Published in 1993 from 1992 cartographic data, the US Geological Survey’s “Port Orford” captures a dramatic stretch of Oregon’s southern coast at 1:100,000 scale. Centered on the historic coastal community of Port Orford, the map extends across a landscape where the Pacific Ocean meets forested headlands, river valleys, and the rugged Coast Range. Its topographic language is immediately compelling: finely drawn contour lines and subtle color gradients describe elevation with scientific precision, revealing the abrupt transition from beach and harbor to upland ridges and interior mountains. As a snapshot of the early 1990s, it records a region still defined by maritime geography, timberlands, coastal travel corridors, and the enduring presence of wild terrain.

The US Geological Survey brought more than a century of institutional cartographic expertise to maps such as this, combining field measurement, aerial interpretation, and standardized symbology into a highly legible portrait of the American landscape. Here, the USGS style is both practical and elegant: roads, waterways, public lands, contours, and settlement patterns are organized into a clear visual hierarchy. Highway 101 traces the coast as the principal north-south artery, while Forest Service roads thread into the mountains and timber country beyond. The map’s design reflects the USGS mission at its best—transforming complex terrain into an intelligible surface for scientists, travelers, planners, and anyone seeking to understand the physical structure of place.

Port Orford itself appears amid some of the most distinctive coastal scenery in Oregon. Nearby Port Orford Heads State Park marks the bold promontories overlooking the Pacific, while Cape Blanco, one of the westernmost points in the contiguous United States, anchors the northern coastal portion of the map with geographic drama. The coastline is articulated by capes, coves, bluffs, and offshore-influenced weather patterns, with Crook Point and Myers Creek adding further texture to the shore. Floras Lake, set close to the ocean yet distinct from it, introduces a quieter coastal landscape of water, dunes, and wetland margins. Together, these features make the map a richly layered study of Oregon’s meeting of land and sea.

Inland, the map reveals a dense hydrological network descending from the Coast Range toward the Pacific. The Sixes River and Elk River carve through valleys that have long shaped movement, settlement, ecology, and resource use in the region. Smaller streams and drainages, including Humphrey Creek and Elliott Creek, register as delicate threads in the larger watershed pattern. The contouring around Nelscott Ridge and adjoining uplands shows how sharply the terrain rises from the coastal strip, giving the map a sculptural quality. These elevations are not merely technical details; they describe the environmental logic of southwestern Oregon, where rainfall, forest cover, steep slopes, and river corridors combine to create a powerful and varied landscape.

Siskiyou National Forest occupies an important part of the wider setting, linking the Port Orford coast to one of the biologically rich and topographically complex forest regions of the Pacific Northwest. The map preserves a moment just before the rapid expansion of digital mapping transformed how such landscapes were viewed and managed. Its early-1990s geography is especially valuable for comparison with later changes in land use, conservation priorities, road networks, and coastal development. For collectors, the appeal lies in the balance of scientific authority and regional character: a disciplined USGS topographic composition that also conveys the romance of Oregon’s wild coast, from wind-shaped headlands and river mouths to forested ridges rising above the Pacific.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Port Orford
• Cape Blanco
• Gold Beach
• Sixes River
• Elk River
• Floras Lake
• Oregon Coast
• Pacific Ocean
• Port Orford Heads State Park
• Siskiyou National Forest
• Coast Range
• Humphrey Creek
• Myers Creek
• Elliott Creek
• Crook Point
• Nelscott Ridge
• Highway 101
• Forest Service Roads

Historical context & cartographic details

• Map Title: Port Orford
• Publisher: Produced by the US Geological Survey (USGS)
• Date of Creation: 1992
• Publication Imprint: 1993
• Scale: 1:100,000
• Map Type: Historical topographical map of Port Orford, Oregon and surrounding areas
• Mapmaker Context: The US Geological Survey is known for producing comprehensive geographic data and topographical maps of U.S. landscapes and natural resources.
• Design and Cartographic Details: Uses color gradients to illustrate elevation changes, with intricate contour lines showing the terrain’s topography.
• Topographic Character: Displays the coastal and mountainous terrain typical of southwestern Oregon, including elevations, waterways, and landforms.
• Historical Significance: Reflects the geographical state of Port Orford and nearby areas in the early 1990s, useful for comparison with later land use and urban development.

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.