Published in 2001 using survey data from 1999, the US Geological Survey’s “Sunbury” presents a finely detailed topographical portrait of a distinctive part of central Pennsylvania. At 1:24,000 scale, the map captures Selinsgrove, Sunbury, and the surrounding countryside with the precision for which USGS quadrangles are renowned. The landscape is organized through contour lines, shaded relief, and carefully differentiated colors, allowing the eye to move naturally from river valleys to upland ridges, from settled neighborhoods to open agricultural ground. As a record of the region at the turn of the twenty-first century, it offers a compelling snapshot of land use, transport corridors, waterways, and community development just before another generation of expansion reshaped the Susquehanna Valley.

The geography of the map is anchored by the Susquehanna River, whose broad course defines both the natural character and historical development of the area. Sunbury sits at an important riverine setting, long shaped by movement, trade, and settlement along the waterway, while Selinsgrove appears across the river landscape as a town with its own civic, residential, and commercial patterns. Tributaries such as Limestone Creek and Little Shikellamy Creek add finer texture to the terrain, tracing smaller drainage systems through fields, woods, and neighborhoods. The contouring reveals the characteristic hilly relief of central Pennsylvania, where valleys open into settled corridors and higher ground frames the towns with a subtle but persistent topographic drama.

The US Geological Survey, established in 1879, transformed American mapmaking by combining scientific fieldwork with standardized cartographic design. This map reflects that legacy: practical, exacting, and quietly elegant in its synthesis of human and physical geography. Roads, streams, public lands, elevation marks, municipal patterns, and cultural features are all rendered in a visual language intended for clarity and reliability. Pennsylvania Routes 11 and 147 appear as significant arteries, tying the towns to the broader regional network and echoing older patterns of movement along the river. The result is more than a navigational document; it is a disciplined geographic inventory of a living landscape, made legible through the USGS tradition of rigorous survey and design.

Selinsgrove and Sunbury are shown not as isolated towns, but as part of a wider mosaic of settlement, recreation, agriculture, and infrastructure. The Snyder County Fairgrounds, residential neighborhoods, commercial districts, parks, and recreational areas all testify to the layered life of the region in the late 1990s. Nearby, State Game Lands 242 marks the continued importance of protected open space in a landscape otherwise shaped by roads, farms, and expanding development. Fort Freeland, a name evocative of Pennsylvania’s frontier history, adds another historical dimension, connecting the mapped terrain to earlier eras of conflict, settlement, and local memory. Such features give the map a richness that rewards both geographic study and historical imagination.

As a document of 1999 conditions, “Sunbury” is especially engaging for the way it preserves a moment in the evolving story of Snyder County and the Susquehanna River corridor. Since the survey data was gathered, the region has experienced changes in land use, suburban growth, commercial expansion, and shifting agricultural patterns, making the map a valuable visual benchmark. Its relief shading and contour intervals convey the enduring physical landscape, while its roads, neighborhoods, and public sites record the human geography of a particular time. The map’s appeal lies in this union of permanence and change: ridges, streams, and river bends set against the evolving imprint of communities along one of Pennsylvania’s defining waterways.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Selinsgrove
• Sunbury
• Snyder County
• Susquehanna River
• Limestone Creek
• Fort Freeland
• Little Shikellamy Creek
• State Game Lands 242
• Pennsylvania Route 147
• Pennsylvania Route 11
• Snyder County Fairgrounds
• Several parks and recreational areas
• Several residential neighborhoods and commercial areas in Selinsgrove and Sunbury

Historical context & cartographic details

• Map title: Sunbury
• Produced by the US Geological Survey
• Imprinted in 2001, based on survey data from 1999
• Historical 1:24,000 topographical map showing Selinsgrove and the surrounding area in Pennsylvania
• The US Geological Survey is known for mapping and surveying expertise, contributing to geographic and scientific data collection in the United States
• Uses relief shading and colored lines to represent elevation changes and terrain features
• Features contour lines illustrating the hilly terrain typical of central Pennsylvania
• Documents an area that has experienced land-use and development changes since 1999, including urban and agricultural 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.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.