Published in 1973 using 1971 survey data, the U.S. Geological Survey’s “Upper Matecumbe Key” captures a vivid moment in the modern history of the Florida Keys. Centered on Islamorada and the slender coral islands around it, this 1:24,000 topographical map combines the precision of federal surveying with the visual immediacy of orthophoto mapping. Roads, shorelines, channels, and settlement patterns appear in unusually clear spatial relationship, making the map both technically informative and evocative of place. The saturated blues of Florida Bay and the surrounding waters give the sheet a distinctly nautical character, while the low-lying terrain of the Keys is rendered with the quiet exactness required for mapping a landscape shaped as much by tides and storms as by human occupation.

The U.S. Geological Survey, founded in 1879, became the authoritative cartographic voice of the American landscape, producing maps that served engineers, scientists, planners, and travelers alike. By the early 1970s, its mapping program had entered an especially interesting technological phase, incorporating aerial photography and orthophoto techniques into traditional topographic formats. On “Upper Matecumbe Key,” that hybrid approach is particularly apt: in a region where a few feet of shoreline, road alignment, or channel depth could matter greatly, photographic accuracy enriched the conventional language of contours, symbols, and hydrographic detail. The result is a document of disciplined beauty, reflecting the USGS mission to measure the nation while also preserving, unintentionally but powerfully, the texture of a changing coastal world.

Islamorada, the principal community shown here, occupies a storied position in the Upper Keys. Known today for sportfishing, diving, and resort culture, it also bears the imprint of earlier eras of settlement, transport, and hurricane recovery. The map situates Islamorada within the narrow geography that defines life in the Keys: a ribbon of land threaded by roads, bordered by Florida Bay to the north and the Atlantic waters beyond. Upper Matecumbe Key itself has long been one of the most recognizable names in the island chain, associated with marine abundance, tropical travel, and the fragile relationship between development and reef-side ecology. In this early-1970s view, one can read the emerging infrastructure of tourism alongside the enduring dominance of water and sky.

Beyond Islamorada, the map draws the eye toward Snake Creek, Long Key, smaller surrounding keys, and the watery expanse of Florida Bay, a landscape of shoals, mangroves, channels, and shifting ecological boundaries. Everglades National Park appears as part of the broader regional frame, reminding the viewer that the Keys are not isolated curiosities but extensions of a vast subtropical system. The bay’s shallow waters and intricate passages were historically vital to navigation, fishing, and local livelihoods, while also serving as habitat for birds, marine life, and seagrass communities. The map’s blue tonal emphasis heightens this environmental drama, allowing the land to read almost as an interruption in a larger aquatic terrain.

As a historical artifact, “Upper Matecumbe Key” records the Florida Keys at a pivotal moment, before later decades brought intensified resort development, environmental regulation, restoration campaigns, and mounting concern over coastal vulnerability. Its roads and settlements suggest a community already oriented toward visitors and mobility, yet the map still conveys the spare, exposed geography of a low coral archipelago. The orthophoto character makes it especially compelling for comparing past and present: shorelines, developed parcels, causeways, and natural margins can be studied with a clarity that feels almost immediate. More than a navigational or planning document, it is a portrait of Islamorada and its waters at the threshold between old Keys remoteness and the modern era of conservation-conscious tourism.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Islamorada
• Upper Matecumbe Key
• Everglades National Park
• Florida Bay
• Long Key
• Snake Creek
• Numerous water bodies and channels
• Various smaller islands and keys along the coast
• Local roads and pathways

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the U.S. Geological Survey, this historical topographical map features Islamorada, Florida, and surrounding areas.
• Created using data from 1971 and published in 1973.
• Published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), an agency known for geological research and mapping initiatives across the United States.
• The map is at a scale of 1:24,000, providing a detailed view of terrain, roads, elevation changes, and water features.
• The map highlights orthophoto features, combining photographic and topographical elements for detailed spatial context.
• Vibrant blue tones are used to represent water bodies, giving the map a nautical cartographic character.
• The map reflects the natural landscape of the area in the early 1970s, before later changes from urbanization, tourism, and environmental conservation efforts.

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.