Old Map of Salt Lake City, Utah by USGS, 1963 – Great Salt Lake & Wasatch Mountains

Published with a 1970 imprint from 1963 survey data, “Salt Lake City North” captures Utah’s capital at a pivotal moment before later decades of rapid metropolitan expansion reshaped the Wasatch Front. Produced by the U.S. Geological Survey at the precise 1:24,000 scale, the map presents Salt Lake City and its northern surroundings with the clarity and authority that made USGS quadrangles indispensable to engineers, planners, geologists, and travelers. Its title is modest, yet the sheet is rich with urban and geographic drama: the ordered street grid of Salt Lake City, the nearby communities of North Salt Lake and Bountiful, the broad openness toward the Great Salt Lake, and the rising eastern wall of the Wasatch Mountains all appear in carefully balanced cartographic detail.

The U.S. Geological Survey brought to this map nearly a century of institutional expertise in measuring, classifying, and depicting the American landscape. By the mid-twentieth century, its topographic quadrangles had become among the most trusted visual records of the nation’s changing terrain, combining scientific rigor with a quietly elegant graphic language. Here, contour lines articulate the steep ascent from the valley floor toward the Wasatch foothills, while color distinctions identify urban fabric, transportation corridors, water features, and open land. The result is not merely a utilitarian diagram, but a refined portrait of place—one in which natural relief and human settlement are shown as interwoven forces shaping the growth of Salt Lake City.

The map is especially compelling for the way it juxtaposes the engineered city with the demanding geography that surrounds it. Salt Lake City’s rectilinear streets and civic landmarks sit between the Jordan River lowlands and the mountainous terrain to the east, where Federal Heights, the University of Utah, and Emigration Canyon mark the transition from urban plateau to canyon country. The Bonneville Shoreline, a remnant of ancient Lake Bonneville, adds deep geological time to the scene, tracing a subtle line across the foothills above the modern city. This mingling of everyday infrastructure and ancient landform gives the map unusual depth, allowing viewers to read both the modern city and the prehistoric basin beneath it.

Transportation features lend the sheet a strong historical resonance. Roads, state routes, rail lines, and the Salt Lake City Airport appear as part of a regional network that was already transforming the valley in the early 1960s. The map records a city increasingly tied to automobile travel, aviation, and suburban growth, while still retaining a legible relationship to older rail corridors and established neighborhoods. Places such as Sugar House, Liberty Park, Millcreek, Murray, Holladay, and Bountiful evoke a metropolitan area in transition—distinct communities and districts becoming more tightly connected across the valley floor. In this sense, the map serves as a snapshot of Salt Lake City before later freeway expansion, suburban infill, and commercial development intensified the urban landscape.

Beyond its urban history, “Salt Lake City North” is a graceful study in the relationship between settlement and environment. Reservoirs, parks, waterways, foothill contours, and mountain approaches are rendered with the systematic precision of mid-century topographic mapping, revealing how recreation, civic life, transportation, and natural constraint all occupied the same valley. The Great Salt Lake’s presence to the northwest, the Jordan River’s course through the basin, and the Wasatch Mountains’ abrupt rise to the east frame the city within one of the American West’s most distinctive settings. For collectors, historians, and admirers of Utah’s landscape, this map offers a beautifully disciplined record of Salt Lake City at a defining stage in its modern evolution.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Salt Lake City
• North Salt Lake
• Bountiful
• Millcreek
• Murray
• University of Utah
• Great Salt Lake
• Jordan River
• Salt Lake City Airport
• Wasatch Mountains
• Bonneville Shoreline
• Federal Heights
• Emigration Canyon
• Sugar House
• Liberty Park
• Draper
• Holladay
• Various parks and recreational areas
• Major and minor roads, including Interstate and State Routes
• Railroads and railway lines
• Several water reservoirs
• Notable landmarks and civic buildings

Historical context & cartographic details

• Map name: Salt Lake City North
• Produced by the U.S. Geological Survey, this historical 1:24,000 topographical map illustrates Salt Lake City, Utah, and the surrounding area.
• The map is dated 1963 and carries a 1970 imprint, indicating it is based on survey data reflecting conditions from the early 1960s.
• The USGS is known for its extensive mapping and geological research across the United States.
• The map uses a blend of colors to indicate different land uses and elevations.
• Contour lines provide topographical representation, giving a sense of relief and landscape variation.
• Roads are clearly marked, with distinguishable symbols used for landmarks.
• The map showcases elevation changes, with shaded relief areas indicating mountains and valleys around Salt Lake City.
• Since the map’s publication, Salt Lake City and its surrounding areas have undergone significant urban development and expansion.

Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.

Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

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

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.

Every piece is printed to museum-grade archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte paper. Choose an unframed map print, framed map or canvas using the finish options above. Framed maps use crystal-clear optical acrylic and arrive ready to hang.

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.