Titled “Coupeville,” this United States Geological Survey map presents a finely observed mid-century portrait of central Whidbey Island, Washington. Created from 1953 mapping and published with a 1973 imprint, it preserves both the surveyed landscape of the postwar era and the authoritative cartographic language of the later USGS topographic series. At a scale of 1:24,000, the map gives intimate attention to roads, shorelines, relief, vegetation, settlement, and water, making it a precise record of Coupeville and its surroundings. Penn Cove, Admiralty Bay, Ebey’s Landing, and the island’s broken coastal edges are rendered with the clarity that made USGS quadrangles indispensable to planners, scientists, hikers, and historians alike.

The United States Geological Survey, founded in 1879, became the nation’s preeminent mapper of terrain, water, mineral resources, and settlement patterns. Its topographic quadrangles were never merely utilitarian: they formed a systematic visual archive of America’s evolving landscape. In “Coupeville,” that tradition is especially compelling, because Whidbey Island’s geography combines maritime exposure, agricultural interiors, military reservations, historic towns, and dramatic bluffs within a compact field. The map’s contour lines articulate the island’s modest but significant elevation changes, while blue coastal waters and green vegetation tints distinguish the terrain with elegant efficiency. This is the USGS style at its most legible: measured, disciplined, and quietly beautiful.

Coupeville itself appears as the historic heart of the map, set beside the sheltered waters of Penn Cove, one of Puget Sound’s most distinctive natural harbors. The surrounding landscape includes prairie openings, wooded tracts, cultivated land, and the routes linking small communities and outlying points. Ebey’s Landing, now celebrated for its cultural and scenic importance, stands out as a place where geology, agriculture, and settlement history converge. The map captures the relationship between town and shore, bluff and field, road and inlet. It is a view of Whidbey Island before later decades of expansion, offering a valuable glimpse of land use, access, and settlement in the mid-twentieth century.

The coastal geography is one of the map’s great pleasures. Admiralty Inlet and Admiralty Bay place Coupeville within the larger maritime world of Puget Sound, where ferries, naval routes, fishing grounds, and protected coves shaped daily life. Fort Ebey and nearby headlands reflect the strategic importance of the island’s western shore, overlooking approaches between the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the inland waters of Washington. Names such as Beaver Head, Hillcrest, Prairie, and Ditch Plains speak to a landscape understood through both natural character and local usage. The varied shoreline, from sheltered coves to exposed bluffs, gives the map a strong sense of movement and edge.

As a historical document, “Coupeville” is especially valuable for tracing change across Whidbey Island and the surrounding region. It shows a landscape in transition: rural yet connected, coastal yet carefully measured, historic yet open to modern development. Nearby places such as Langley, Possession Point, Deception Pass, and Kulshan Park evoke the broader island and Puget Sound setting, where communities, waterways, and recreation areas form a richly layered geography. The map’s color scheme, contouring, and precise symbols turn practical survey data into an evocative record of place. For collectors, it offers more than location; it offers a moment in Washington’s coastal history, preserved through the exacting eye of the USGS.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Coupeville
• Penn Cove
• Admiralty Bay
• Fort Ebey
• Hillcrest
• Beaver Head
• Possession Point
• Langley
• Prairie
• Ditch Plains
• Ebey's Landing
• Whidbey Island
• Kulshan Park
• Deception Pass
• Admiralty Inlet

Historical context & cartographic details

• Produced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), this historical 1:24,000 topographical map shows Coupeville, Washington and the surrounding area.
• The map is dated 1953 and carries a 1973 imprint.
• USGS topographical maps have long been used for land use planning, outdoor recreation, environmental study, and geological and hydrological purposes.
• The map features a vibrant color scheme, with greens representing vegetation and lighter blues indicating water bodies.
• Contour lines show elevation changes across the landscape.
• The map reflects the varied elevation and coastal features of the region, including hills and shoreline details.
• It provides insight into mid-20th-century land use, natural features, urban development, and changes in the surrounding landscape over time.

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.