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1978 Map of San Francisco

Name: 1978 Topographic Map of San Francisco
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1979
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

San Francisco and its neighboring bay cities are shown at a peak of late-century development, linked by iconic spans like the Golden Gate Bridge and the Oakland Bay Bridge. This topographic study reveals the intense concentration of military and transportation infrastructure that shaped the region's mid-century growth, from the Presidio Military Res and Fort Mason Military Res to the critical connectivity of the Trans-Bay Tube.

Beyond the urban core, the landscape is defined by massive protected areas and water management systems. The map traces the rugged coastline from Point Reyes National Seashore down to the San Francisco Bay Nat Wildlife Refuge, while inland, the network of reservoirs like Upper San Leandro Reservoir and Crystal Springs Reservoir illustrates the engineering required to sustain this metropolitan hub. The contrast between the dense street grids of Berkeley and Oakland and the preserved wilderness of Muir Woods Nat Mon remains a striking feature of this era.