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1956 Map of San Mateo

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of San Mateo
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

San Mateo and its neighboring Peninsula communities appear here during a period of rapid mid-century expansion. The landscape is defined by the proximity of the San Francisco Bay to the rising foothills, with the Bayshore Freeway and El Camino Real serving as the primary north-south arteries. Urban development is visible through a dense network of local institutions, from the College of San Mateo to numerous neighborhood schools like Sunnybrae Sch and Meadow Heights.

The Western portion of the sheet reveals the sharp contrast between the burgeoning suburbs and the protected lands of the San Francisco State Fish and Game Refuge. Significant infrastructure and landmarks of the era are clearly marked, including the Bay Meadows Racetrack, the Fiesta Grounds, and the Crystal Springs Reservoir following the San Andreas Rift Zone. From the shores of Coyote Point to the heights of Black Mtn, this survey captures the infrastructure of the 1950s Bay Area.