New Orleans Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

Mardi Gras:  Maps of New Orleans Available from Ball State University Libraries

Tuesday is Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), and celebrations have been happening in New Orleans over the last month leading up to the day.  The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) has a large collection of maps of New Orleans, Louisiana—both historic and modern.

The newest map in the collection (top map, click to enlarge) is called New Orleans from Space.  The map features satellite imagery from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and Lake Pontchartrain is clearly visible.

The New Orleans “popout” map (above) is a great resource for travelers.  The map folds up to pocket-size and includes maps of greater New Orleans, the French Quarter, downtown, and the Garden District.  A variety of these tourist type maps and street maps of New Orleans can be found in the GRMC.

The U.S. Geological Survey published a map (above) of the flooding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina hit the city in 2005.  Red on the map represents areas of the city with more than eleven feet of floodwaters.

Topographic maps from the U.S. Geological Survey (above) note elevation levels and reveal the locations of canals and levees between the river and the lake.  These maps have been useful in studying the history of the development of the city.

Maps from the GRMC circulate for two weeks or longer.  For more information, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.