Published in 1968 from survey data collected in 1949, the US Geological Survey’s “Astoria” captures one of the Pacific Northwest’s most storied coastal cities at a revealing mid-century moment. Set at the mouth of the Columbia River, the map presents Astoria, Oregon, not simply as a port, but as a city shaped by water, hills, industry, and passage. At 1:24,000 scale, it offers the precision associated with USGS quadrangles, balancing municipal detail with the dramatic terrain that frames the settlement. Roads, railways, shorelines, rivers, wooded slopes, and contour lines combine to show a working landscape poised between maritime commerce and rugged coastal geography, before later decades brought further infrastructural and population change.

Astoria occupies a remarkable geographic position, rising from the south bank of the Columbia River near its meeting with the Pacific. The map’s contour lines reveal the city’s steep, hilly character, with streets and neighborhoods pressed between riverfront lowlands and forested elevations. Smith Point, Tongue Point, and Point Ellice mark important promontories and river features, emphasizing the strategic nature of this estuarine landscape. The Columbia itself dominates the composition: broad, powerful, and historically vital as a corridor of trade, migration, fishing, and navigation. Nearby, the Youngs River introduces a quieter but equally significant system of channels and lowlands, tying Astoria to its surrounding valleys, farms, and timber country.

The map also places Astoria within a wider coastal and historical setting. Fort Clatsop, associated with the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s winter encampment of 1805–1806, anchors the region in the early national history of exploration and westward expansion. Across the river, Cape Disappointment evokes both navigational peril and maritime drama, standing near the Columbia Bar, one of the most challenging river entrances on the American coast. Crescent Beach and the Oregon coastline add the open Pacific dimension, contrasting with the enclosed waters of the Columbia estuary. Together, these features make the map a compact portrait of a region where Indigenous presence, exploration, shipping, fishing, and settlement all converged.

As a USGS topographical map, “Astoria” is distinguished by its disciplined visual language: clear contour intervals, precise hydrography, careful road classification, and a restrained but expressive use of color and linework. Elevation is not merely recorded; it is made legible, allowing the eye to follow ridges, slopes, valleys, and river terraces around the city. U.S. Route 101 appears as a crucial modern artery, threading the coastal landscape and linking Astoria to the broader Pacific highway network. Railways, roads, and waterfront alignments speak to the practical infrastructure of a port city, while parks and wooded areas underscore the persistence of dense natural terrain close to the urban core.

The historical value of this map lies in its depiction of Astoria before many later transformations in transportation, development, and regional planning altered the city and its environs. It preserves the mid-20th-century relationship between town and terrain: waterfront industry below, residential and wooded hills above, and the great river continually defining movement and orientation. The surrounding rural areas, coastal margins, and river points are rendered with the same authority as the urban grid, creating a richly layered geographic document. For admirers of Oregon, maritime history, or precise American cartography, this map offers an elegant window into a port city whose identity has always been inseparable from land, water, and elevation.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Astoria, Oregon
• Columbia River
• Youngs River
• Smith Point
• Point Ellice
• Tongue Point
• Crescent Beach
• Fort Clatsop
• Cape Disappointment
• Oregon coastline
• U.S. Route 101 and other roads and highways
• Railways in the area
• Parks and wooded areas surrounding Astoria
• Neighboring towns and rural areas off the main coastline
• Hills and valleys marked by contour lines

Historical context & cartographic details

• Published by the US Geological Survey (USGS)
• Survey data was collected in 1949, and the map was published in 1968
• Historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Astoria, Oregon, and its surroundings
• Shows Astoria as a significant port city on the Oregon coast
• Reflects the geography and municipal development of Astoria in the mid-20th century
• Created before later population and infrastructural changes in the area
• Features clear contour lines showing elevation changes
• Uses color and linework to distinguish terrain, water bodies, and other landscape features
• Depicts the hilly terrain around Astoria and the surrounding coastal landscape
• USGS maps are authoritative sources for geography and topography

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.