1955 Seattle Civil Defense Map of Seattle Nuclear Evacuation Routes

This is a 1955 Seattle and King County Civil Defense nuclear evacuation map of Seattle, Washington. Published the same year as the first Soviet fusion (thermonuclear) bomb test, this piece underscores American fears of nuclear annihilation from coast to coast.

A Closer Look

Evacuation routes from central Seattle appear in red and are labeled with triangles. Each is assigned a number and letter (N for North, S for South), with some routes overlapping. A semicircle with a 13-mile radius is marked from central Seattle just east of Elliott Bay and includes Kirkland, Renton, Bellevue, and Normandy Park, among other communities. Per the summary in the upper right, everyone's goal should be to get as far beyond this circle as possible. Red dots near the end of the evacuation routes represent reception areas.

Instructions and Information

The verso provides more information for Seattle residents. Text states that students at schools would be evacuated as a group under the supervision of their teachers and taken to a designated reception area. The rest of the text states that a Hydrogen Bomb attack on the city is possible and that anyone within the 13-mile bomb radius should try to get out if possible. Every mode of transportation is listed, including trains and boats for those without cars. They even state that walking out could be a last resort option for those without access to any form of transportation with the possibility that someone with an empty seat would pick them up. It lists supplies everyone should have ready and suggests pre-planning a shelter from fall out, with the worst-case scenario being to dig a foxhole. The printed address and postage paid by the city government suggests that these maps were mailed to everyone in Seattle and likely the surrounding area.

Publication History and Census

This map was created and published by the Seattle and King County Civil Defense Departments in 1955. We note three examples cataloged in OCLC: University of Kentucky, the Newberry Library, and the University of Washington. An example is also part of the collection at the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle. It has appeared on the private market a few times in recent years.