100 years of US routes: 1926-2026

Sources

Online information referenced on US Ends .com

Information on this website has been compiled from countless sources over the course of many years, since 1998. Numerous people have contributed information, and I also own a small collection of printed maps and atlases dating back to 1928. But in recent years the quantity of historic maps (and other highway-related information) that has been scanned and put online has greatly increased, much to the benefit of those who enjoy studying the US route system. I rely heavily on these online sources to provide documentation for the information presented on this website, and this page is an attempt to keep those sources organized and up-to-date. You can help: it seems that DOT websites get reorganized somewhat frequently, which can cause links to become non-functional. If you notice any of the links below are dead -- or if you know of another online map source that would be appropriate on this list -- please contact US Ends .com

National-level information

Historic maps, official and commercial

United States road atlases / maps / map series

1927 Rand McNally (David Rumsey map collection)
1928 Gallup (personal collection) includes city insets
1931 Clasons (Rumsey) includes city insets
1934 Gallup (personal) includes city insets
1934 Rand McNally (Rumsey)
1939 Rand McNally (Rumsey)
1940 Rand McNally (Rumsey) includes city insets
1944 Rand McNally (Rumsey) includes city insets
1947 Rand McNally (personal) includes city insets
1948 Rand McNally (Ramsey) includes city insets
1947-1956 Gousha (Rumsey) includes city insets and some full-detail city maps
1959 Gousha (personal) includes city insets

1925 list of US routes recommended by the Bureau of Public Roads.
1926 map showing the inaugural US routes that received final approval, as well as subsequent updates to that map: 1930, 1943, 1950.
All known editions of AASHO / AASHTO route logs, titled "United States Numbered Highways, Selected by the American Association of State Highway [and Transportation] Officials": 1927, 1929, 1932, 1934, 1935, 1939, 1942, 1951, 1955, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1989.
AASHO / AASHTO meeting reports detailing US route changes back to 1927.
AASHO / AASHTO documentation dating back to 1925.
1940 Census map collection, many using 1930s basemaps.
USGS topographical map series (current and historic).

State-level information

Historic official maps from state departments of transportation

Alabama

University of Alabama collection:

Alaska (no known online sources)

Arizona

Arizona DOT collection
Arizona DOT pdfs
AARoads.com collection
Arizonaroads.com collection

Arkansas

DOT historic tourist map collection
DOT 1936 county map collection

California

DOT state highway system map collection

Colorado

DOT state highway map collection

Connecticut

DOT state highway map collection

Delaware

DOT official highway map collection

Florida

DOT official transportation map collection
County maps in University of Florida collection

Georgia

DOT map collection (go to "Archive Maps" section)
County maps hosted by GNAHRGIS (under Layers choose "Historic GDOT County Maps")

Hawaii (no known online sources)

Idaho

Older highway map collection, some commercial
More recent official highway map collection

Illinois

DOT historic map collection
DOT maps in State Library collection

Indiana

DOT maps in State Library collection
DOT maps in Indiana University collection
A few pdf versions can be found in the IN.gov collection

Iowa

DOT historical transportation map collection

Kansas

DOT historic state highway map collection
Historic county map collection

Kentucky

DOT collection of historic official highway maps and county maps
1950 county maps (University of Kentucky collection)
1930 official highway map

Louisiana

DOT official highway map collection
Selected other state highway maps

Maine (no known online sources)

Maryland

State highway map collection on Wikipedia

Massachusetts

DOT historic map collection

Michigan

DOT county and official highway maps in Michiganology collection (search for "highway map")

Minnesota

DOT official map collection at Minnesota Reflections

Mississippi

DOT collection (go to State Highway Archive section)

Missouri

DOT historic map collection
Historic county maps

Montana

DOT historic map collection

Nebraska

DOT historic map collection

Nevada

DOT historic map collection in UNR
DOT historic state highway map collection

New Hampshire (no known online sources)

New Jersey

General highway map collection (1970s-80s)

New Mexico

DOT historic map collection (on the left choose State Agencies> NMDOT> Historic Maps)

New York (no known online sources)

North Carolina

DOT state transportation map collection
DOT historical county map collection
DOT maps in University of North Carolina collection

North Dakota (no known online sources)

Ohio

DOT historic transportation map collection

Oklahoma

DOT state highway map archive
County map collection at Oklahoma State University

Oregon

DOT state highway map collection at ODOT
DOT state highway map collection at Oregon State University

Pennsylvania

DOT historic transportation map collection
DOT historic county map collection

Rhode Island (no known online sources)

South Carolina

DOT state highway map collection at University of South Carolina
DOT historic county map collection at University of South Carolina

South Dakota

DOT historic map collection (not easy to find, as some are tagged "highway", others are "road maps", and still others have neither of those tags. But there are about 20 maps altogether.)

Tennessee

1932 and 1940 DOT maps in this collection
1938 and 1951 DOT maps in this collection

Texas

DOT state and county maps in Portal to Texas History
Commercial maps, DOT state and county maps in Texas State Archives (check "Image" and search for "highway")
DOT highway designation files and minute orders search page

Utah