Old Map of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii by USGS, 1959 – Hualalai Volcano & Kona Coast

Published in 1961 from survey data gathered in 1959, the US Geological Survey’s “Kailua” captures the Kona coast of Hawaiʻi Island at a revealing mid-century moment. Centered on Kailua-Kona, the map records a landscape poised between ancient volcanic form, historic Hawaiian settlement, and the beginnings of modern resort-era development. At 1:24,000 scale, it offers an intimate reading of shoreline, roadways, settlements, and elevation, making the town of Kailua legible not merely as a coastal community, but as a place shaped by lava, ocean, and long human occupation. The original title’s simplicity—“Kailua”—belies the richness of the terrain shown: a precise topographical portrait of one of Hawaiʻi’s most culturally resonant and visually dramatic coastal districts.

The map’s most striking language is its contour work, which translates the volcanic slopes above Kailua-Kona into a disciplined pattern of elevation and descent. The land rises inland toward Hualālai, the great volcanic presence that dominates this part of the island, while the coastline bends around bays, lava flows, and historic landing places. Greens and browns distinguish terrain and land cover, giving the sheet both scientific clarity and visual warmth. Places such as Puʻu Waʻawaʻa and Kaohe evoke the upland volcanic country, while the Kona Coast below is rendered through roads, shorelines, and settlement marks. The result is a map that makes visible the intimate relationship between geology and habitation in western Hawaiʻi.

Kailua-Kona itself appears at the heart of the sheet, a place already famed for its sheltered waters, royal associations, and surrounding coffee lands. Kamakahonu, near the waterfront, recalls the political and cultural importance of this coast, including its association with Kamehameha I in the final years of his life. To the south, Napoʻopoʻo and Kealakekua Bay bring another layer of history, from traditional Hawaiian life to the dramatic encounters of the late eighteenth century. The map situates these names within their physical setting: steepening slopes, coastal flats, and the textured margins of volcanic terrain. It is this union of place-name and landform that gives the map its enduring historical power.

As a US Geological Survey production, the map reflects the agency’s rigorous mid-twentieth-century approach to mapping the American landscape, including newly statehood-era Hawaiʻi. Created just after Hawaiʻi entered the Union in 1959, it belongs to a pivotal cartographic moment: the islands were being documented with federal precision at the same time their infrastructure, population, and economy were beginning to change rapidly. Roads such as Kaiminani Drive and the developing pattern of Kailua-Kona’s inland and coastal access hint at a region on the verge of transformation. Later landmarks and protected landscapes, including the area now associated with Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, give modern viewers a compelling point of comparison.

The historical value of this “Kailua” map lies in its ability to preserve a Kona landscape before decades of urban expansion, tourism growth, and environmental alteration reshaped the coast. The contours remain a reminder that every road, village, bay, and boundary here rests upon lava-built ground, descending from Hualālai to the Pacific in carefully measured intervals. For collectors, historians, and admirers of Hawaiʻi, the map offers far more than geographic information: it is a finely composed record of a beloved coastal region at a specific moment in time. Its beauty lies in the harmony of scientific notation and island landscape, where every line contributes to a deeper understanding of Kailua-Kona’s enduring character.

Cities, towns and places on this map

• Kailua-Kona
• Kailua
• Hualalai
• Puu Waawaa
• Napoopoo
• Kona Coast
• Kealakekua Bay
• Keopuolani Park
• Kaohe
• Kamakahonu
• Kaiminani Drive
• Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park

Historical context & cartographic details

• Historical 1:24,000 topographical map of the Kailua-Kona area in Hawaii
• Based on survey data from 1959 and published in 1961
• Produced by the US Geological Survey
• Includes contour lines showing elevations, depressions, and the volcanic character of the landscape
• Uses color coding, including vibrant greens and browns, to distinguish terrain and land cover types
• Includes notations for landmarks and other geographical features
• Valuable as a historical reference because the region has since experienced urban expansion, development, and environmental change

Looking for a particular place? Review the detailed images to confirm that the town, landmark or feature you have in mind appears on the map. If you are unsure, ask our workshop to check before you order.

Detailed maps are especially rewarding at larger sizes, where names, boundaries and decorative features have more room to be appreciated. Use the close-up preview and size guide to choose the right scale for your wall.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 50in (125cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

The model in the listing images is holding the 16x16in (40x40cm) version of this map.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, mark one meaningful place, or request one considered visual detail. See personalised map examples.

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With its rich detail and strong sense of place, this map makes a considered gift for a new home, anniversary, retirement or anyone with a personal connection to the area shown. Still deciding? Explore our collection of rare old and vintage maps to discover another place, period or style.