1975 Map of Rio Linda

About this map

Rio Linda and the surrounding Sacramento Valley are captured in this mid-1970s orthophotograph, providing a rare hybrid view of agricultural patterns meeting suburban expansion. The dominance of McClellan Air Force Base is clear in the eastern portion of the sheet, with its expansive runways and industrial infrastructure anchoring the local economy. This aerial perspective, prepared from high-altitude photographs taken in 1975, reveals the precise grain of the land—from the dense street grids of North Highlands and Del Paso Heights to the larger rural parcels and creek drainages that still characterized much of the northern Sacramento area at the time. Researchers can observe the transition between the established city limits and the developing residential tracts that would soon define the region's modern footprint.