Delaware Maps

Delaware Wiki Topics

Beginning Research

Guided Research Research Strategies Record Finder

Record Types

Adoption Bible Records Biography Cemeteries Census Church Records Colonial Records Correctional Institutions Court Records Crime & Punishment Directories Emigration & Immigration Genealogies Land & Property Military Records Naturalization & Citizenship Newspapers Obituaries Occupation & Business Records Online Collections Periodicals Probate Records Taxation Vital Records Voter Records

Delaware Background

Biography Further Reading Gazetteers History Maps Migration

Cultural Groups

African Americans Indigenous Peoples Cultural Groups Swedish American

Local Research Resources

Archives & Libraries Societies Find a FamilySearch center

United States

U.S. Maps

Delaware

Maps

To learn more about maps in general, go to the Maps Record Page.

Online Resources

• David Rumsey Historical Maps Collection
• Old Maps Online Collection
• Library of Congress Maps Collection
• Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library
• Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection
• Archive.org
• Harvard University Scanned Maps
• UWM American Geographical Society Library Digital Map Collection
• University of California Berkeley Library
• Maps of Delaware from MapofUS.org. Includes boundary changes map.
• Newberry Library Atlas of Historical County Boundaries
  
  

Tips for Using Maps

Maps must be used carefully for several reasons: 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.

• There are often several places with the same name. You may want to use a Gazetteer to help you.
  
• The spelling and even names of some towns may have changed since your ancestor lived there.
  
• Boundaries changed over time. Use historical maps to understand boundary changes.
  

For more tips and information on using maps, go to the general Maps Record Page.

Types of Maps

Different types of maps help you in different ways, for example:

• Historical atlases describe the growth and development of countries, showing boundaries, migration routes, settlement patterns, military campaigns, and other historical information.
  
• Road atlases are useful because of the detail they provide.
  
• Other types of maps include: parish maps, state maps, tourist maps, topographical maps, and air navigation maps. City maps are extremely helpful when researching in large cities.
  

To learn more about different types of maps, go to the general Maps Record Page.

Historical Maps Collections

Historical map collections are helpful because they can show you the geography of your ancestor's residence at or around the time they lived there. The following collections are helpful:

The most extensive collections of Delaware maps are at the University of Delaware Library, the Historical Society of Delaware, and at the Wilmington Institute Free Library.

FamilySearch Library

A valuable atlas that shows names of landowners is:

Beers, Daniel G. Atlas of the State of Delaware. . . Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Pomeroy and Beers, 1868. (FamilySearch Library fiche 6332689.)

There are United States atlases for the following years with excellent Delaware maps: 1790, 1810, 1823, 1838, 1862, 1878, 1884, and 1917 (FamilySearch Library film 002083.)

The best atlas for showing changes in county formation and boundary disputes is by the:

• Newberry Library. Historical Atlas and Chronology of County Boundaries, 1788-1980. Volume 1. John H. Long, ed. Boston, Massachusetts: G.K. Hall & Company, 1984. (FamilySearch Library Ref book 973 E7hL v. 1; fiche 6051426; 3 fiche.)

National Map Collections

Printable maps are also available from the National Atlas of the United States -- https://nationalmap.gov/small_scale/printable.html

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.