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1961 Map of San Jose West

Name: 1961 Topographic Map of San Jose West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1969
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1969

About this map

The Mission Santa Clara de Asis Historical Monument serves as a cultural anchor in this dense mid-century corridor, where the legacy of Spanish colonization meets the rapid post-war expansion of the Santa Clara Valley. The map documents the educational and religious infrastructure of the era, from the University of Santa Clara and San Jose State College to specialized sites like the Carmelite Monastery and Bellarmine College Preparatory.

Infrastructure dominates the landscape as the Southern Pacific railroad and the burgeoning freeway system, including the Bayshore Freeway and Sinclair Freeway, carve through established neighborhoods like Willow Glen and Burbank. The presence of the Municipal Airport and numerous hospitals, such as O'Connor Hospital and Holderman Sanitarium, reflects a region transitioning from its agricultural roots into a major urban and transit hub. Waterways like Los Gatos Creek and the Guadalupe River continue to define the natural drainage patterns amidst the spreading residential and industrial tracts.