Category Archives: Maps

Jul 26

I drive a lonly road

Rand McNally’s 2013 road atlas misspells “Loneliest Road,” omitting the first E, when attaching that designation to US 50 in Nevada. I’d say it should be corrected for next year…but the 2014 atlas is already out, which needless to say … Continue reading

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Jul 12

Google Maps breaks things that didn’t need fixed, leaves broken stuff that needed fixing

Why do the highway lines on Google Maps now look more like Yahoo? Why are pre-2003 and even pre-1980 highway designations showing up everywhere? Why are there IA 57 markers running along the Butler-Grundy county line? Why are various other … Continue reading

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Jul 12

We’ve secretly replaced New Hampshire with New Vermont

This week it was NBC’s turn in the HOW DO I GEOGRAPHY Hall of Shame, mislabeling a map related to the train crash in Quebec. It spent part of Tuesday night apologizing to the Granite State. The Concord Monitor has … Continue reading

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Jul 02

South Sioux City Bluejays

We interrupt the Lincoln Highway photo series for ESPN’s HOW DO I GEOGRAPHY. Deadspin, yes, but just look at the images. Memphis is in Dyersburg, Georgetown is in Delaware, and UConn is in Massachusetts!

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Jun 03

Map exhibit at Figge Art Museum

I took advantage of one of the few days that didn’t have much rain in it to go to Davenport and see the exhibit “Marking Territory: Cartographic Treasures of the Mississippi River and the World Beyond.” It’s around for two more … Continue reading

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May 31

Google Maps, what have you done?

Over the last couple of years, Google Maps has steadily been encountering feature creep and some decreases in quality. Yesterday, things took another turn for the worse. The point size of all route markers has been decreased. It’s much more … Continue reading

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May 30

Census redefines metro areas

At the end of February, the census put out new lists of metro areas based on the 2010 census. The metropolitan (>50,000) and micropolitan (>10,000) areas are drawn up based on “a high degree of social and economic integration with … Continue reading

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May 29

Huebinger 1912 Auto Trail Guides and old county atlases

I may be a teensy bit excited about discovering this resource. Notice that one is called the Transcontinental Route because the Lincoln Highway wouldn’t be born until the next year and wouldn’t be recognized in Iowa until 1915. Full county … Continue reading

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May 28

Quest for 100

The 2012 city estimates by the Census Bureau show that Des Moines, with a population around 206,000, is the 104th largest city in the nation. It trails Birmingham by about 5,500. Wouldn’t it be nice to be in the top … Continue reading

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May 24

Iowa highway map press release

Just in time for Memorial Day weekend, although two months behind the normal schedule. Kendallville is an unincorporated place on IA 139 five miles from the Minnesota border, BTW.

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