BS: continental US - mapped by roads only

Subject: BS: continental US - mapped by roads only
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 27 Apr 13 - 09:00 PM

This is an awesome visual, one of those things made possible by public databases: the continental U.S., mapped by roads only (hi-res image).

io9 gives some background:

The map (which you must – MUST – check out in its full 10,000x6,000 hi-resolution glory) was created by redditor thechao some months back, but was recently resubmitted by one jason-samfield, after a similar road-only map of Oregon made some laps around the internet earlier this month. According to thechao, the map is based on the 2010 Tiger Dataset – a package of road data compiled by the U.S. Census Bereau:

It includes a large number of "products" (all free, all in the public domain), including very high resolution GIS data of roads, political boundaries, school boundaries, etc.

The data I rendered is the county road data (called "all streets" or "all roads"). I basically created a huge picture, then had a program draw a line where the Tiger data said each road is. Downloading, manipulating, and rendering the data is nontrivial.

I love maps. This one is fascinating: it intrigues me that some state boundaries are visible.

~ Becky in Long Beach

Subject: RE: BS: continental US - mapped by roads only
From: Ebbie
Date: 27 Apr 13 - 09:20 PM

And, of course, it doesn't include Alaska. It bemuses me how often the 'lower 48' are referred to as the 'continental' USA. Alaska is on the same continent as 48 other states; they really mean 'contiguous'.

There are a lot of online businesses that "don't ship to Alaska or Hawaii."

grumble, grumble

Subject: RE: BS: continental US - mapped by roads only
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 28 Apr 13 - 12:06 AM

Ebbie, here in Australia Tasmanians get the same dead: everyone (here) knows what Australia looks like - a gi-normous Island continent with a big island below.

Generations of Australian kids learnt to draw Australia using
this map

Of course, they could use this set, but ...

Subject: RE: BS: continental US - mapped by roads only
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 28 Apr 13 - 02:28 AM

oops, sorry Ebbie, I was trying to be sure to make it clear that they weren't covering the entire U.S.; picked the wrong term. (As an Alaskaphile, I should know better.)

"the 48 contiguous states" wouldn't have fit the subject line, though...

~ Becky in Long Beach

Subject: RE: BS: continental US - mapped by roads only
From: Ebbie
Date: 28 Apr 13 - 03:01 AM

Quite all right, Becky. Lots of people do that. :)

I didn't realize that Tasmania had the same problem. Kind of out of sight, out of mind.

Hawaii has it even worse than Alaska- at least, Alaska is often mentioned as the source of the bad weather the rest of the nation experiences- Hawaii doesn't even have that. :)

Subject: RE: BS: continental US - mapped by roads only
From: Ebbie
Date: 28 Apr 13 - 03:03 AM

Meant to mention that it might have been interesting to include Alaska in the map- then people would realize how very few roads we have. Which is why Alaska has something like 40 times more small airplanes than the other states.

Subject: RE: BS: continental US - mapped by roads only
From: Megan L
Date: 28 Apr 13 - 03:37 AM

Yup Ebbie I sympathise I sometimes wonder why Orkney and Shetland bother paying UK taxes since we aparently do not exist acording to all those companies that advertise UK free delivery

Subject: RE: BS: continental US - mapped by roads only
From: Bill D
Date: 28 Apr 13 - 09:59 AM

Sorta makes me wish my father had been a paving contractor.

It is amazing to see as a totality, but I really like Google Earth where I can see where all those roads go.... and 'drive' down most of them.

Subject: RE: BS: continental US - mapped by roads only
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 28 Apr 13 - 01:33 PM

The map shows road distribution and density (mirroring population centers) but other than that, it has no purpose. Moreover, the class of road is not indicated.

There are good state maps, showing major features and roads, and Google Earth can be fun.

Subject: RE: BS: continental US - mapped by roads only
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Apr 13 - 02:04 PM

At least there is the excuse that the two missing states are non-contiguous. Also Tasmania has water separating it from Australia.
The European Union managed to leave Wales off a map of Europe on the cover of a publication, despite Wales having land borders with England!

Here

Never mind, we're used to it. We are not even represented on the UK flag, but that may change if Scotland vote to leave the Union, and the flag has to be re-designed!

Cheers

Nigel

Subject: RE: BS: continental US - mapped by roads only
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 28 Apr 13 - 06:49 PM

Nigel, there is definitely no reason to leave off Wales.

If a drawing program was simplifying the shape, it could easily leave off a bay or headland, but leaving off a big bump that is a whole country ... !!!

sandra (shaking head in amazement)

Subject: RE: BS: continental US - mapped by roads only
From: Ebbie
Date: 28 Apr 13 - 10:20 PM

Adding to the clamor: Alaska is most frequently displayed in the curve of the continent in the Pacific Ocean right off the California coast. If Puerto Rico ever becomes a state map makers no doubt will tuck it into the Gulf of Mexico.

Subject: RE: BS: continental US - mapped by roads only
From: GUEST,Mark
Date: 29 Apr 13 - 05:14 PM

Back in the 1960's (and probably earlier), some Canadian services (usually bank related) which were assumed to be free country-wide had in their fine print "far northern points excepted". I'm not sure how far north "far northern points" began. :-)

Do a Google search for "far northern points excepted", and you will find links to ads in old Canadian newspapers.