Titled “Henderson,” this US Geological Survey quadrangle presents the city and its desert surroundings as they appeared from 1970 survey data, published with a 1972 imprint. At 1:24,000 scale, it offers the intimate precision for which USGS topographic mapping is celebrated, balancing the measured geometry of streets, roads, and neighborhoods with the expressive language of contours and terrain. Henderson is shown at a pivotal moment: no longer merely an industrial satellite of wartime origins, yet not yet the expansive metropolitan city it would become. The map captures a landscape where residential development, transportation corridors, arid washes, and rising desert hills meet in sharply legible form.

The US Geological Survey brought to this map nearly a century of institutional expertise in documenting the American landscape. Its quadrangles were designed as practical instruments for engineers, planners, scientists, and outdoor travelers, but they also possess a quiet visual elegance: clean typography, standardized symbols, carefully differentiated colors, and exacting contour work. On “Henderson,” built-up areas are clearly distinguished from open desert terrain, while roads, drainage lines, and elevation changes are rendered with disciplined clarity. The result is both utilitarian and historically evocative, a precise government survey that now reads as a portrait of a rapidly changing Nevada community.

The topographic character of the Henderson area is one of the map’s most compelling features. Contour lines trace the rise and fall of land around the city, revealing the uneven desert basin and the surrounding uplands that shape settlement and movement. Black Mountain and the River Mountains provide dramatic geographical anchors, while the broader proximity of Lake Mead evokes the immense influence of water, recreation, and federal infrastructure in southern Nevada. Streams and drainage areas, often dry or seasonal in this arid environment, show how water moves through the desert after storms. The map makes clear that Henderson’s growth was negotiated within a rugged and highly textured natural setting.

Henderson’s urban fabric appears here in a formative stage, with residential neighborhoods marked against a larger expanse of desert and foothills. Boulder Highway, Basic Road, U.S. Route 95, and other corridors structure the map’s human geography, linking Henderson with Las Vegas and the wider region. The presence of parks, recreational areas, and emerging street patterns suggests a city shifting toward suburban permanence, even as open land still dominates much of the quadrangle. Roads such as Galleria Drive point toward the evolving commercial and residential orientation of the area. In this sense, the map records not only where Henderson was, but where it was beginning to go.

Historically, this 1970 landscape belongs to an important chapter in Henderson’s transformation. Founded in the context of World War II magnesium production and later incorporated as a city, Henderson spent much of the mid-twentieth century redefining itself beyond its industrial beginnings. By the early 1970s, the gravitational pull of nearby Las Vegas, the accessibility of regional highways, and the appeal of desert residential living were all reshaping the community. Today, Henderson is one of Nevada’s largest cities, making this map especially evocative as a record of pre-boom urban form. It captures a moment when modern Henderson was visible in outline, but not yet fully realized.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Henderson
• Las Vegas
• Lake Mead
• River Mountains
• Black Mountain
• Galleria Drive
• Boulder Highway
• Basic Road
• U.S. Route 95
• Various residential neighborhoods, notably shown in red
• Parks and recreational areas
• Streams and drainage areas
• Contours indicating elevation changes

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Henderson, Nevada and the surrounding area.
• Based on 1970 data and published with a 1972 imprint.
• Uses typical USGS cartographic design, including relief shading, contour lines, distinct colors, and standardized symbols.
• Shows elevation changes, hills, and varied terrain around Henderson.
• Reflects Henderson in the early 1970s, when the area was beginning to see significant residential development.
• Documents a period before Henderson’s later transformation into one of Nevada’s largest cities.

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.