1977 Map of Waianae

About this map

Waianae and its neighboring leeward coast settlements are captured in high-detail orthophotography during the late 1970s. This survey, produced by the Geological Survey in cooperation with the State of Hawaii, provides a rare overhead perspective of the residential and agricultural patterns along the coast before subsequent decades of development. The imagery clearly shows the transition from the sandy shores of the Pacific Ocean to the steep, fluted ridges of the interior mountains. Coastal communities such as Makaha, Maili, and Nanakuli are visible as distinct clusters of development, revealing the extent of local infrastructure and land use at the time the aerial photographs were taken in late 1977. This document is particularly valuable for observing the density of housing and the specific layout of roads and fields along this stretch of Oahu's western shore.