Old Map of San Anselmo, California by USGS, 1954 – San Rafael, Ross & Mount Tamalpais

Published in 1955 from 1954 US Geological Survey work, “San Rafael” presents a finely detailed mid-century portrait of central Marin County at the precise 1:24,000 scale. Though named for the county seat, the map gives particular prominence to San Anselmo and its surrounding communities, placing them within a richly contoured landscape of ridges, creek valleys, reservoirs, roads, and rail lines. This was Marin before the full force of postwar suburban expansion reshaped its hillsides and transportation corridors, making the sheet a compelling record of both settlement and terrain. San Rafael, Ross, Fairfax, Corte Madera, Marinwood, and Tamalpais Valley appear not as isolated towns, but as parts of a connected landscape defined by movement, water, elevation, and proximity to Mount Tamalpais.

The US Geological Survey’s cartographic discipline is evident throughout the map’s measured design. Contour lines articulate the folds and rises of the land with exceptional clarity, turning the ridges around San Anselmo and San Rafael into a legible system of slopes, saddles, and valleys. The classic USGS color language distinguishes built areas, vegetation, hydrography, and relief without overwhelming the eye, creating a map that is both scientific and quietly elegant. Roads and highways are carefully annotated, while railways trace an earlier geography of local connection. Creeks thread through the lowlands and canyons, reminding the viewer that Marin’s towns developed in close conversation with drainage patterns, narrow valley floors, and the steep terrain that surrounds them.

San Anselmo is especially evocative on this map, shown at a moment when its identity as a refined Marin community was already established, yet before later development filled many surrounding spaces. Set among hills west of San Rafael and near the neighboring enclave of Ross, the town occupies a geographic position that helps explain its enduring appeal: sheltered, residential, and closely tied to the wooded valleys leading toward Fairfax and the Mount Tamalpais watershed. The map captures this balance between community and landscape, marking streets and routes while leaving the surrounding contours to assert the dominance of terrain. For collectors drawn to California’s social and geographic history, it is a revealing image of affluence, access, and topography intertwined.

Beyond the towns, the map’s reservoirs and uplands underscore the importance of water and conservation in Marin County’s development. Bon Tempe Lake and Kent Lake anchor a landscape of watershed management, wooded slopes, and recreational access near the flanks of Mount Tamalpais. Trails, parks, and creek courses hint at the region’s longstanding relationship with outdoor life, from local walking routes to broader excursions into the mountain country north of the Golden Gate. The reservoirs are not merely geographic features; they represent civic planning, environmental adaptation, and the practical demands of growing Bay Area communities. In this sense, the map documents a landscape where natural beauty, public utility, and residential desirability converged.

As a historical topographical representation, “San Rafael” offers more than a location guide: it preserves a mid-20th-century version of Marin County at a formative moment. The postwar years brought new roads, new neighborhoods, and increasing commuter ties to San Francisco, yet this map still shows a region shaped profoundly by hills, watersheds, rail routes, and compact town centers. Its appeal lies in that tension between permanence and change. Mount Tamalpais, the lakes, and the sinuous creek valleys remain enduring presences, while the human geography reflects a particular historical phase. For admirers of California cartography, it is a sophisticated record of place, where technical precision reveals the layered character of one of the Bay Area’s most distinctive landscapes.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• San Anselmo
• San Rafael
• Marin County
• Ross
• Fairfax
• Tamalpais Valley
• Mount Tamalpais
• Marinwood
• Corte Madera
• Bon Tempe Lake
• Kent Lake
• Creeks
• Parks
• Trails
• Highways
• Railways
• Reservoirs
• Mountain ranges and peaks

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS)
• Created in 1954 and published in 1955
• Scale: 1:24,000
• Historical topographical map focusing on San Anselmo, California
• Incorporates USGS survey data emphasizing geographical and populated features
• Prominently features San Anselmo, noted for its affluent neighborhoods and proximity to Marin County historical sites
• Uses a typical USGS color scheme to represent topography and vegetation
• Detailed contour lines show elevation changes, hills, and valleys
• Reflects the San Anselmo area in the mid-20th century, before later urbanization and development significantly altered the region

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The model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.

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With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.