Published in 1999 using survey data from 1996, the U.S. Geological Survey’s “Coeur D’Alene” presents a richly detailed portrait of one of northern Idaho’s most evocative lake cities at the close of the twentieth century. Drawn at the highly informative 1:24,000 scale, the map balances the precision of scientific surveying with the visual pleasure of classic American topographic cartography. Coeur d’Alene appears not merely as a populated place, but as a landscape shaped by water, forest, slope, and road. The city’s street grid, lakeside setting, and expanding infrastructure are set against contour lines and color distinctions that reveal the terrain beneath the urban fabric, offering a snapshot of a community poised between resort destination, regional hub, and gateway to the mountains.

The U.S. Geological Survey, founded in 1879, became the authoritative cartographic voice of the American landscape, and this map reflects the agency’s disciplined approach to depicting place. Its symbols for roads, trails, landmarks, water bodies, wooded areas, and elevation are part of a national visual language designed for accuracy and legibility. Here, that language is especially effective: highways, neighborhoods, shorelines, and public spaces are organized with the quiet authority of a working scientific document. U.S. Route 95 and Idaho State Highway 95 structure the movement through the region, while W. Seltice Way, North Idaho College, and the Kootenai County Fairgrounds help anchor the urban geography. The result is both practical and historically revealing, preserving the built environment of Coeur d’Alene as it stood in the 1990s.

Water defines much of the map’s drama. Coeur d’Alene Lake dominates the southern portion of the scene, its shoreline shaping the city’s identity and recreational life. Blackwell Island marks the transition between lake and river, while the Spokane River flows westward from the lake, tying this Idaho landscape to the broader inland Northwest. Fernan Lake lies to the east, tucked beneath rising ground, and Gunner’s Lake adds another note to the area’s hydrological texture. Sanders Beach and Tubbs Hill stand out as beloved local landmarks, the latter a forested promontory near the heart of town that gives the map a remarkable juxtaposition of urban proximity and natural refuge. These waters and wooded hills explain why Coeur d’Alene became a place of enduring scenic appeal.

Beyond the city center, the map traces a mosaic of suburbs, open lands, and forested slopes that reveal the changing character of Kootenai County in the late twentieth century. Hayden and Rathdrum appear to the north and northwest, indicating the broader pattern of settlement around Coeur d’Alene. Ramsey, Parkwood, and other local places situate the viewer within a growing metropolitan landscape, while the surrounding forested areas point toward the expansive natural world that begins just beyond the city’s edge. The inclusion of the Coeur d’Alene National Forest context underscores the region’s long association with timber, mining, recreation, and mountain travel. The Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes evokes a newer layer of history, transforming former transportation corridors into routes for leisure and heritage.

As a historical document, “Coeur D’Alene” captures a moment before subsequent decades of intensified growth, changing land use, and renewed attention to lake ecology. The 1996 survey data records the city at a particular stage in its development, when resort amenities such as the Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course coexisted with older civic, educational, and transportation patterns. Its contours reveal the physical constraints and attractions that guided expansion: hills, shorelines, river corridors, and forested tracts. For collectors, the map’s appeal lies in this fusion of exacting USGS technique and regional atmosphere. It is a finely observed topographic record of northern Idaho, preserving the relationship between Coeur d’Alene’s urban life, its celebrated lakefront, and the rugged landscape that continues to define it.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Coeur d'Alene
• Rathdrum
• Hayden
• Spokane River
• Coeur d'Alene Lake
• Blackwell Island
• Cookson
• Ramsey
• CDA Resort Golf Course
• Sanders Beach
• Tubbs Hill
• Gunner's Lake
• Fernan Lake
• Kootenai County Fairgrounds
• Parkwood
• W. Seltice Way
• Idaho State Highway 95
• U.S. Route 95
• Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes
• Coeur d'Alene National Forest
• North Idaho College
• Forested Areas

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the U.S. Geological Survey, a scientific agency of the U.S. government responsible for mapping and documenting the nation’s landscapes, natural resources, and hazards.
• Historical topographical map dated 1996, with a 1999 imprint.
• Uses survey data from the late 1990s period.
• Drawn at a detailed 1:24,000 scale.
• Shows both the urban layout and surrounding natural landscape of the Coeur d'Alene area.
• Uses color shading to indicate elevation changes.
• Includes cartographic symbols for roads, trails, water bodies, landmarks, and other landscape features.
• Depicts a mix of urban development, hills, lakes, rivers, and forested terrain.
• Provides insight into slopes, elevations, and the physical geography surrounding the city.
• Captures the area before later changes in urban development, land use, and environmental conditions affecting the lake and surrounding ecosystems.

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.