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1961 Map of Washington

Name: 1961 Topographic Map of Washington
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

Washington and the expanding suburbs of Alexandria, Arlington, and Bethesda anchor this mid-century survey of the Mid-Atlantic region. The map captures the corridor before the full arrival of the modern interstate system, showing the early reach of Interstate 95 alongside historic routes like U S Highway 1 and the Pennsylvania RR. The landscape transitions from the urban center to the preservation lands of Prince William Forest Park and the deeply indented shorelines of the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay.

Military and maritime activity defines the coastal sections, with significant installations such as Fort Belvoir, Andrews Air Force Base, and the Naval Air Test Center near Point Lookout. On the Eastern Shore, small water-oriented towns like Tilghman and St Michaels appear as centers of the bay economy. To the west, the terrain rises through the Bull Run Mountains toward the Blue Ridge and Shenandoah National Park, illustrating the geographic diversity between the Piedmont and the Tidewater.