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1961 Map of San Jose

Name: 1961 Topographic Map of San Jose
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

San Jose and its burgeoning suburbs dominate this mid-century landscape, showing the transition from an agricultural valley into a major urban center. The city core is surrounded by historic land grants like Pueblo de San Jose and Potrero de Santa Clara, while the industrial expansion of the 1960s is evident in the sprawling residential tracts and new highway networks. Along the northern edge, Salt Evaporators line the Alviso Slough near the historic port of Alviso, where the Southern Pacific and Western Pacific railroads converge.

Institutional landmarks are prominent, including both the East and West campuses of Agnews State Hospital and the cultural hub of the Rosicrucian Museum. The map captures the early infrastructure of the Silicon Valley era, from the San Jose Airport to the County Communications Center. In the eastern foothills, Alum Rock Park provides a sharp contrast to the dense grid of Santa Clara and Sunnyvale, while the New North Almaden Mine in the south hints at the area's older mineral history.