Published in 1911 from work produced in 1909, the US Geological Survey’s “Seattle Special” captures the city at a pivotal moment, when a Pacific Northwest port was rapidly becoming a metropolitan center. Drawn at 1:62,500, the map presents Seattle and its surroundings with the disciplined clarity of early twentieth-century federal topography: brown contour lines model the hills and valleys, while pale grounds and yellow-toned detail allow roads, railways, shorelines, and settlements to emerge with elegant precision. Elliott Bay, Puget Sound, Lake Washington, and the Duwamish River structure the composition, revealing how profoundly water shaped Seattle’s expansion, commerce, and neighborhoods. It is both a scientific document and a portrait of a city in motion.

The US Geological Survey, founded in 1879, brought a new rigor to American mapping, standardizing the depiction of terrain, waterways, transportation routes, and settlement across a rapidly developing nation. In “Seattle Special,” that mission is visible in the careful contouring of Queen Anne Hill, Beacon Hill, Magnolia, and the uplands surrounding Lake Washington. The “Special Map” designation underscores the importance of this urban and strategic landscape, where dense settlement, industrial waterfronts, and complex natural features required more focused treatment than an ordinary quadrangle. The result is a map that balances utility with grace: a measured, authoritative survey of a city whose topography was both a challenge to engineers and a defining element of its identity.

Seattle’s post–Klondike Gold Rush transformation is embedded in the map’s network of streets, railways, waterfront facilities, and emerging districts. After 1897, the city prospered as a supply and transportation hub for northern gold fields, and by the time this map was compiled, that boom had helped reshape its economy and urban form. Ballard, West Seattle, South Lake Union, Rainier Valley, and the shores of Elliott Bay all appear within a landscape increasingly bound together by transportation corridors. Rail lines trace the practical logic of growth, linking harbors, mills, neighborhoods, and inland routes. Yet the surrounding hills, waterways, and forested areas remind us that this modern city was still deeply intertwined with its rugged setting.

The waterways shown here give the map much of its drama. Puget Sound opens to the west, Elliott Bay cuts into the city’s commercial heart, and Lake Washington lies to the east with Mercer Island set prominently in its waters. Portage Bay and Lake Union mark a natural corridor between the city’s interior lakes and the maritime world beyond, foreshadowing the transformative ship canal projects that would soon alter Seattle’s geography. Alki Point, associated with the city’s earliest Euro-American settlement, anchors West Seattle, while the Duwamish River winds through the industrial lowlands to the south. These features reveal Seattle not as a simple grid of streets, but as an urban landscape negotiated around water.

Beyond the city’s built fabric, the map preserves a remarkable sense of place: parks, wooded tracts, lakes, hills, and distant mountain context all contribute to its historical richness. Green Lake, Haller Lake, Seward Park, Leschi Park, and the wooded margins around North Lake Washington suggest a Seattle still fringed with open land and recreational landscapes. The topographic treatment emphasizes the steep ascents and descents that continue to define neighborhoods from Queen Anne to Rainier Valley. Mount Rainier, a commanding presence in the regional imagination, situates the city within the larger volcanic and glacial landscape of western Washington. As a whole, “Seattle Special” offers an unusually vivid view of Seattle before the full force of twentieth-century expansion remade its shorelines, transportation systems, and suburbs.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Seattle
• West Seattle
• Lake Washington
• Puget Sound
• Duwamish River
• Elliott Bay
• Alki Point
• Green Lake
• Seward Park
• Mercer Island
• Leschi Park
• Ballard
• Queen Anne Hill
• Mount Rainier
• Beacon Hill
• South Lake Union
• Magnolia
• Maple Leaf
• Rainier Valley
• Vashon Island
• Portage Bay
• Haller Lake
• North Lake Washington
• Various streets and railways within the Seattle metropolitan area
• Forested areas and parks represented throughout the map

Historical context & cartographic details

• Name of the map: Seattle Special
• Mapmaker/Publisher: US Geological Survey (USGS)
• Date of creation: Produced in 1909; published in 1911
• Historical 1:62,500 topographical map featuring Seattle and its surroundings, designated as a “Special Map.”
• Uses a detailed topographic style with contour lines to show elevation changes.
• Primarily yellow and brown color scheme, typical of early 20th-century topographic maps.
• Shows hills, valleys, bodies of water, and other geographic features around Seattle.
• Documents Seattle during a period of significant growth following the Klondike Gold Rush.
• Visible roads and railways indicate early urban development and infrastructure expansion.

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.