Arizona Map

The Arizona map... so many versions, so little space. In addition to the basic state highway maps that most people think of,  there are maps depicting topography, political boundaries, land use, resources, and many other subjects.  There are old maps drawn by hand, newer ones drawn by computer, and now maps based on satellite imagery.

The Arizona map most often viewed is this Arizona highway map. It shows Federal and most Arizona state highways. Interstate 40 is the corridor across northern Arizona. In addition to the highway, railroad tracks and pipelines use this corridor.

An Arizona map with an even more detailed view is available through this link.

The I-40 corridor began life as the Beale Wagon Road. Flagstaff is located along this corridor. it was established at a good and reliable source of water . The railroad was built along this same path as civilization began to come to the Arizona Territory. US Highway Route 66 was added iIn the late 1920s (more on this history later).

 Route 66 became famous over the years, in part due to the amenities known as filling stations, tourist courts, Indian trading posts, cafes, and road houses.. One of the most famous road houses is the Museum Club, which continues to operate in Flagstaff.

Shown below are several versions of the basic state map.

Each map of Arizona presents different perspectives on the state for your information and reference. Some can effectively present information in a small format, while others require a larger size to display more detail.

The Arizona map images presented here are produced by a variety of government agencies and distributed for public information and use.

For those not familiar with this state, I'll point out a few features...

Less than 10% of the land is privately owned. Yes, various government agencies and Indian tribes own almost all the land.  six National Forests, three National Parks and numerous National Monuments are a major piece, as are the BLM-managed federal lands and state owned lands.

This map from the State Land Department shows privately owned land in white. The colored portions indicate some form of government ownership.

An Arizona map depicting public/private ownership in much more detail can be found here.

The influence of the (trans-continental railroad can clearly be seen on the image above. The building and operation of the railroad was of great importance to those who settled the state. The swath of private land across the northern part of the state stands as a memorial to them.

The first to travel this path were the native peoples, followed by trappers (Mountain Men) Antoine Leroux, Bill Williams, and others. In the 1860's this informal trail network was better defined by a government survey party led by Edward Beale.. This road became known as the Beale Wagon Road. It was also known locally as Beale's Camel Route... which is a "whole 'nother story."

The Atlantic and Pacific railroad was built along the general route of the Beale Wagon Road in 1880 - 1881. In the 1920's Route 66 followed the railroad's path across north-central Arizona. Since then, telegraph, telephone, petroleum pipelines and other utility infrastructure have used this corridor across the state.

The next Arizona map shows the major surface features, such as rivers, the Grand Canyon, and the San Francisco Peaks to the south of the Canyon. 

This map of Arizona with county outlines illustrates that we have a relatively small number of large counties. A couple of our counties are larger than some states... our own Coconino County is the second largest county in the USA, at 18,661 square miles

The counties take their names from native peoples living in the region.

The northwestern part of the state is somewhat isolated by geographic features, primarily by the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River on the east and south, and by Lake Mead to the west. This is a lightly populated region that sees few tourists and other visitors.

This Arizona map shows that the northeastern portion of the state is devoted to the Hopi and Navajo reservations.

Other tribal lands are scattered across Arizona. Several Apache reservations are located in central and eastern Arizona.

The Grand Canyon is home to the Havasupai and Hualapai peoples.

Our northwestern neighbor is the state of Nevada. Lake Mead and nearby Las Vegas are popular recreation sites. It's safe to say that each has it's own attraction.

The Arizona map below shows a ragged western border defined by the Colorado River. Our southwestern neighbor is the state of California. I'm sure you've heard of California.

Our southern neighbor is the Republic of Mexico. Mexico's culture heavily flavors Arizona's culture.

Our eastern neighbor is the State of New Mexico. The Ponderosa Pine forest that gives our South of Flagstaff country it's appeal, extends all the way into western New Mexico.

Our northern neighbor is the state of Utah. We share some interesting canyon lands and Lake Powell with Utah. Lake Powell was formed by constructing a dam in Glen Canyon, impounding lake water in a series of sandstone canyons. It's beautiful scenery, and valuable water in our arid Southwest.

The basic Arizona map doesn't indicate that we have a northeastern neighbor, but we do. Colorado meets Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico, as shown on this Four Corners regional map. This location is known as Four Corners, and it's the only place in the US where four states meet.

By the way, maps can be decorative. Use the search box below and a keyword phrase such as decorative maps, historic arizona maps , or another keyword to see several listings for tasteful, decorative maps.

Arizona Territory Map

This 1865 era map shows the Territory of Arizona... including a portion of Mohave County (later Pah-Ute County) that is now part of Nevada. To see a huge version of this map (blown up 10 times), click on the map to go to the Old Western Maps website.

Other historic and contemporary maps can be accessed through the two links below:

Library of Congress http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query 

Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ 

You may find other interesting maps by using the Google box above and searching keywords such as arizona map + historic... and don't ignore the ads down the right side of the page. Those are resources too.

This Arizona map selection presents just a few of the thousands of maps available online. Other Google and Google Image searches will bring you many choices.

Detailed Map of Arizona Page

Here's another Arizona map link.

Arizona Lakes

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