1981 Map of Puuloa

About this map

Pacific Ocean waters dominate the southern half of this 1981 orthophotoquad, which captures the coastal transformation of the Honolulu area during the late 1970s. Created from aerial photography taken between 1976 and 1978, the map reveals a landscape of intense development and military-industrial infrastructure. Distinctive coastal markers such as Keahi Point and Ahua Pt define the jagged shoreline, where runways and shipping channels have been carved into the land. Unlike a standard topographic map, this photographic record provides a direct visual of the urban density and the intricate geometry of the airfields and harbor facilities as they existed just before the turn of the decade. It serves as a stark visual reference for the massive land reclamation and civil engineering projects that reshaped this portion of the Hawaiian coast.