Published in 1987 from 1962 mapping, the USGS quadrangle titled “Boca Raton” captures a South Florida community at a pivotal moment between coastal resort town and rapidly expanding modern city. At 1:24,000 scale, it presents Boca Raton and its neighboring shorelands with the precision and restraint characteristic of mid-century American topographic mapping. The Atlantic Ocean defines the eastern edge, while Boca Raton Inlet, Hillsboro Beach, inland waterways, roads, and emerging subdivisions reveal a landscape shaped by water, mobility, and real estate ambition. Seen today, the map is not merely a geographic record; it is a portrait of a city before decades of dense development transformed its shoreline, neighborhoods, and civic footprint.

The United States Geological Survey brought to this map the institutional authority of one of America’s most important scientific agencies. Founded in the nineteenth century to classify and understand the nation’s lands and resources, the USGS became synonymous with rigorous topographical mapping, creating the quadrangles used by planners, engineers, conservationists, educators, and explorers. Its work combined field survey, aerial photography, hydrological observation, and standardized cartographic design. In “Boca Raton,” that discipline is evident in the clean linework, careful labeling, and layered symbology used to distinguish roads, water bodies, parks, developed areas, and open land. The result is both technical and evocative: a civic instrument that now reads as a finely detailed historical document.

The map’s topographic character is subtle but revealing, befitting the low-relief coastal plain of southeastern Florida. Contour lines register modest changes in elevation, emphasizing how close the built environment lies to sea level and how intimately Boca Raton’s development was tied to drainage, shoreline access, and inland water management. The Atlantic is rendered in lighter tones offshore, suggesting depth and the gradual transition from beach to open water. Boca Raton Inlet and the Intracoastal Waterway form essential geographic spines, separating barrier shore from mainland and creating corridors for boating, commerce, and recreation. Lakes, ponds, canals, and marshy or undeveloped areas add to the impression of a city still negotiating its relationship with water.

For admirers of Florida history, the map is especially compelling because it preserves Boca Raton before its later surge of population growth, luxury development, and institutional expansion. In the early 1960s, the city was already associated with resort culture, planned communities, and coastal affluence, yet much of the surrounding terrain still retained open parcels, sparse subdivisions, and transitional land uses. Roads and avenues appear as the framework of future growth, while parks, schools, municipal features, and residential districts mark the expanding civic life of the area. Hillsboro Beach and adjacent coastal settlements underscore the regional pattern: narrow barrier islands, prized ocean frontage, and inland connections that would become increasingly valuable over time.

Cartographically, “Boca Raton” has the quiet elegance of the best USGS maps: information-rich without ornament, scientific without feeling sterile. Color-coded terrain and land-use indications provide immediate visual hierarchy, while standardized symbols allow roads, recreational grounds, shorelines, rail or transport corridors, and water features to be read at a glance. The map’s restrained palette and precise labeling make it particularly evocative of postwar American mapping, when topographic sheets served practical purposes yet inadvertently captured moments of immense cultural change. Here, that change is the remaking of coastal Palm Beach and Broward counties—from relatively open subtropical terrain into one of Florida’s most intensely developed urban corridors.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Boca Raton
• Atlantic Ocean
• Hillsboro Beach
• Boca Raton Inlet
• Intracoastal Waterway
• Various neighborhoods and subdivisions
• Avenues and thoroughfares
• Parks and recreational areas
• Water features, including lakes and ponds
• Major and minor roads
• Railways
• Landmarks, such as schools and municipal buildings
• Wilderness areas or undeveloped lands

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey as a historical 1:24,000 topographical map of Boca Raton, Florida, and the surrounding area.
• Dated 1962, with a 1987 imprint.
• Published by the US Geological Survey, a U.S. government scientific agency known for topographical mapping, land-use planning, environmental assessment, and geographical research.
• Shows Boca Raton during a period of significant urban development and population growth.
• Features color-coded terrain variations to indicate elevation and land use.
• Uses clear symbology for roads, parks, and water bodies.
• Depicts ocean areas in lighter shades to suggest depth.
• Includes contour lines showing elevation changes and the low-relief coastal landscape near the Atlantic Ocean.
• Provides a historical record of land use and development in Boca Raton during 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.