United States Historical Geography

Internet Maps
Free interactive maps for 36 states—highlighting county creations and boundary changes year-by-year—are online at MapofUS.org, along with census maps, road maps, and maps from prior centuries.

Boundary and Name Changes
Because counties were often divided and their names and boundaries changed, you may need to determine previous boundaries and jurisdictions to locate your ancestors' records. A county history is the best source of information about a county's origin. Other sources that can help you determine the origin of a county are:


 * Kane, Joseph Nathan. The American Counties: Origins of Names, Dates of Creation and Organization, Area, Population, Historical Data, and Published Sources. Fourth Edition. Metuchen, New Jersey: Scarecrow Press, 1983. (Family History Library book 1983.)


 * The Handy Book for Genealogists. Eighth Edition. Logan, Utah: Everton Publishers, 1991. (Family History Library book .)

Other sources about boundary changes are found in the Place Search of the FamilySearch Catalog under UNITED STATES - HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY. The historical atlases described in United States Maps contain maps depicting county formations, migration and settlement patterns, military actions, ethnic distribution, religious trends, and population trends.

Vintage Aerials

 * Vintage Aerial photos and stories of rural areas and small townships spanning the second half of the 20th Century]
 * Historical Aerials of the United States