The simply titled “Berlin,” created by the U.S. Geological Survey from 1943 survey data, is a finely observed 1:31,680 topographical portrait of Worcester County, Maryland, at a moment when the rural Eastern Shore was poised between older patterns of settlement and the modernizing pressures of the mid-twentieth century. Centered on Berlin and its neighboring communities, the map captures a landscape of flat coastal terrain, roads, waterways, woodland, and cultivated ground with the clarity for which USGS mapping is celebrated. Its title is modest, but the sheet is rich in local geography, showing a town whose historic streets and transportation links connected inland farms, forested tracts, and the barrier-island world of Ocean City.

The U.S. Geological Survey brought to this map the disciplined visual language of American scientific cartography: contour information, hydrology, vegetation, roads, and settlement patterns are organized into a precise and readable composition. Produced during the World War II era, such mapping had practical value beyond local navigation, contributing to a national program of geographic knowledge at a time when infrastructure, transportation, and land use were under intense scrutiny. Roads are sharply delineated in black, while vegetation and wetland areas are rendered in contrasting tones that help distinguish cultivated land, forest, and low-lying coastal environments. The result is both utilitarian and elegant, a careful synthesis of measurement and place.

Berlin itself appears as the principal inland community, accompanied by West Berlin, Germantown, Newtown, and smaller crossroads settlements that speak to the dispersed character of Worcester County life. The map records a network of state routes and local roads threading through the region, revealing how towns, farms, churches, schools, and commercial centers were linked before the postwar expansion of automobile-oriented development transformed much of the American landscape. This was a Maryland of modest town grids and rural lanes, where the relationship between settlement and terrain remained legible. For anyone interested in regional history, the sheet offers a rare glimpse of Berlin before later decades of suburban growth, tourism expansion, and coastal development reshaped the area.

The natural geography is especially compelling. Berlin sits within the low Coastal Plain, where subtle changes in elevation matter greatly, guiding drainage toward the Synepuxent River, Isle of Wight Bay, nearby lakes, marshes, and tidal waterways. The map’s treatment of wetlands, wooded areas, and water bodies evokes a landscape shaped by sandy soils, slow rivers, and the proximity of the Atlantic coast. Stephen’s Forest and other vegetated tracts punctuate the otherwise open agricultural terrain, while the approach toward Ocean City hints at the environmental transition from inland settlement to bayside and barrier-island geography. These features give the map a layered character, balancing human order with the fluid, marsh-edged complexity of the shore.

As a historical document, “Berlin” preserves the geography of a community at an important threshold. In 1943, Berlin and its surroundings still retained much of their small-town and agricultural identity, yet the broader region was increasingly tied to tourism, highway travel, wartime logistics, and postwar economic change. Ocean City’s presence to the east signals the growing importance of the coast, while the inland road network shows the enduring importance of Berlin as a local hub. The map’s quiet precision makes it rewarding to study: every road, stream, woodland, and settlement name contributes to a vivid picture of Maryland’s Eastern Shore during a period of transition, continuity, and subtle transformation.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Berlin, Maryland
• West Berlin, Maryland
• Germantown, Maryland
• Newtown, Maryland
• Ocean City, Maryland
• Worcester County
• Stephen's Forest
• Synepuxent River
• Isle of Wight Bay
• Various lakes and rivers in the vicinity
• State routes and local roads
• Various referenced geographic features and local landmarks

Historical context & cartographic details

• Historical 1:31,680 topographical map of Berlin, Maryland, and the surrounding area.
• Created using survey data from 1943.
• Produced by the US Geological Survey, known for detailed and accurate cartographic representations.
• Shows Berlin, Maryland, and surrounding communities in Worcester County.
• Berlin has historical significance in the region and has evolved with changes in infrastructure and community development.
• Uses color to represent topographical features, including green tones for vegetation and water bodies.
• Roads are marked in black for navigational clarity.
• Features low wetlands, vegetation areas, and rivers, reflecting the area’s natural landscape and human development.
• Provides insight into the geographical layout of Berlin and its surroundings during a period of rural growth and post-World War II transition.

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.