Published in 1995 from 1973 mapping, the United States Geological Survey’s “Anacortes North” presents one of Washington’s most compelling maritime landscapes at the detailed 1:24,000 scale. Centered on Anacortes and the northern reaches of Fidalgo Island, the map captures a place defined by water, elevation, and passage: Rosario Strait to the west, Padilla and Samish Bays to the east, and the island-studded approaches to the San Juan archipelago. Its precise topographic language—contour lines, color-coded land and water features, roads, shorelines, and place names—translates a complex coastal terrain into an elegant, readable composition. As both a navigational document and a historical snapshot, it records the infrastructure, settlement patterns, and natural contours of the Anacortes area in the late twentieth century.

The USGS brought to this map more than a century of federal surveying expertise. Founded in 1879, the United States Geological Survey became the authoritative cartographic institution for documenting the nation’s physical geography, natural resources, and changing landscapes. Its quadrangle maps are prized for their disciplined accuracy and restrained visual style, combining scientific rigor with a distinctly American cartographic aesthetic. In “Anacortes North,” that tradition is evident in the careful rendering of shorelines, roads, elevations, and hydrographic detail. The map belongs to the era when USGS topographic sheets were indispensable tools for planners, engineers, geologists, hikers, and mariners seeking to understand the relationship between landform and human use. Here, official cartography gives lasting form to a dynamic corner of Puget Sound.

Anacortes itself appears as the principal urban presence, set within a remarkable network of bays, channels, and islands. Long associated with fishing, timber, shipbuilding, and ferry connections, the city occupies a strategic position near the gateway to the San Juan Islands. The map shows the surrounding roads and highways that link the community to greater Skagit County, while its waterfront orientation is made plain by the intricate edge of docks, bays, and tidal flats. Nearby Fidalgo Island dominates the landward composition, with Mount Erie rising as a topographic anchor and reminding the viewer that this is not merely a coastal plain, but a rugged meeting of volcanic upland and inland sea. The result is a portrait of a working maritime city embedded in dramatic natural scenery.

The surrounding waters give the map much of its character. Rosario Strait, one of the great marine corridors of northwestern Washington, separates Fidalgo Island from Cypress and other islands to the west, while Bellingham Bay, Padilla Bay, Samish Bay, and Skagit Bay frame the broader geography of tides, mudflats, and protected inlets. Guemes Island, Burrows Island, and Cypress Island appear as distinct landforms, each with its own contours and shoreline intricacies. To the south, the famed Deception Pass area evokes one of the Pacific Northwest’s most dramatic passages, where swift tidal currents carve between rocky shores. These waterways are not decorative background; they are the map’s organizing structure, revealing why navigation, settlement, and industry in Anacortes have always depended on the sea.

The topographic treatment is especially effective in conveying the region’s varied terrain. Contour lines tighten over hills and uplands, loosen across low-lying coastal margins, and help distinguish mountains, valleys, bluffs, and shore flats with quiet precision. The color palette separates water bodies, wooded or open land, built features, and transportation routes, allowing the eye to move effortlessly between natural and human geography. Viewed historically, the map also invites comparison with the present: expanding roads, altered waterfronts, shifting land use, and the growth of conservation areas around bays, islands, and parks. “Anacortes North” is therefore more than a technical survey. It is a finely ordered record of a Pacific Northwest threshold, where urban development, island ecology, and maritime movement meet.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Anacortes
• Fidalgo Island
• Guemes Island
• Burrows Island
• Cypress Island
• Rosario Strait
• Bellingham Bay
• Padilla Bay
• Samish Bay
• Skagit Bay
• Deception Pass
• Mount Erie
• Parks and possible natural reserves
• Roads and highways surrounding Anacortes
• Nearby marine features and waterways
• Neighboring geographic landmarks and elevation features

Historical context & cartographic details

• Historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Anacortes, Washington, and the surrounding area
• Produced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS)
• Dated 1973, with a 1995 imprint
• The USGS is known for extensive mapping and surveying work in the United States, including geological studies, topographical maps, and natural resource management
• Prominently features Anacortes, a key Washington city associated with maritime activity and access to the San Juan Islands
• Uses color-coded elevation and contour lines to show topographical changes
• Shows varied terrain, including mountains, valleys, water bodies, and elevation features
• Reflects geographical and infrastructural changes in the Anacortes area, including land use and urban development over time
• The color palette and contouring help convey elevation changes and significant water bodies for navigation and terrain understanding

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.