Published in 1967 from 1966 survey work, the US Geological Survey’s “Waimea” presents a finely observed portrait of one of Hawaii’s most evocative landscapes at a scale of 1:24,000. Centered on Waimea and its surrounding coast, the map captures the meeting of settlement, forest, ocean, and volcanic terrain with the clarity for which USGS quadrangles are prized. Pale blue waters of the Pacific edge the scene, while greens and contouring reveal the inland rise of wooded slopes, valleys, and ridgelines. As a historical document, it preserves Waimea before later waves of development altered the balance between town, road, cultivated land, and open terrain, offering a mid-century view of a Hawaiian community shaped by both geography and oceanic isolation.

The mapmaker, the United States Geological Survey, brought to this sheet the disciplined visual language of modern scientific cartography. Founded in the late nineteenth century, the USGS became the nation’s leading authority on the measured depiction of landforms, water systems, transportation routes, and settlement patterns. In “Waimea,” that institutional precision is evident in the careful use of contour lines, elevation markings, roads, trails, and land-cover tinting. The result is not merely a navigational aid, but a compact geographical analysis: one can read the slope of hills, the direction of drainage, the position of human routes, and the relationship between coast and upland. Its elegance lies in restraint, accuracy, and a quietly beautiful synthesis of data and design.

Waimea itself occupies a significant place in Hawaiian geography and history, positioned where coastal life meets the dramatic interior terrain of the island. The map shows the town in relation to the Pacific shoreline, road networks, nearby valleys, and the rising elevations beyond, emphasizing how settlement followed the more hospitable lowlands while the land quickly ascends inland. The surrounding topography speaks to the volcanic origins of the Hawaiian Islands: folded ridges, steep gradients, and drainage channels shaped by rainfall, erosion, and time. This is a landscape of contrasts—shoreline and forest, road and ravine, cultivated edge and rugged interior—rendered with enough detail to suggest both everyday movement and the larger geological forces beneath it.

The cartographic design is especially compelling for the way color and line work together to create a vivid sense of place. Water is shown in pale blue, giving the Pacific Ocean and coastal features a cool clarity, while forested and elevated lands appear in rich greens that immediately distinguish the island’s vegetated interior. Contour lines provide the map’s underlying rhythm, tightening where slopes steepen and spreading where the land relaxes. Roads and trails thread across this relief, revealing practical routes through a complex terrain. At 1:24,000 scale, the map allows intimate reading: small landscape transitions, settlement edges, and hydrological details emerge without losing the broader coherence of Waimea’s coastal and upland setting.

As a snapshot of the 1960s, “Waimea” is valuable not only for what it depicts, but for the historical moment it preserves. The map records patterns of habitation, access, vegetation, and terrain before the intensified growth associated with later decades of tourism, infrastructure, and land-use change. Its roads and trails speak to mid-century circulation; its forests and valleys suggest the persistence of natural systems around settled areas; its coastline anchors the community within the wider Pacific world. For collectors, the sheet offers the appeal of a scientifically authoritative map with strong visual character, while for admirers of Hawaii it provides a richly textured view of Waimea as landform, settlement, and historical place.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Waimea
• Pacific Ocean
• Roads and trails throughout the area
• Coastal features and landscape developments
• Forest areas
• Nearby valleys and elevations representing island geology
• Notable geographic formations or landmarks within the mapped area

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey, this historical 1:24,000 topographical map shows Waimea, Hawaii and the surrounding area.
• The map is dated 1966 and carries a 1967 imprint.
• Published by the US Geological Survey, a leading American mapping and surveying agency known for detailed, scientifically accurate maps.
• The map shows Waimea alongside surrounding coastal and forested regions, revealing both natural geography and human settlement patterns.
• A vibrant color scheme is used, with pale blue for water and rich greens for land elevations.
• Contour lines indicate topography and highlight the mountainous terrain typical of Hawaii.
• The 1:24,000 scale allows detailed representation of elevation changes, vegetation types, and water features.
• The map captures the area before extensive urban development, providing a snapshot of the natural landscape and settlement patterns of the 1960s.

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.