“Fargo North” is a historical 1:24,000-scale topographical map produced by the United States Geological Survey, dated 1959 and carrying a 1993 imprint. It captures Fargo, North Dakota, and its neighboring landscape with the precision and visual authority characteristic of the USGS quadrangle series. At this scale, the map offers a richly detailed view of the urban fabric, transportation corridors, river bends, and surrounding rural districts north of the city. The later imprint gives the sheet an added historical resonance, presenting mid-century survey information through the lens of late twentieth-century cartographic publication. Fargo appears not as an isolated city, but as the central node in a carefully measured regional landscape shaped by roads, railroads, settlement patterns, and the ever-present Red River.

The United States Geological Survey has long been one of the most respected mapmaking institutions in the world, combining scientific rigor with a quietly elegant cartographic language. Founded in 1879, the agency became indispensable for documenting the nation’s terrain, natural resources, water systems, and developing infrastructure. In “Fargo North,” that mission is evident in the map’s disciplined grid, calibrated symbols, contour lines, and nuanced color scheme. Rather than dramatizing the landscape, the USGS reveals it through clarity: blue waterways, green parklands and vegetated areas, brown elevation contours, and black-and-red markings for cultural features and transport routes. The result is both utilitarian and visually refined, a map designed for accuracy that also possesses a distinctive mid-century graphic sophistication.

The geography shown here is dominated by the Red River, whose meandering course forms the defining natural feature of the Fargo-Moorhead area. Flowing northward along the border between North Dakota and Minnesota, the river links Fargo with Moorhead and shapes the settlement, agriculture, and infrastructure on both banks. Its sinuous bends contrast beautifully with the rectilinear logic of roads, rail lines, property divisions, and the survey grid. The terrain is subtle rather than mountainous, but the contour lines remain essential, revealing slight variations in elevation across the Red River Valley’s broad, glacially formed plain. In a region where minor changes in height can have real significance for drainage and flooding, the topographic detail is especially meaningful.

Beyond Fargo itself, the map includes a constellation of nearby communities and localities, including Harwood, Kragnes, Oakport, and Moorhead. These places are woven together by roads, highways, and railroads, reflecting the agricultural and commercial networks that sustained the region through the twentieth century. Fargo’s residential neighborhoods and built-up districts suggest the city’s outward growth, while the surrounding countryside preserves the geometric order of rural land division. Parks and green areas punctuate the urban and suburban environment, offering visual relief from the grid and marking spaces of recreation and civic life. The presence of multiple rail lines is particularly evocative, recalling Fargo’s historical role as a transportation hub on the northern plains.

As a document of late twentieth-century geographical understanding, “Fargo North” offers a compelling portrait of a city in transition. The 1959 dating situates the underlying map in an era of postwar expansion, when American cities were extending outward through new roads, subdivisions, and commercial zones. The 1993 imprint further suggests the continuing relevance of this landscape as Fargo evolved into a larger regional center. For collectors, historians, and admirers of American topographic mapping, the map rewards close looking: every contour, road junction, river curve, and neighborhood boundary contributes to a layered story of place. It is a measured, elegant record of Fargo and its northern surroundings at a pivotal moment in the modern development of the Red River Valley.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Fargo
• Moorhead
• Harwood
• Kragnes
• Oakport
• Red River
• Various railroads
• Roads and highways
• Parks and green areas
• Residential neighborhoods

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS)
• Historical 1:24,000 topographical map
• Dated 1959 with a 1993 imprint
• Features a clearly delineated grid system
• Uses varied color coding to indicate land uses, elevations, and vegetation types
• Utilizes contour lines to show elevation and emphasize the area’s topography
• Depicts the landscape with attention to waterways and subtle terrain variation
• Reflects late 20th-century urban development, geographic knowledge, and changing land use
• The USGS is a U.S. government scientific agency known for mapping natural resources, hazards, and landscapes
• Vibrant color coding enhances clarity and helps viewers interpret the terrain accurately

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.