“Lombard,” produced by the United States Geological Survey in 1993 at the highly detailed 1:24,000 scale, presents a finely observed topographical portrait of Glen Ellyn, Lombard, and neighboring communities in DuPage County, Illinois. Like the best USGS quadrangles, it balances scientific precision with a quiet visual elegance: contour lines trace subtle changes in elevation, while color contrasts distinguish built-up districts, open land, roads, railways, water features, and wooded areas. The map captures the western suburban landscape of Chicago at a pivotal late twentieth-century moment, when residential expansion, commercial corridors, and public infrastructure had already transformed much of the region, yet parks, lakes, golf courses, and recreational fields still punctuated the urban fabric.

The United States Geological Survey, founded in 1879, became the national authority for systematic mapping of the American landscape, and its 7.5-minute quadrangle series remains one of the great cartographic achievements of the modern era. This “Lombard” sheet reflects the mature USGS style of the early 1990s: clean typography, rigorous symbolization, and a dense but legible presentation of information intended for engineers, planners, hikers, researchers, and local officials. Every street grid, rail line, school, public facility, and watercourse participates in a broader geographic narrative. Rather than offering a decorative overview, the map records the practical realities of place—how communities are connected, where land rises and falls, and how human settlement overlays the natural terrain.

Glen Ellyn appears as one of the map’s principal points of interest, set within a suburban matrix of residential neighborhoods, schools, parks, commercial areas, and transportation corridors. Its lakes and smaller water bodies add visual and geographic character, while nearby recreational grounds and golf course landscapes reveal how leisure spaces were incorporated into the suburban environment. Lombard, Addison, Carol Stream, Schaumburg, and surrounding localities are tied together through a web of major highways, local streets, and railways, illustrating the region’s dependence on movement and commuting. The map’s topographic information is especially engaging in such a developed setting, where gentle Midwestern relief might otherwise be overlooked beneath the geometry of streets and subdivisions.

As a historical document, this 1993 map offers a revealing snapshot of metropolitan Chicago’s western suburbs before the full force of later redevelopment, road expansion, and commercial intensification. The early 1990s were a period when older village centers, postwar subdivisions, office parks, shopping districts, and expanding public services coexisted within a rapidly maturing suburban landscape. The map records that moment with admirable neutrality: highways and railways appear not as abstractions, but as the bones of regional growth; schools and public landmarks speak to population density; parks and water features mark the persistent presence of open space. For anyone interested in urban history, it is a precise study of suburban form in transition.

The visual language of “Lombard” is understated yet deeply informative, rewarding close reading. Black and red details help separate dense developed areas from other features, while blue hydrology, green vegetation, and brown contour lines create the familiar layered grammar of USGS topography. At 1:24,000, the map invites intimate exploration: individual roads, neighborhood patterns, rail alignments, athletic fields, and civic sites can be read in relation to the land itself. It is both a navigational tool and a historical artifact, preserving the spatial identity of Glen Ellyn and its surrounding communities at a defined moment in time. For collectors of American topographical mapping, it embodies the disciplined beauty of late twentieth-century federal cartography.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Glen Ellyn
• Lombard
• Schaumburg
• Carol Stream
• Addison
• Golf course
• Parks and recreational fields
• Major highways and local streets
• Railways
• Lakes, rivers, and smaller water bodies
• Residential neighborhoods
• Commercial areas
• Schools and educational institutions
• Public facilities and landmarks

Historical context & cartographic details

• Published by the United States Geological Survey (USGS)
• Created in 1993
• Topographical map at a 1:24,000 scale
• Shows Glen Ellyn, Illinois, and the surrounding area
• Captures geographical features and notable locations significant at the time
• Features contour lines indicating elevation and relief
• Uses varying shades and colors to denote different topographic characteristics
• Black and red color contrasts help identify developed and undeveloped areas
• Shows terrain, water bodies, and vegetation coverage typical of the area in 1993
• Offers insight into urban development patterns in Glen Ellyn and surrounding areas during the early 1990s
• Reflects USGS cartographic standards emphasizing clarity and practical navigation

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.