Published in 1945 by the United States Geological Survey, “Hartford North” presents a richly detailed topographical portrait of West Hartford, Hartford, Bloomfield, and the surrounding Connecticut landscape at a scale of 1:31,680. Issued in the closing year of the Second World War, the map captures a region balanced between established urban life and expanding suburban development. West Hartford appears as a significant and increasingly connected community, while Hartford itself anchors the sheet with the density and infrastructure of a major state capital. Roads, railways, schools, parks, business districts, and residential neighborhoods are carefully delineated, offering a revealing snapshot of mid-twentieth-century settlement patterns in central Connecticut.

The US Geological Survey’s restrained and authoritative cartographic style is evident throughout the map. Contour lines model the terrain with precision, tracing the rises, dips, and gradual slopes that shape the land west and north of Hartford. The traditional USGS visual language—clear road classifications, water features, built structures, and elevation data—makes the sheet both scientifically useful and historically evocative. Hills and valleys are not merely background geography here; they help explain the location of neighborhoods, roads, reservoirs, and open spaces. The result is a map that combines practical utility with a quiet elegance characteristic of American federal mapping in the first half of the twentieth century.

West Hartford is one of the map’s central subjects, shown at a moment when suburban growth was becoming a defining feature of the region. Residential neighborhoods spread outward from Hartford’s urban core, connected by a network of major and minor roads that reveal commuting patterns, civic planning, and the influence of the automobile. Schools, parks, and business areas give the community a lived-in texture, suggesting a town already shaped by both domestic life and metropolitan proximity. The contrast between denser settlement and more open terrain makes the map especially compelling, recording the threshold between older village forms, newer suburban blocks, and remaining rural landscapes.

Water gives the map much of its geographic structure. The Connecticut River, one of New England’s great waterways, appears as a major natural boundary and corridor, while the Park River and local reservoirs speak to the area’s hydrology, water supply, and engineered landscape. These features are woven into the road and settlement patterns, demonstrating how natural systems and urban development interacted in the Hartford area. Reservoirs and parks also hint at the region’s recreational and civic priorities, preserving open land amid growing communities. Through its careful depiction of waterways, drainage, and elevation, the map reveals the environmental framework beneath the metropolitan surface.

As a historical document, “Hartford North” is especially valuable for what it shows about central Connecticut in 1945: a landscape of infrastructure, institutions, transportation links, and expanding neighborhoods at a pivotal moment in American urban history. Railways remain prominent, roads are increasingly elaborate, and the distribution of schools, parks, and business districts reflects the social geography of the period. Produced by the USGS, an agency renowned for its rigorous surveying of the nation’s landforms and resources, the map exemplifies the disciplined clarity of government topographic mapping. It is both a technical record and a nuanced portrait of place, preserving Hartford’s northern suburbs at mid-century.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• West Hartford
• Hartford
• Bloomfield
• Connecticut River
• Park River
• Reservoirs
• Major and minor roads
• Railways
• Parks
• Schools
• Business areas
• Residential neighborhoods

Historical context & cartographic details

• Published by the United States Geological Survey (USGS)
• Created in 1945
• Historical topographical map at a scale of 1:31,680
• Shows West Hartford and the surrounding area in mid-20th-century Connecticut
• Reflects urban and rural development patterns, including residential growth and infrastructure
• Uses traditional USGS topographic styling with contour lines to show elevation
• Depicts terrain variations including hills, valleys, and other geographic features
• Includes detailed road networks, landmarks, waterways, and a clear functional layout
• Produced by the USGS, a U.S. government scientific agency known for mapping natural resources and landscapes across the United States

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.