Published in 1979 by the United States Geological Survey, “Port Angeles” presents a richly detailed topographical portrait of Washington’s northern Olympic Peninsula and the waters that bind it to British Columbia. At a scale of 1:100,000, the map captures Port Angeles as both a coastal city and a threshold: northward to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Victoria, and southward into the rugged interior of the Olympic Mountains. Color shading and finely drawn contour lines give the landscape a sculptural clarity, tracing the abrupt rise from shoreline to forested highland. Roads, railways, rivers, bays, and settlements are carefully integrated, creating a compelling snapshot of a region shaped equally by maritime access, mountain wilderness, and expanding late-twentieth-century infrastructure.

The US Geological Survey brought to this map nearly a century of scientific cartographic authority. Founded in 1879, the USGS became central to the systematic mapping of the United States, producing maps that served engineers, foresters, miners, conservationists, planners, and travelers alike. Its topographic sheets are admired not only for their accuracy but for their disciplined visual language: elevation rendered through contour, landforms clarified by color, and human development placed within the larger logic of terrain. This Port Angeles map reflects that tradition beautifully. It is not merely a guide to roads and towns, but an analytical view of land and water, recording how settlement, transportation, geology, and ecology converged on one of the Pacific Northwest’s most dramatic edges.

Port Angeles itself occupies a privileged position on the map, facing the sheltered waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, with Ediz Hook extending like a natural breakwater into the harbor. To the east, Sequim and the Dungeness Spit mark a contrasting coastal landscape of open lowlands, beaches, and tidal flats, while Discovery Bay anchors the route toward the Puget Sound country. Across the strait, Victoria appears as a reminder of the region’s international character, where Washington and British Columbia meet across a navigable inland sea. The map’s depiction of highways, including US Route 101, reveals the peninsula’s essential circulation routes, linking coastal communities, timber towns, ferry connections, and gateways to mountain recreation.

South and west of Port Angeles, the map enters the commanding realm of Olympic National Park and the Olympic Mountains. Hurricane Ridge, Lake Crescent, the Elwha River, and the high country beyond are rendered with dense contours that convey the steepness and complexity of the terrain. The cartography makes visible the peninsula’s dramatic ecological compression: saltwater shorelines give way quickly to river valleys, conifer forests, alpine ridges, and snow-fed drainage systems. Lake Crescent appears as one of the region’s great glacially carved landmarks, while the Elwha River traces a historic corridor through mountain wilderness. In this area especially, the map captures the tension between accessibility and remoteness that defines the Olympic Peninsula.

Farther west, place names such as Forks, Clallam Bay, Neah Bay, Rialto Beach, Lake Ozette, the Hoh River, and the Quinault River evoke one of America’s most atmospheric coastal landscapes. These names situate the map within a world of temperate rainforests, surf-battered beaches, indigenous homelands, logging history, salmon rivers, and conservation debates. In 1979, the Olympic Peninsula was undergoing continuing change, as recreation, urban growth, resource extraction, and environmental protection reshaped public understanding of the region. The map preserves that moment with quiet precision. Its contours and shaded relief reveal the physical drama; its roads and settlements record human presence; and its national park boundaries signal a landscape increasingly valued as a national treasure.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Port Angeles
• Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
• Sequim
• Clallam Bay
• Lake Crescent
• Elwha River
• Olympic Mountains
• Strait of Juan de Fuca
• Ediz Hook
• Dungeness Spit
• Lake Ozette
• Hoh River
• Quinault River
• Hurricane Ridge
• Lilliwaup
• Neah Bay
• Rialto Beach
• Forks
• Discovery Bay
• Olympic National Park
• US Route 101 and other regional highways and roads
• Railways in the region

Historical context & cartographic details

• Historical 1:100,000 topographical map produced by the US Geological Survey.
• Created in 1979, offering a snapshot of the region during a period of urban development, conservation activity, and environmental change.
• Published by the US Geological Survey, a major American mapping agency known for reliable geological and topographical information.
• The USGS has a long history of scientific study and mapping, supporting land management, resource planning, and public safety.
• The map uses color shading and contour lines to show elevation, terrain, and landform variation.
• Topographic detail highlights the area’s varied landscape, including hills, valleys, coastal features, forests, mountains, and waterways.
• The map’s careful contouring and shaded relief enhance visual understanding of the region’s terrain.

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.