1920 Map of Santa Monica

About this map

The Salt Lake Oil Fields and the burgeoning community of Beverly Hills anchor this 1920 snapshot of the Los Angeles basin, showing a landscape on the verge of massive suburban transformation. The rail-and-river economy is clearly visible, with the Pacific Electric and Southern Pacific lines weaving through agricultural and residential clusters. In the San Fernando Valley to the north, early settlements like Van Nuys, Lankershim, and Roscoe appear as distinct hubs connected by a rigid grid of tracks and washes. South of the Santa Monica Mountains, the map details the early footprints of Culver City and Santa Monica, alongside now-incorporated places like Tropico and Sherman. This era was defined by the transition from large rancho holdings like San Jose de Buenos Ayres to the modern metropolitan layout, with the Los Angeles River still flowing through the valley before significant channelization.