Titled simply “Key West,” this 1943 US Geological Survey map presents the island city and its surrounding waters at the intimate topographic scale of 1:25,000. Published in the same year it was dated, the map captures Key West at a moment when its compact street grid, military reservations, harbor facilities, and coastal margins were all of strategic importance. The composition centers on Key West Island, with Fleming Key, Pearl Basin, Hawk Channel, and the nearby waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Straits of Florida framing the city’s maritime setting. Its clear palette of pale blue water, green and brown land, and precise linework gives the map both scientific authority and quiet visual elegance.

The US Geological Survey brought to this sheet the disciplined clarity for which its cartography became renowned. Founded to survey, classify, and understand the physical landscape of the United States, the USGS produced maps that served scientists, engineers, planners, soldiers, and navigators alike. Here, that institutional precision is visible in the careful delineation of roads, shorelines, government reservations, and coastal features. Unlike decorative sea charts or tourist maps, this topographic work is concerned with measured terrain and practical orientation, yet its restraint gives it a refined beauty. The shallow relief of Key West makes every contour and coastal edge meaningful, revealing how subtly land, water, infrastructure, and human settlement interlock at the southern edge of Florida.

Key West’s geography is the map’s great subject: a low coral island poised between the Gulf of Mexico and the Straits of Florida, closer in spirit to the Caribbean than to mainland Florida. The map shows the island’s urban fabric, its roads and streets, and its relationship to adjacent keys and protected waters. Fleming Key appears to the north, while Hawk Channel stretches offshore as part of the navigational corridor running along the Florida Keys. Pearl Basin and the surrounding harbor waters speak to the island’s enduring maritime identity. At this scale, the city’s compactness is striking: military, residential, civic, and waterfront spaces all occupy a narrow strip of land surrounded by luminous shallows.

The 1943 date gives the map particular historical resonance. During the Second World War, Key West was far more than a tropical outpost; it was an important naval and military location, guarding approaches between the Atlantic, the Gulf, and the Caribbean. Features such as Fort Taylor, the S. Government Reservation, and the U.S. Government Reservation point to this strategic role. Fort Taylor itself, originally a nineteenth-century coastal defense work, had long watched over the harbor and shipping lanes. On this map, such installations appear not as romantic ruins but as active components of a working defense landscape. The result is a compelling portrait of Key West in an era of heightened vigilance and maritime control.

Viewed today, the map is also a record of transformation. Since 1943, Key West has grown into one of America’s most celebrated island destinations, shaped by tourism, preservation, military history, and environmental pressures. Streets, waterfronts, and land use patterns have evolved, while the delicate relationship between built ground and surrounding water has become increasingly important in conversations about hurricanes, sea-level rise, and coastal resilience. The USGS depiction preserves a quieter, more functional Key West: a place of harbors, roads, reservations, and low-lying terrain rather than spectacle. Its understated topographic language invites close looking, rewarding the viewer with a historically grounded understanding of an island city defined by geography, strategy, and sea.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Key West
• Fleming Key
• S. Government Reservation
• Fort Taylor
• US Government Reservation
• Key West Island
• Pearl Basin
• Hawk Channel
• Monroe County
• Various roads and streets in Key West

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey, this historical 1:25,000 topographical map shows Key West, Florida, and the surrounding area.
• The map is dated 1943 and carries a 1943 imprint.
• The USGS specializes in scientific research and mapping, particularly for geological and environmental studies in the United States.
• Key West is known as the southernmost point in the contiguous United States and has a rich history related to maritime activities, tourism, and military presence.
• The map uses a simple, clear topographic design with color-coded elevation and landforms, as well as prominent water bodies.
• It illustrates coastal features, land elevations, and the surrounding waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Straits of Florida.
• The map highlights the distinctive geography of the Florida Keys.
• Since 1943, Key West has experienced substantial development, land-use changes, and population growth.

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.