Titled “Burien, Washington” and published by the United States Geological Survey in 1983, this 1:25,000 topographical map presents a finely measured portrait of the south Seattle shoreline at a moment of transition. Centered on Burien and Normandy Park, it records a coastal suburban landscape poised between wooded ravines, residential neighborhoods, transportation corridors, and the open waters of Puget Sound. The USGS’s disciplined cartographic language—contour lines, precise road hierarchies, hydrographic detail, and carefully labeled civic features—gives the map both practical clarity and historical depth. In its depiction of streets, schools, creeks, shorelines, and green spaces, the map preserves the geography of a community before later waves of development further reshaped the built environment.

Burien appears here as a settled but still distinctly landscape-bound community, its neighborhoods arranged across the rises and depressions that characterize this part of King County. Lake Burien forms a quiet interior landmark, while Miller Creek and other small waterways thread through the terrain toward Puget Sound. The contouring reveals the subtle drama of the area: slopes descending toward the western shoreline, shallow valleys cutting through residential districts, and upland routes chosen for roads and development. Normandy Park, to the south, is shown with its shoreline orientation and leafy residential pattern, emphasizing the appeal of waterfront access that has long shaped settlement in this corridor between Seattle and Des Moines.

The map is especially compelling for the way it captures infrastructure as geography. Interstate 5, State Route 509, Highway 518, Pacific Highway South, Military Road South, and Des Moines Memorial Drive all register as structuring lines across the landscape, linking Burien to Seattle, SeaTac, and the wider Puget Sound region. These roads are more than conveniences: they mark the postwar transformation of south King County into a metropolitan edge of airports, industry, commuting suburbs, and commercial corridors. The proximity of Boeing Field and the Duwamish Waterway to the north underscores the region’s industrial gravity, while the smaller community roads and local institutions show how daily life was organized within that larger network.

The United States Geological Survey brought to such maps a standard of accuracy that made them indispensable to planners, engineers, hikers, land managers, and historians alike. Founded in the late nineteenth century, the USGS developed a national mapping program that translated America’s varied landscapes into a consistent visual system. On this map, that system is immediately legible: brown contours describe elevation, blue marks watercourses and shorelines, green indicates vegetated or park areas, and black and red linework distinguishes roads, buildings, boundaries, and major routes. The result is a richly layered document, one that allows the viewer to read both the natural terrain and the human decisions imposed upon it.

As a historical object, the 1983 “Burien, Washington” map offers a valuable snapshot of a place whose identity has continued to evolve. Burien’s later incorporation as a city, expansion of commercial districts, changing transportation patterns, and continuing pressure from regional growth make this earlier depiction particularly evocative. Highline Community College, local schools, community centers, parks, and green spaces situate the map in the lived world of south King County, while Puget Sound and the Duwamish corridor connect it to broader environmental and economic histories. It is a map of thresholds: between land and water, suburb and city, natural drainage and engineered infrastructure, and the quieter Burien of the early 1980s and the denser metropolitan landscape that followed.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Burien
• Normandy Park
• Seattle
• Highline Community College
• Puget Sound
• Lake Burien
• Miller Creek
• Duwamish River / Duwamish Waterway
• Interurban Trail
• Des Moines Memorial Drive / Way
• Highway 518
• Pacific Highway South
• Interstate 5
• State Route 509
• Military Road South
• Boeing Field
• Local schools and community centers
• Parks, green spaces, and nature reserves within the area

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the United States Geological Survey as a historical 1:25,000 topographical map.
• Dated 1983 with a 1983 imprint.
• Shows Burien, Normandy Park, and the surrounding south Seattle / Puget Sound area.
• The map reflects Burien as a residential community known for its proximity to Seattle and waterfront access.
• Uses a clear, detailed USGS topographic style with contour lines and shaded relief to show elevation.
• Water bodies are shown in shades of blue to help distinguish hydrographic features and depth.
• Depicts varied terrain around Burien, including hills, valleys, waterways, and coastal landscapes.
• Captures the area before later residential and commercial development significantly reshaped parts of the landscape.
• Color gradients are used to enhance the reading of both land elevation and water depth.

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 18x24in (45x60cm) 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.