1850 Plat of Dallas
Plat showing streets by name, lots and blocks by number, the public square, and the Trinity River.
DALLAS–FORT WORTH / THE MAP ARCHIVE
Old Road Maps of Dallas - Fort Worth
From the Dallas town plat to a regional freeway system: eleven maps spanning 1850–1979.
Created and last updated 10-June-2001
1850–1925
The early cities
1891 Official Map of the City of Dallas and Suburbs
Shows streets by names, lots and blocks by number, property owners in the city and vicinity, rivers, creeks, suburbs, and railroads. A key to some public buildings and private businesses is given as well as statistical information about the city.
1905 Worley's Map of Greater Dallas
Shows creeks, lakes, blocks, streets, railroads, highways, corporation lines, schools, churches, hospitals, and parks. Contains an index to streets, blocks, and subdivisions.
1925 Greater Fort Worth New City Map
Shows blocks, streets, roads, highways, railroads, parks, churches, schools, public buildings, and street car lines. Map has a street directory, part of which is missing. Distance to other cities and towns is given.
1960–1979
The regional road network
1960 Humble Oil, Dallas-Fort Worth Map
The 1960 map identifies "dual highways", so it is not possible to precisely identify which roadways were freeways. The Dallas freeway network is starting to take shape, with substantial work in progress.
1962 Enco Oil, Dallas-Fort Worth Map
This map correctly identifies limited access freeways and provides a good snapshot of the Dallas freeway network in 1962.
1965 Enco Oil, Dallas-Fort Worth Map
IH-635 between US75 (Central expressway) and IH-35E is shown to be under construction.
1969 Gulf Oil, Dallas-Fort Worth Map
Note that the mid-cities area is still largely devoid of freeways, except for the Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike, which opened in 1957. There is still no indication of the Dallas - Fort Worth International Airport.
1974 Rand McNally, Dallas-Fort Worth Map
Most of the roadways around the new DFW airport are shown as highways, not freeways. A big gap in IH-20 exists in the mid-cities area, but it would be closed by 1976. Most of the western IH-820 in Fort Worth is still missing.
1979 AAA, Dallas-Fort Worth Map
"Phase 1" of the Dallas - Fort Worth freeway system is nearly complete. IH-635 between DFW Airport and IH-35E is under construction, and the only substantial missing segment is IH-820 in southwest Fort Worth. The Woodall Rogers freeway on the north side of downtown Dallas appears to be under construction.