What Is an Atlas Grid?

An atlas grid is common on maps, guides and other products meant for the public because of its ease of use.

An atlas grid, also known as an alphanumeric grid, is a coordinate system which uses letters and numbers to reference grid cells on a map to help locate key points of interest.

Benefits

Both letters and numbers are used to identify grid cells within an atlas grid. This eliminates any confusion as to which direction the numbers refer to as can be the case in numeric coordinate systems.

Considerations

Atlas grids generally use letters listed at the top of the map to label the columns and numbers on the left side of the map to label the rows. An individual grid cell is labeled by putting a letter and number together (ex. A7) according to which column and row it is formed by.

Significance

This coordinate system has a variety of uses and it is likely you have seen it before. It is found on atlases, as the name suggests, but it is also commonly used for road maps; tourist and campus maps to find buildings, parks and other special locations of interest; the United States National Grid; and the popular board game Battleship.

References

• "The Free Dictionary": Atlas Grid
• "Federal Geographic Data Committee": How to Read a United States National Grid (USNG) Spatial Address
• "Arizona Geographic Alliance": Using Alphanumeric Grids to Locate Places

Resources

• "Atlas and Mapping Skills"; Debra Owens; 2007