State highway maps. I nonetheless contemplate them a must have, fairly than sole reliance on GPS. Name me quaint.. However unfolding a state highway map – that crinkling sound – and holding it in your fingers.. It’s greater than a sense of nostalgia from days passed by earlier than GPS. It’s nonetheless an excellent device whereas touring the highways and byways. Preparedness anybody?
(Newest maps linked under)
It’s an excellent thought to maintain state highway maps or a highway atlas of (at the very least) your house state and surrounding states the place it’s possible you’ll journey. Preserve them in your car as a backup on your GPS navigation system!
Planning to journey the freeway networks and lesser roads that traverse america? Properly, it’s possible you’ll want highway maps for these states.
Do you know that you could nonetheless get these folding state highway maps at some freeway relaxation areas or customer/welcome facilities (normally the primary one after you cross a state line on a serious interstate)?. They’re free – sponsored by state transportation and tourism bureaus.
At any time when I’ve pushed a highway journey past my very own space, I’ve made some extent of stopping at these ‘welcome facilities’ and gathering their highway maps.
( jump to all 50 state road atlas maps )
State Highway Maps / Highway Atlas Benefit
- A GPS navigation system isn’t actual useful for viewing “the large image”, so to talk. The display screen is small comparative to a map, or web page of a highway atlas.
- Maps could present a greater topography perspective.
- A state highway map or highway atlas could be considered wherever, and shortly – no energy supply required.
- GPS display screen ‘zoom out and in’ (buttons or finger-pinch) in contrast with detailed state highway maps or a highway atlas the place every web page exhibits a lot of data.
- It’s additionally good preparedness to have state highway maps and/or topographical maps, or an up-to-date highway atlas.
Certain, a GPS could be very handy for routing you from level A to level B. I do worth my car’s GPS, and comparable telephone apps. They will zoom in very properly to disclose detailed avenue views, site visitors, and naturally your current location. However there’s nothing fairly like visualizing with a state highway map or atlas that you could maintain in your hand and flip the pages.
State Highway Maps – Folding Paper Maps versus Highway Atlas
These free folding state maps are good navigation aids for touring the interstate / intrastate networks.
However when it’s essential to journey extra extensively, a business USA highway atlas is a handy alternative. I just like the spiral sure USA highway atlas for simple web page flipping.
You may also get a Highway Atlas for a given state. There’s far more detailed data than a folded paper map.
I preserve a number of state highway maps / state highway atlas maps in my truck. They cowl not solely my very own state, however the numerous states round me (and one for the whole USA). Theoretically I might journey wherever within the U.S. and not using a GPS, with out situation.
With all that stated, I do use, and admire, my very own car’s built-in GPS navigation unit. Nonetheless I’ve a private choice for studying high quality maps whereas getting a really feel for the terrain or area and its roads. I discover {that a} GPS unit and its comparatively small display screen measurement (in comparison with a highway atlas web page!) doesn’t present a big sufficient perspective. There’s nothing like opening a highway atlas (all of them have topographical perspective too) and viewing the lay of the land.
I’ve up to date the next record of all 50 state highway atlas maps (hyperlinks under). They’re the freshest primarily based on my analysis as of this publish date. Most are from DeLorme, some from Benchmark, and USA Atlas by Rand McNally.
Highway Atlas Maps (USA & State)
Finest USA Highway Atlas
I’ve traveled all throughout this nation, east to west and north to south. Previous to my first large journey, I needed to get the very best highway map of the USA. Properly, a map can be big. So, higher but, a highway atlas of the USA. After a little bit of analysis, I selected the next. That is their newest replace:
Rand McNally Large Scale Road Atlas USA
(view on amzn)
In search of the most recent folding / folded map equal? This can be the greatest highway map of USA:
Rand McNally Folded Map
(amzn)
Finest Highway Atlas For Every State
District of Columbia (Washington DC)
Additionally of curiosity, a e book referred to as Next Exit. Lists companies situated at USA Interstate exits nationwide. Fuel, meals, lodging. procuring and different services.