Spanning across the base game and 14 DLC expansion packs, Cities Skylines has 82 official maps. All with varying buildable land areas, temperaments, resources available, atmospheres, everything to make choosing the right map for your city a difficult decision with a learning curve.

You can get halfway through building your optimal version of Manhattan before finding out there isn’t near enough water to sustain 1.6 million tiny digital people. Or you’re designing Santa’s Workshop and oop, oil isn’t in abundance and Christmas is now ruined.

So to take the guesswork out of it all, here’s the top 15 Cities: Skylines maps.

15. Honu Island

A sweet little island to get your bearings.

Honu Island is a tropical map part of the Park Life DLC. With a low buildable area of only 45% and fertile land basically nothing, at first glance you would think that this map is a difficult challenge. That being said, what it does have certainly makes up for what it lacks.

The threshold for population milestones is much lower, the first being only 380. It also has the max of each transportation route to help utilize that small build area. Combined with stable temperatures, keeping the citizens you do have can be an easy task.

This map is perfect for:

• Low population control
• Transportation
• High water control
• Forestry industry

14. Crater Falls

A spindling cluster of rivers to navigate.

Crater Falls is a boreal map in the Sunset Harbor DLC. It also has a low buildable area coming in at only 46% and no shipping channels. So it’s seemingly giving a challenge.

What it does have, however, is average. A decent amount of resources available and the temperatures are all pretty standard. The population milestones are average as well, you need 420 to make it a Little Hamlet, but with highways and rails at your disposal you can be reaching that in months.

This map is perfect for:

• Aesthetic city builders
• Chill play time with a little Pep
• Beginners to utilizing the natural resources

13. Murky Coast

Try out a swampy campus for the DLC!

Murkey Coast is a boreal map part of the Campus DLC and has a buildable area of 71%. The atmospheric events are pretty mid, but its temperatures are all over the place! So electricity costs are going to skyrocket, but with only a 15% daytime rain you’ll be getting more citizens to use public amenities.

Oil and ore are low to find, but forestry and water sources are booming. As well as access to all transportation options. Combined with the average building area, you got a pretty good starting point to build a self-sufficient city.

This map is perfect for:

• Population focus
• Realism
• Varied landscapes
• Transportation

12. Marin Bay

This map is just begging for a Miami College campus.

Marin Bay is a temperate map part of the Campus DLC. Starts pretty strong with a 61% buildable area, average temperatures, and max traditional transportation routes of highways and airways.

Rails and trails are low, so reaching that Little Hamlet requirement of 300 might be annoying. But the high water and forestry resources really make those a moot point.

This map is perfect for:

• You’re not too particular about transportation
• Realistic waterfront town
• You want a population challenge

11. Twin Fjords

A great setup to start building Santa's Workshop.

Twin Fjords is a boreal map that came with the Industries DLC. It was also modeled after Scandinavian countries and as such, it’s the ideal map to test out the expansion. The buildable area isn’t ideal at only 69% and the lowest population requirement is 440. Plus if you’re looking to create expanse fields, you’re out of luck.

But it makes up with flourishing high oil and ore levels, along with a high chance of Northern Lights! The temperatures are on the low end of average and highways are scarce, so keeping your citizens happy will be a balancing game.

This map is perfect for:

• Industry empires
• Population challenge
• Aesthetic

10. Wyvern Pass

An interesting landscape to try out different layouts.

Wyvern Pass is a tropical map part of the Financial Districts DLC. So already you’re expecting a wayward play time, especially when you take in the 66% buildable area matched with a 380 Little Hamlet.

Combine that with the average across the board transportation numbers and resource levels, it may seem like Wyvern Pass is an easy start. So what may come across as the ideal AFK map actually becomes a Flying Graysons balancing act.

This map is perfect for:

• Finding your playtype niche
• Temperament challenge
• Natural resources maining

9. Prussian Peaks

An almost post-apocalyptic scenario.

Prussian Peaks is a boreal map from the Natural Disasters DLC. As the focus point for the expansion, Prussian Peaks throws every obstacle at you right off the bat: the second lowest buildable area of 52% and nearly depleted levels of three resources, being fertile land, oil, and ore.

Despite the rivers taking up most of the map, there aren’t any shipping channels, but you do get max airways and a low Little Hamlet threshold! All designed to get people in and set off those natural disasters. Which this DLC expedited with an even higher probability of tornadoes. Not liking those airways now, huh?

This map is perfect for:

• Challenges galore
• Prime for the Natural Disasters DLC
• Reliability on forestry and water
• Easy population control

8. Cliffside Bay

If terraforming isn't for you and you prefer natural beauty, this map is wonders!

Cliffside Bay isn’t part of any expansion, a european map that comes with the original game. And as such, is a good starting point for learning the game. It only has a 53% buildable area and an average amount of transportation routes, but when you first boot up Cities: Skylines you barely understand the significance of those.

Truly, you can just build whatever you want and figure it out as you go. High water resources so you don’t mess up too quickly and just enough forestry and ore to help find your footing. Temperament is normal, so you don’t have to think too deeply about utilizing public works: just throw down a bouncy castle every now and again to keep citizens happy.

This map is perfect for:

• Beginners
• Easy population control
• “How do I play this game again??? Aka, I skipped the tutorial” 101

7. Noyou Port

It looks as tempting as it is difficult.

Noyou Port is one of the easier maps, but somehow also the easiest to mess up. A boreal map part of the Airports DLC, it has max airways and high highway routes to cover the 80% buildable area. But public transport is a disaster.

Especially with forestry as its only real high resource. Juggling management temperament and high population thresholds, it really comes down to focusing on everything to achieve that big Game Over in a game where one wasn’t even programmed in.

This map is perfect for:

• You’re looking for an easy challenge, just a step up
• Determination to not go bankrupt
• But no too determined

6. Seven Lakes

Each lake for a new district of wonders to enjoy with the DLC.

Seven Lakes is in the Mass Transit DLC, the sole boreal map. This is Designed to make you learn the new toys the expansion brings. All main transportation routes are at an all time low, so if you’re wanting to improve it at all, you’re going to need to utilize the new ferries, monorails, cable cars, and blimps.

To help/infuriate you even further, all resources except forestry and water are basically non-existent. But the buildable area is one of the highest at 81%, so bring on the onslaught of new age public transport!

This map is perfect for:

• Transportation variety
• High population not a concern
• More building than “wasted space”

5.  Shady Strands

An island/ peninsula combo to test your knowledge of the game.

Shady Strands is a real give and take map, temperate part of the base game. So a good starting point for experienced players. You got all your transportation options and higher forestry and water than most base maps.

What you also get is a low buildable area of 57% and one of the higher Little Hamlet thresholds of 440. Temperatures can get high, so while you’re getting more people in, they’re gonna talk so you better keep them happy as the heat rolls in.

This map is perfect for:

• Starters and experienced players
• Jumping players who don’t stick to one plan for success
• Temperature challenges are child’s play to you

4. Mountain Taper

A map with every kind of regional temperment.

Unsurprisingly, in a game where map choice is such a big dealbreaker, introducing a map DLC was soon due. Mountain Taper is a temperate map in such expansion and keeps you from being landlocked too severely with a higher shipping channel than other transportations.

Average resource levels to keep your city alive with you work towards that high population of 480. Which shouldn't be too hard to reach if you zone most of the 78% area with residential.

This map is perfect for:

• Aesthetic
• Higher focus on good water lines
• You forget the temperature feature is even there

3. Coastal Flatlands

Beachfront property incoming!

If you’ve been missing building a beachfront paradise in Cities:Skylines, do I have the map for you. Coastal Flatlands is exactly that: a temperate map that came with the Hotels & Retreats DLC. Buildable area is only 57%, but when most of the rest is prime ocean view property, who can complain?

Boost your city’s revenue with a beachy vacation escape. With the highest water resource level and decent for the rest, you’ve basically got a money making machine in the form of a tourist trap.

This map is perfect for:

• Hotel & resort mini expansion
• Aesthetic
• Lucrative schemes

2. Maze Valley

A simple map with a beautiful landscape to let the creativity flow.

In the same expansion, is Maze Valley: a european map with similar resources (minus the exorbitant water supply) but with a higher buildable area of 74%. However, instead of a beach resort, you can expand into the mountains!

Higher terrains means more airways than shipping channels, and wind will be a nightmare unless you take advantage of that perfect temperature and high ore and oil. Keep digging away and you just might have a mountain getaway on your hands.

This map is perfect for:

• Taking on the skies for transportation, including blimps
• Playing around with differing terrain levels
• Industrial opportunities all across the map

1.Eden Valley

Research across the board and several forums all agreed on the Number 1 best.

We’re going green for top spot with Eden Valley: a temperate map featured in the green cities expansion. With such an interesting landscape of every kind of terrain possible in the game, it’s the perfect testing ground for the DLC and all its new assets.

79% of a buildable area and all the resources and transportation routes accessible. Eden Valley is widely regarded as one of, if not THE, best map in Cities: Skylines.

This map is perfect for:

• A greener city
• Terrain testing
• Make use of every base objective

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