Maps are great for documenting the history of a community. They can show roads and boundaries, family homes and businesses, and even register a relative's final resting place. The Archives has over 500 historical and current local maps, plat books, and Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps available for research. Most of these maps have been cataloged and can be searched through our Local History Online Catalog.
Digitized Historic Maps
1858 Alexander Bowman Map of Urbana and West Urbana (22.2 MB)
1869 Birdseye View, Champaign (26.3 MB)
1884 Birdseye View, Champaign (12.6 MB)
Champaign County GIS Consortium Interactive Public Map - Can apply aerial imagery overlays for 1940, 1973, 1988, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2020.
City of Champaign Interactive Historic Map - Aerials and Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps. Aerial imagery for 1936, 1940, 1948, 1955, 1958, 1967, 1969, 1973, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, and 2014.
Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps - The University of Illinois' digital collection of Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps includes maps of Illinois towns located in Champaign County. Sanborn maps are great for documenting family homes and businesses and provide an unparalleled look at how the built environment evolved over time. Maps in this image collection pre-date 1923.