1949 Map of San Mateo

About this map

San Mateo and its mid-century neighbors appear here as a dense corridor of development pressed between the San Francisco Bay and the wooded heights of Buri Buri Ridge. This era shows a community in the midst of post-war growth, with the Southern Pacific railroad and the Bayshore Highway serving as primary transit arteries. The map captures a high concentration of institutional landmarks, from the sprawling campus of San Mateo Junior College to specialized facilities like the California Sanitarium and St Josephs Military Academy. To the west, the landscape shifts abruptly to the utility-oriented terrain of the Upper Crystal Springs Reservoir and Lower San Andreas Lake, while the eastern shore is defined by the wetlands of Brewer Island and the tidal reaches of Angelo Slough. This survey provides a precise look at the suburban expansion of Burlingame and Belmont before the late-century densification of the Peninsula.