How to Read a U.S. Road Atlas

While Internet sites such as MapQuest have made it easy to find and print maps and obtain driving directions, not everyone has ready access to the Internet. Even with printed driving directions, being able to read a road atlas lets you figure out an alternate route if your primary route is blocked, as well as plan side trips, determine mileage, and look up the locations of cities and counties.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Finding Cities and Counties

1. Go to the index in the back of the atlas.

2. Look up the state the city or county is in.

3. Get the letter-number coordinates for the city or county you are trying to find.

4. Turn to the map of the state in which the city or county is located. You will see a list of letters running along the left side of the map and a list of numbers running along the bottom.

5. Place your left index finger on the letter coordinate and your right index finger on the number coordinate.

6. Move your fingers inward. You will find the city or county when they converge.

Using the Mileage Chart

7. If both cities are in the same state, go to the map of that state and look for the state mileage chart. If the cities are in different states, go to the master mileage chart for the United States.

8. Find the city you are traveling from in the left column and the city you are traveling to along the top. Place your left index finger on the city in the left column and your right index finger on the city at the top.

9. Move your fingers inward until they converge. The number you see is the distance between the two cities in miles.

Determining Mileage on the Map

10. Find the starting city on the map.

11. Follow the highway leading away from the starting city toward the first town out. You will see a small black number near the highway displaying the mileage between the two towns.

12. Go to the next city. Add the number for the mileage between these two cities to the first number.

13. Repeat Step 3 until you reach your destination.

Tips & Warnings

• You can speed this process by looking for small red arrows marking major highway intersections. The distances between these markers are displayed with red numerals.
• If there are no mileage numbers, find the distance by measuring the distance on the map in inches with a ruler and then multiplying by the number of miles an inch is equal to on the map.
• Consult the legend for an explanation of highway types, interchanges, route markers, population and points of interest.
• Do not try to read a map while driving. If you get lost, pull over, stop the car and then determine your location and how to get where you're going.

Resources

• Get a road atlas or online directions from Rand McNally.
• Get online directions from MapQuest.