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1965 Map of Sunnyslope

Name: 1965 Topographic Map of Sunnyslope
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1983
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1983

About this map

Sunnyslope and the northern reaches of Phoenix are depicted during a period of rapid mid-century expansion into the surrounding desert. The landscape is defined by the stark contrast between the dense residential grid and the prominent peaks of the Phoenix Mountains Preserve, including Shaw Butte, North Mountain, and Squaw Peak. This 1965 survey, updated with late-1970s aerial photography, shows the encroachment of the suburban sprawl toward the community of Cactus.

Irrigation infrastructure is vital to this valley setting, with the Arizona Canal and Grand Canal cutting across the terrain to support growth. The map identifies local social anchors such as Sunnyslope High Sch, the Good Shepherd Convent, and Lincoln Hosp. The presence of the Black Canyon Highway on the western edge signals the era's increasing reliance on high-speed transit corridors as the city expanded its footprint northward through the Maricopa County desert.