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1915 Map of San Mateo

Name: 1915 Topographic Map of San Mateo
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1920
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1920

About this map

San Francisco and its southward expansion onto the peninsula are captured here during a period of rapid development and industrialization. The urban grid of the city reaches past Ingleside and Oceanview toward the newly incorporated Daly City, while the eastern shoreline is defined by the rail corridor of the Southern Pacific Railroad and the United Railroad (Interurban). The map reveals a landscape balancing municipal needs with early suburban growth, showing the Industrial School and Alms House alongside growing communities like South San Francisco and Millbrae.

A string of reservoirs, including San Andreas Lake, Pilarcitos Lake, and Crystal Springs Lake, following the valley between San Pedro Ridge and the Buri Buri Ridge, highlights the critical infrastructure required to sustain the growing population. To the west, the coastline remains relatively sparsely settled, with small pockets like Moss Beach and Montara marking the edge of the Pacific Ocean, while the interior remains dominated by rugged terrain like Montara Mtn and the cattle country of Corral de Tierra Palomares.