1961 Map of Palo Alto

About this map

Stanford University and its sprawling academic and athletic grounds dominate the southern portion of this mid-century landscape, featuring landmarks like the Stanford Golf Course and several large-scale scientific installations. The map documents a period of rapid suburban intensification along the Southern Pacific rail corridor, where the residential grids of Redwood City, Atherton, and Menlo Park press against the older ranch boundaries of Rancho Las Pulgas and Rancho El Corte de Madera. Purple revision tints highlight the post-war expansion of urban areas, particularly in East Palo Alto and the foothills near Los Altos Hills. To the west, the terrain rises sharply toward Jasper Ridge and Bear Gulch Reservoir, while the northeastern edge is defined by the industrial Salt Evaporators and winding tidal channels like Ravenswood Slough.