1966 Map of Pasadena

About this map

Angeles National Forest forms the northern boundary of this mid-century portrait, where the steep canyons of the Verdugo Mountains and San Rafael Hills drop sharply into the dense residential grids of the San Gabriel Valley. The map captures an era of post-war urbanization, with purple-tinted revisions showing the rapid expansion of Pasadena, Glendale, and Altadena by the early 1970s. This development is defined by the burgeoning freeway system, including the Ventura Freeway and the Pasadena Freeway, which weave through a landscape marked by institutional landmarks like the Calif Institute of Technology and Occidental College.