountain View, Palo Alto, and Sunnyvale. Transportation infrastructure is a central theme, with the Southern Pacific railroad and Bayshore Freeway cutting through the Santa Clara Valley, while the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct delivers water to the growing population. Numerous local landmarks are identified, from the Murphy House and Castro City to a dense network of neighborhood schools like Crittenden Sch and Fairoaks Sch, reflecting the postwar family-oriented growth that would eventually define Silicon Valley.