Published in 1965 from a map dated 1944, “Clarkdale, Arizona” is a mid-century United States Geological Survey topographical view of one of central Arizona’s most dramatic landscapes. At a scale of 1:62,500, it captures Clarkdale and the surrounding Verde Valley with the precision and clarity that made USGS quadrangles essential tools for engineers, geologists, travelers, and land managers. The map belongs to an era when topographic mapping was both scientific record and national infrastructure, translating field surveys into a legible portrait of terrain. Its careful rendering of elevation, drainage, roads, and settlements preserves the geography of Clarkdale before later development reshaped the valley’s edges and transportation corridors.

Clarkdale itself occupies a historically rich position in Arizona’s copper country, close to the mining landscapes that helped define the economy of the region in the early twentieth century. Founded as a company town for smelting operations connected to the nearby mines, Clarkdale was laid out with unusual order and purpose compared with many boomtown settlements of the American West. This map shows the town not as an isolated point, but as part of a larger physical system: a settlement shaped by river access, surrounding hills, transport routes, and the steep topography of the Verde Valley. Its placement on the map reveals the practical geography behind industry, habitation, and movement.

The Verde River is one of the defining features of the map, winding through the landscape as both a natural landmark and a lifeline in an otherwise rugged region. Its tributaries and adjoining valleys give structure to the terrain, guiding the eye across the sheet and explaining the placement of nearby settlements such as Cottonwood. In the arid interior of Arizona, watercourses are never incidental; they determine vegetation, agriculture, travel, and settlement. The USGS treatment of streams, washes, and valley floors offers more than orientation—it records the relationship between landform and livelihood, showing where water gathered, where routes could pass, and where communities could take root.

The cartography is classic USGS topographic design, with contour lines doing much of the intellectual work of the map. Hills, valleys, ridges, and slopes emerge through dense, disciplined linework, allowing the viewer to read elevation changes almost sculpturally. Browns and greens distinguish relief and vegetation, while water features stand apart with immediate clarity. This color language gives the map both practical utility and aesthetic force: the Verde Valley appears as a living terrain of escarpments, drainages, open land, and cultivated or vegetated pockets. The result is a richly informative composition in which scientific accuracy and visual elegance are closely intertwined.

As a historical document, “Clarkdale, Arizona” offers a snapshot of the region at a pivotal mid-twentieth-century moment. The mapped landscape reflects a balance between natural form and human use: towns, roads, trails, river corridors, and elevation patterns all appear within a still-rugged setting. Before modern expansion altered the contours of settlement and infrastructure, the area retained a strong visual identity shaped by mining, river geography, and the imposing relief of central Arizona. For collectors, the map is compelling not only for its technical accomplishment, but for its atmosphere—a measured, authoritative portrait of Clarkdale and the Verde Valley at a time when the old industrial West and the modern Southwest still visibly overlapped.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Clarkdale
• Verde River
• Cottonwood
• Hills and valleys surrounding Clarkdale
• Notable contour lines indicating elevation changes
• Potentially identifiable trails and roads within the mapped area

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the US Geological Survey.
• Historical 1:62,500 topographical map showing Clarkdale and the surrounding area.
• Dated 1944 with a 1965 imprint.
• Utilizes survey data relevant to the mid-20th century.
• Features a color scheme that differentiates elevation, vegetation, and water bodies, using vibrant greens and browns.
• Characterized by rugged terrain with notable elevation changes, surface water features, and vegetation areas.
• Reflects the geographical features of Clarkdale in the 1940s, before modernization and urban development significantly changed the landscape.

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.