Historic Maps

Road maps show us where we're going and historic road maps show us where we've been and how we got there. 

These early Arizona road maps were vital guides to have on board at the dawn of the automobile age more than a century ago. That was long before our digital maps and GPS guided us on our trips. 

Over several decades in the 20th century, states and gasoline companies recognized how important road maps were for commerce and tourism and they invested in making maps attractive and readily available for free. 

This beautiful cover art for the Arizona highway maps was a marketing tool that helped sell the state as a destination for motorists. 

These are scans of maps in the collection of the Map and Geospatial Hub within the Arizona State University Library.

See Best Arizona Place Names: 
http://www.ontheroadarizona.com/placenames.html

An 1884 map of the Arizona Territory with few trails to follow.

An Arizona highway map published in December 1919.

The Automobile Club of Arizona's 1927 highway map.

This is a corner of the Automobile Club of Arizona 1927 map, prepared by E.V. Miller of Phoenix.

A 1934 Indian Country map from the Automobile Club of Southern California.

1937 Arizona Highway Department map.

1940 Standard Oil Company of California road map.

1942 Arizona Official AAA Road Map.

1952 Arizona Highway Department road map.

A 1953 bulletin on Arizona highway projects totaling more than $9 million.

A Conoco Travel Bureau highway map from the 1940s.

This is an 1857 map of what would become the Arizona Territory. Note that this was Apache country.