Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps

Originally designed for fire insurance assessment, these large-scale, color-coded maps of U.S. cities and towns show the location, footprint, and use of buildings, as well as the materials employed in their construction. The maps also indicate which city utilities - such as water and fire service - were available. 

Each city or town is mapped on one or more sheets that include the downtown region, some housing areas, and local mills. Each set includes an index sheet. Outlying mill sites and small populated centers in the country near a town are sometimes included as insets. 

Georgia Cities and Towns 

The Map and Government Information Library holds Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for Georgia cities and towns published from 1880 - 1985 in both print and microfilm formats, as well as select digital copies. Print maps published after 1935 were released as updates that were pasted onto earlier versions.  

Our complete holdings may be found by searching the UGA Libraries' catalog using the keywords “Sanborn map” and the city or town of interest. Online access to the Sanborn® Fire Insurance Maps for Georgia Towns and Cities from 1884-1925 and select towns and cities from 1926-1941 is available through the Digital Library of Georgia. These maps are digitized versions of the Map and Government Information Library's Sanborn holdings. 

All of the print Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps are housed in closed stacks; please contact us for assistance. 

Locations Outside of Georgia 

The Map and Government Information Library does not own Sanborn Maps for cities and towns outside of Georgia. However, partial maps of cities and towns in Alabama and South Carolina are sometimes included on the maps of neighboring Georgia cities.  

The Library of Congress Geography and Map Division has digitized many Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps and makes them available for download. The site also includes an online checklist, map keys and other Sanborn-related resources. 

The Center for Research Libraries holds the complete microfilm set for all 50 states and the District of Columbia which includes approximately 10,000 cities and towns. Per CRL, "scholars and researchers from CRL member institutions have free and unlimited use of the CRL collections through interlibrary loan. The loan period is unlimited but is subject to possible recall notice. Readers from institutions outside the membership can use the collections for a pre-paid fee and subject to certain restrictions." For further information please visit Borrowing from CRL.