Are you heading to your own backyard or planning a long road trip across the United States? If you’re old school and would prefer a physical map over relying on your phone (and let’s face it, data will be patchy in large parts of the United States), this is the article for you. You’ll find resources for fun and interesting maps of the United States, as well as which maps and atlases we recommend buying for a trip around the country.
Resources for maps of the United States
Maps of US cities – City data contains thousands of US city maps with local resident statistics, user submitted data, similar city lists, top 100 city summary (sorted by criteria, like most women, among others) and weather forecasts.
Eisenhower Interstate System – Here you will find details about the 65,000 miles of US international highways and the story behind the nation’s highway infrastructure, which was initially developed for military use.
National Highway System: Not to be confused with the Eisenhower Interstate System, the NHS focuses on connecting transportation modules: major highways and two-lane highways with train stations, bus and ferry terminals, airports, and more.
US Topographic Maps: Topographic maps of the United States. Here you will find Delorme Gazetteers, National Geographic Trail Topo Maps, and USGS Topographic Maps for travel in the interior of the country. Essential if you want to get off the beaten track!
Maps full of useful information
The Weather Channel weather maps are useful for planning the day ahead. On the site, you’ll find tons of weather forecasts for each scenario: travel forecasts, a driving forecast, an interstate forecast, rush hour information, event forecast, storm watch, and more. It’s definitely worth taking a detailed look at the weather maps here, especially if there’s an activity that you really want to coincide with on a sunny day.
US Time Zones Map : Are you planning a trip and want to check if you will cross any time zone? World Time Zone has a map of the United States to show you what time is where.
Buy US maps and travel guides.
Lonely Planet’s Road Trip Route 66 (2015): Ah, the world-famous Route 66 is a road worth the drive, if only to soak up the history and marvel at the roadside attractions. Lonely Planet’s guide to the route is one of the best.
America’s Most Scenic Drives (2012): The best part of a road trip is stopping to admire the beauty of the country you are traveling through, so why not base your trip on the most beautiful trips in the USA? ?
The New Roadside America: Okay, this was published in 1992 so it’s far from up to date, but it’s definitely worth reading if you’re planning a crazy trip around the United States. Filled with fun stops and American oddities, you’ll just need a quick google to find out if the attractions are still standing (they most likely are).
Buy United States road atlas
When it comes to road atlases of the United States, there is a lot to choose from. These are some of the best classifieds you can buy:
Rand McNally USA 2017 Large Scale Road Atlas: Rand McNally is the ultimate in road atlas – if you’re looking for a road atlas of the United States, you can’t go wrong with this.
Rand McNally US / Canada / Mexico Basic Road Atlas – If you’re planning to go further, this road atlas covering the US, Canada and Mexico is the one for you.
Michelin North America Road Map Atlas 2017 – An alternative road atlas for North America is this one from Michelin. With GPS coordinates of anywhere you might want to go, this is perfect for us with a GPS or your phone.
Buy maps of the US UU. For decorative purposes
Let’s face it: maps really do look super cool, and what better way to show your appreciation for a place than to hang a map on the wall? Here are some great options for your room:
Classic United States Map (National Geographic Reference Map) – This is one of my favorite maps of the United States, from National Geographic. It’s super detailed, super large (6x4ft), and super beautiful! It would be great to buy some colored pins to mark the place you have visited in the country so far.
United States Explorer Wall Map – Laminated (US Map) (National Geographic Reference Map): Another beautiful National Geographic option, it is similar to the above but has colored states to view them a little more easily.
Rand McNally America Classic Wall Map: Rand McNally offers a wall map in addition to their atlases, and I love the colors they have chosen to use for the states in this one.
This article was edited by Lauren Juliff.
