At the United States Census Bureau virtually all census data are geographically referenced. As a result providing maps for conducting censuses and surveys and for disseminating the results is one of the major functions of the Census Bureau. This paper will detail the history of cartographic developments at the Census Bureau as well as examine where the Bureau may be heading in the coming years. Beginning in 1854, the Census Bureau began its illustrious career in cartography. Through the 19th, 20th, and into the 21st century, mapmaking at the Census Bureau has taken on different forms. As technology has evolved so has the cartographic response. From the innovative statistical atlases of the late 1800’s to the present, the quality and effectiveness of census cartography has grown. Having a rich national spatial data source in the TIGER file for the 1990, 2000, and 2010 censuses allowed the Census Bureau to leap into new and varied cartographic products to meet specific operational needs. Through time, the concept of a map has changed from a graphic representation of features presented in familiar paper format to maps that exist but are only viewed in a virtual state. More importantly, recent technology offers new opportunities for cartography such as viewing maps on mobile computing devices and increased precision of map data through global positioning systems (GPS) and improved remote sensing capabilities. In the past, even with automated mapping techniques, the final product was a paper map in the hands of the user. One of the challenges for census cartographers concerns a change from a “real” mapping operation to a “virtual” mapping environment. Where will U.S. census cartography be in 2020?