Published in 1964 using mapping created in 1961, the US Geological Survey’s “Cheyenne North” presents the Wyoming capital and its northern surroundings with the disciplined precision of mid-century American topographic cartography. At 1:24,000 scale, the map captures Cheyenne at a moment when the city was balancing its frontier inheritance with the pressures of modern expansion. Urban districts, roads, rail lines, parks, water features, and open prairie appear within a carefully measured landscape of contour lines and surveyed detail. The title itself is spare and functional, typical of USGS quadrangles, yet it evokes a particular view of Cheyenne: not merely as a city, but as a mapped intersection of civic life, transportation, and High Plains terrain.

The US Geological Survey was, by the 1960s, the preeminent American authority in the systematic mapping of landforms, elevations, waterways, and built environments. Its topographic sheets became essential tools for engineers, planners, conservationists, military authorities, and outdoor travelers alike. “Cheyenne North” reflects this institutional clarity: contour lines articulate subtle rises and depressions, color distinguishes urbanized areas and infrastructure, and the overall design favors accuracy over ornament. Yet that restraint gives the map its beauty. The familiar USGS palette—red for developed areas, blue for water, black for cultural features, brown for elevation—turns the landscape into a readable visual code, revealing how city, prairie, road, and rail coexist across the northern edge of Cheyenne.

Cheyenne itself occupies a place of unusual importance in the geography and history of Wyoming. As the state capital, it has long served as a political, commercial, and cultural center, shaped by railroads, ranching, military presence, and its position along major western transportation corridors. Founded in the 1860s during the advance of the Union Pacific Railroad, Cheyenne quickly earned a reputation as a vigorous plains city, sometimes called the “Magic City of the Plains” for its rapid growth. By the time of this 1961 mapping, the city was entering another era of development, with residential neighborhoods, commercial zones, civic sites, and expanding road systems visible as evidence of postwar urban change.

The topography shown here is characteristic of the Cheyenne region: broad High Plains country marked less by dramatic mountains than by subtle elevation changes, shallow drainage patterns, and gently rolling ground. The contour lines are especially revealing, tracing the modest rises and depressions that shape settlement, road placement, and water movement across the landscape. Small lakes and local water bodies punctuate the map, while parks and green spaces interrupt the urban fabric. Roads and railroads give the sheet much of its structure, emphasizing Cheyenne’s role as a transportation hub. Interstate-era infrastructure, local streets, and rural routes together show a city connected both to nearby neighborhoods and to the wider American West.

As a historical document, “Cheyenne North” offers a compelling snapshot of a capital city in transition during the early 1960s. The decade brought continued suburban growth, changing land use, and increasing automobile-oriented development, all of which can be read in the pattern of roads, neighborhoods, open tracts, and civic spaces. The surrounding rural areas are equally important, preserving the relationship between Cheyenne and the expansive plains that define its setting. For historians, collectors, and admirers of western geography, the map is valuable not only for what it names, but for what it measures: the precise meeting point of natural terrain, public survey, urban ambition, and Wyoming’s enduring High Plains identity.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Cheyenne
• Various residential and commercial neighborhoods
• Major roads, including Interstate highways
• Parks and green spaces
• Lakes and local small bodies of water
• Railroads
• Surrounding rural areas
• Landmarks and civic buildings
• Elevation contours and topographical features
• Military sites, if applicable

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS)
• Historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Cheyenne, Wyoming and the surrounding area
• Created in 1961 and published with a 1964 imprint
• Uses standard USGS topographical styling, including contour lines to show elevation changes
• Includes shading for three-dimensional relief perception
• Uses color to distinguish land uses and features, including urban areas shown in red
• Shows primarily flat terrain with gentle rises, depressions, and contours typical of the Cheyenne area
• Reflects a period of rapid growth and expansion in Cheyenne during the 1960s
• Useful for understanding urban development, territorial change, and land use over time
• Cheyenne is the capital of Wyoming and an important cultural hub in the state’s history

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.