Historic Mobile Webmap

This interactive map shows current Mobile, Alabama with visual context from other eras in the city's history.

Using the interactive map:

Zoom in and out with the mouse scroll wheel or the +/- buttons at top left
Toggle historic map overlays using the checkboxes in the menu at top right
Use "magnifying glass" tool to simultaneously display modern and historic maps, when a historic map layer is turned on (via checkbox). Toggle using the magnifying glass button at top left.

This feature does not work on mobile yet
There is no actual magnification, only a window effect

Be patient! Historic maps are data-heavy and may not load quickly, especially on mobile or slower internet connections.

Code, technical notes, license, attributions, bug reports

Map History

Mobile, Alabama is a coastal city with a rich New World history spanning French, British, Spanish, American, Confederate secession, and ultimately (again) American governance.

Throughout Mobile's history, the various ruling governments documented their territory in drawings and maps. From early French colonial settlers in the 1700, through American Civil War in the 1860s, to 20th century U.S. Geological Survey topo maps, cartographers traced the city's evolution from frontier fort to modern port city. Many of those maps are preserved digitally in very high quality, available from the U.S. Library of Congress and other sources.

This interactive map shows current Mobile, Alabama with visual context from other eras in the city's rich history, using modern Web technology to juxtapose new and old cartography products.

Historic Mobile Webmap

Using the interactive map:

Historic Mobile Webmap

Map History

Historic Mobile Webmap

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