Landforms of Illinois (1956) by James A. Bier, produced for the State Geological Survey, Department of Registration and Education for the State of Illinois, is a masterclass in scientific cartography. Grounded in U.S. Geological Survey topographic quadrangles, it distills a vast body of field knowledge into a lucid portrait of the Prairie State’s terrain. Administrative boundaries and named cities are interlaced with the deep-time story: drainage traces, landform profiles, spot heights, and a crisply drawn limit of glaciation reveal how ice, water, and time sculpted Illinois. The composition fuses clarity with authority, inviting both casual viewing and close study. As a historical document, it captures the state of mid‑century geological understanding while remaining a remarkably current guide to the lay of the land.

Bier’s draftsmanship is quintessentially mid‑20th‑century: intricate line work, firm yet lyrical hachures, and disciplined shading translate subtle relief into legible form. Contours and drainage networks read like musical notation, with the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers carrying the score while tributaries elaborate the theme. Spot heights punctuate the surface, orienting the eye to divides and basins. An inset of the state’s physiographic divisions functions as a key, framing the Till Plains, hill belts, and river lowlands so the main sheet’s textures fall instantly into place. Overprinted county lines and municipalities add a human frame of reference without overwhelming the geomorphology—a careful balance that reflects the Survey’s pedagogical mission and Bier’s precision, making the map equally at home in the seminar room and the connoisseur’s library.

The elegantly traced limit of glaciation is the narrative hinge of this composition. North and central Illinois appear as a quilt of moraines, outwash plains, and lakebeds—signatures of retreating ice—while beyond the line, older uplands emerge. In the far northwest, the rugged cuestas and ravines of the Driftless corner near Galena stand apart, their unplaned slopes dramatized by Bier’s shading. Southward, the Shawnee Hills rise as a sandstone stronghold above the surrounding lowlands, foreshadowing the confluence country at Cairo where the Ohio meets the Mississippi. Spot heights quietly fix extremes—from the uplifts around Charles Mound to the broad alluvial bottoms along the big rivers—while braided drainage shows how meltwater, then meandering streams, organized the prairie. The result is a coherent story of ice, rock, and flow.

Human settlement reads here as a patient response to topography and water. Chicago and its Cook County neighbors—Cicero, Evanston, Oak Park—align with the Lake Michigan shore and low divides that feed the Des Plaines and Chicago Rivers, while Waukegan perches on the lake‑front bluffs. West and southwest, Naperville and Lombard trace the DuPage system; Joliet anchors the Des Plaines as it bends toward the Illinois River, gateway to the state’s central artery. Belleville and Edwardsville rise on ground overlooking the American Bottom opposite St. Louis, where levees and terraces step up from the Mississippi’s floodplain. By overlaying administrative boundaries atop drainage and relief, Bier enables planners, historians, and naturalists to read industry, agriculture, and transport as outgrowths of valleys, moraines, and passes.

James A. Bier brings a scholar’s restraint and an artist’s eye to the page, shaping information into insight. Working with the State Geological Survey at a time when Illinois was modernizing at speed, he fused the precision of U.S. Geological Survey base quadrangles with interpretive clarity, producing a sheet that communicates across disciplines. Every symbol choice serves comprehension: rivers are expressive without clutter; towns guide orientation without dictating it; the physiographic inset distills theory into practice. The map endures as both a mid‑century statement of knowledge and a timeless key to landscape literacy. For geographers and historians, it is a primary source; for collectors, it is a quietly dazzling encapsulation of the forces—glacial, fluvial, and human—that made Illinois.

Cities and towns on this map

• Chicago
• Cicero
• Evanston
• Oak Park
• Naperville
• Lombard
• Waukegan
• Joliet
• Belleville
• Edwardsville

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Limit of Glaciation line
• Spot Heights
• Drainage Systems
• Administrative Boundaries
• Physiographic Divisions (inset)
• Major Rivers (e.g., Mississippi and Illinois Rivers)
• Towns and Cities

Historical and design context

• Map Name: Landforms of Illinois
• Creation Year: 1956
• Mapmaker: James A. Bier
• Publisher: State Geological Survey, Department of Registration and Education for the State of Illinois
• Based on U.S. Geological Survey topographic quadrangles
• Serves as a historical document and a resource for understanding Illinois’ physical geography
• Intricate mid-20th-century line work with shading and contour lines to depict varied terrain

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 100in (250cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

Please note: the labels on this map are hard to read if you order a map that is 16in (40cm) or smaller. The map is still very attractive, but if you would like to read the map easily, please buy a larger size.

This map is taller than most, which would make it a perfect statement piece in a panelled room, on a gallery wall, or perhaps alongside another tall piece of art or furniture.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

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.

For most orders, delivery time is about 3 working days. Personalised and customised products take longer, as I have to do the personalisation and send it to you for approval, which usually takes 1 or 2 days.

Please note that very large framed orders usually take longer to make and deliver. 

If you need your order to arrive by a certain date, please contact me before you order so that we can find the best way of making sure you get your order in time.

I print and frame maps and artwork in 23 countries around the world. This means your order will be made locally, which cuts down on delivery time and ensures that it won't be damaged during delivery. You'll never pay customs or import duty, and we'll put less CO2 into the air.

All of my maps and art prints are well packaged and sent in a rugged tube if unframed, or surrounded by foam if framed.

I try to send out all orders within 1 or 2 days of receiving your order, though some products (like face masks, mugs and tote bags) can take longer to make.

If you select Express Delivery at checkout your order we will prioritise your order and send it out by 1-day courier (Fedex, DHL, UPS, Parcelforce).

Next Day delivery is also available in some countries (US, UK, Singapore, UAE) but please try to order early in the day so that we can get it sent out on time.

Read my full delivery and local production guide

My standard frame is a gallery style black ash hardwood frame. It is simple and quite modern looking. My standard frame is around 20mm (0.8in) wide.

I use super-clear acrylic (perspex/acrylite) for the frame glass. It's lighter and safer than glass - and it looks better, as the reflectivity is lower.

Six standard frame colours are available for free (black, dark brown, dark grey, oak, white and antique gold). Custom framing and mounting/matting is available if you're looking for something else.

Most maps, art and illustrations are also available as a framed canvas. We use matte (not shiny) cotton canvas, stretch it over a sustainably sourced box wood frame, and then 'float' the piece within a wood frame. The end result is quite beautiful, and there's no glazing to get in the way.

All frames are provided "ready to hang", with either a string or brackets on the back. Very large frames will have heavy duty hanging plates and/or a mounting baton. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

See some examples of my framed maps and framed canvas maps.

Alternatively, I can also supply old maps and artwork on canvas, foam board, cotton rag and other materials.

If you want to frame your map or artwork yourself, please read my size guide first.

My maps are extremely high quality reproductions of original maps.

I source original, rare maps from libraries, auction houses and private collections around the world, restore them at my London workshop, and then use specialist giclée inks and printers to create beautiful maps that look even better than the original.

My maps are printed on acid-free archival matte (not glossy) paper that feels very high quality and almost like card. In technical terms the paper weight/thickness is 10mil/200gsm. It's perfect for framing.

I print with Epson ultrachrome giclée UV fade resistant pigment inks - some of the best inks you can find.

I can also make maps on canvas, cotton rag and other exotic materials.

Learn more about The Unique Maps Co.

Map personalisation

If you're looking for the perfect anniversary or housewarming gift, I can personalise your map to make it truly unique. For example, I can add a short message, or highlight an important location, or add your family's coat of arms.

The options are almost infinite. Please see my map personalisation page for some wonderful examples of what's possible.

To order a personalised map, select "personalise your map" before adding it to your basket.

Get in touch if you're looking for more complex customisations and personalisations.

Map ageing

I have been asked hundreds of times over the years by customers if they could buy a map that looks even older.

Well, now you can, by selecting Aged before you add a map to your basket.

All the product photos you see on this page show the map in its Original form. This is what the map looks like today.

If you select Aged, I will age your map by hand, using a special and unique process developed through years of studying old maps, talking to researchers to understand the chemistry of aging paper, and of course... lots of practice!

If you're unsure, stick to the Original colour of the map. If you want something a bit darker and older looking, go for Aged.

See some amazing examples of Aged maps.

Se non sei soddisfatto del tuo ordine per qualsiasi motivo, contattami per un rimborso senza problemi. Si prega di consultare la nostra politica di reso e rimborso per ulteriori informazioni.

Sono molto sicuro che ti piacerà la tua mappa restaurata o la stampa d'arte. Lo faccio dal 1984. Sono un venditore Etsy a 5 stelle. Ho venduto decine di migliaia di mappe e stampe d'arte e ho oltre 5.000 recensioni reali a 5 stelle.

Utilizzo un processo unico per restaurare mappe e opere d'arte che richiede molto tempo e lavoro. Trovare le mappe e le illustrazioni originali può richiedere mesi. Utilizzo tecnologia all'avanguardia e incredibilmente costosa per scannerizzare e restaurarle. Di conseguenza, garantisco che le mie mappe e stampe d'arte siano superiori alle altre - ecco perché posso offrire un rimborso senza problemi.

Quasi tutte le mie mappe e stampe d'arte sembrano fantastiche a grandi dimensioni (200 cm, 6,5 piedi+) e posso anche incorniciarle e consegnarle a te, tramite un corriere speciale per oggetti di grandi dimensioni. Contattami per discutere delle tue esigenze specifiche.