1949 Map of Seattle North

About this map

The University of Washington campus and the bustling northern neighborhoods of the city anchor this survey, which documents Seattle just as post-war suburban expansion began to accelerate. Revisions from 1968, indicated in purple, show the density of residential development pushing north into Lake City and Lake Forest, while the 1949 base layer preserves the earlier footprint of established communities like Fremont and Wallingford. The landscape is defined by its connection to the water, from the maritime operations along the Lake Washington Ship Canal and Lake Union to the US Naval Air Station at Sand Point. Social and recreational hubs are prominent, including the Seattle Country Club, the Aqua Theater on Green Lake, and the vanished Playland amusement park near Haller Lake, illustrating a city balancing industrial growth with extensive parklands and civic institutions.