Alabama Maps

United StatesUnited States Maps Alabama Maps

Several types of maps are useful for genealogists. Some give historical background of the area or show migration routes such as roads, rivers, and railroads. Topographical maps show physical features, such as creeks and hills, and man-made features, such as roads, cemeteries, and churches. Plat and land ownership maps and other types of maps are described in United States Maps. Many maps are in published atlases. In the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog, atlases and maps are both listed under the heading "Maps."

The Auburn University Library Special Collections Department has an extensive collection of maps of Alabama. The Family History Library has a few historical maps and general highway maps.

Maps for 1800, 1808, 1809, 1812, 1815, 1818, 1820, 1823, 1825, 1830, 1832, 1840, 1850, 1870, and 1903 are included in Marilyn Davis Barefield’s Researching in Alabama: A Genealogical Guide. Easley, S.C.: Southern Historical Press, 1987. . This book has a chapter about records that can help you research in the "burned counties." The book includes information about valuable records collections in various libraries and archives.

Maps showing county boundaries, rivers, railroads, townships, roads, mountains, valleys, and other geographic features for Alabama for 1823, 1838, 1862, and 1960 and a map showing the Alabama area during the Revolutionary War period are in the following book:

Jackson, Richard C. Historical and Genealogical Atlas of North America. Provo, Utah: Gentech Press, 1974. . See pages 36 and 93.

United States Census Bureau State and County Map. This map will allow you to zoom in on any state or county in the United States and read the names of all of the neighboring counties.

Alabama County Formation Map At this website MapofUs uses Goldbug's AniMap Plus 3.0 to allow you to select a year and see the counties in existence at that time.

Two statewide atlases are:

Dodd, Donald B. Historical Atlas of Alabama. Tuscaloosa, Alabama: University of Alabama Press, 1974. . Included are maps that show the location of forts, Indian land cessions with their dates, and county boundaries from 1819 to 1972.

Alabama: Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1996. . This book has maps showing when and where each county changed boundaries.

In the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog, atlases and maps may be found under:


 * ALABAMA — MAPS
 * ALABAMA, [COUNTY] — MAPS
 * ALABAMA, [COUNTY], [TOWN] — MAPS

Web Sites

 * David Rumsey Map Collection is a large online collection of rare, old, antique historical atlases, globes, maps, charts plus other cartographic treasures.
 * Maps of Alabama (1799-1980) - County Boundary Maps, D.O.T Highway Maps and Old Atlases Maps
 * Alabama Historical Maps
 * Historical Map Archives
 * University of Texas Map Collection
 * Printable maps are also available from the National Atlas of the United States
 * Links to Alabama maps online