A map of places in the United States where there are no roads

[cpzilliacus]

Washington Post: A map of places in the United States where there are no roads

[algorerhythms]

It looks pretty much an inverse population density map.

[Zeffy]

I expected New Jersey to be more yellow, considering we're the densest state in terms of population, and you're in a new town every 5 miles or so (exceptions apply).

[Scott5114]

That map's scale is seriously jacked up. What is that, logarithmic? And although I normally advocate use of km, in this case, they're useless, because I would imagine a wide swath of the US has values of 0.5 mi (the center of a mile-road square), but that works out to 0.8 km, which is hard to pick out on the scale.

[sammi]

"I love that this map is measured is something we don't measure roads in the US with." - /u/Johnhaven from reddit
("Except for I-19. Fuck yeah." - /u/ModusPwnins)

Why is this map in km, anyway? It says the resolution is 30 m, but I'm assuming that's actually 30.48 m (100 ft).

[Duke87]

That's a log scale, yes.

It is interesting how this map does not produce a pronounced and obvious dividing line between east and west the same way a population density map does. What this tells us is that you can still have a lot of roads without a lot of people (just look at Wyoming).

Although I do wonder how they define "road". Do ATV trails count? What about unpaved roads which are in rough enough condition as to only passable to vehicles with high ground clearance?

[SD Mapman]

Although I do wonder how they define "road". Do ATV trails count? What about unpaved roads which are in rough enough condition as to only passable to vehicles with high ground clearance?

That explains Wyoming, then.

[triplemultiplex]

Although I do wonder how they define "road". Do ATV trails count? What about unpaved roads which are in rough enough condition as to only passable to vehicles with high ground clearance?

Sure, those are roads.  They're not good roads, but they count.

[sammi]

That explains Wyoming, then.

(Fun fact: I accidentally zoomed in on Colorado the first time. )

[oscar]

It looks pretty much an inverse population density map.

It seems like most of the areas in green (lowest road density) are mountainous areas, or the hillier desert regions, where even bad roads are hard to build or otherwise unlikely.  One of them in Nevada, probably in the latter category, looks like the nuclear test site northwest of Las Vegas.  Not one of them is Death Valley, which has a very low population density but is criss-crossed with many bad (and sometimes deadly) unpaved roads.

[Road Hog]

South Florida is pretty striking, where you have dark green (the Everglades) right next to the bright yellow.

[jakeroot]

I am not familiar with the eastern US, but I wouldn't have expected Appalachia to be that...dense? Road-filled? More roads than I would have thought.

[golden eagle]

What about Alaska?

[formulanone]

South Florida is pretty striking, where you have dark green (the Everglades) right next to the bright yellow.

One moment you're deep in a vast grid system designed for six million people...thirty minutes later, you can be 25 miles from any through roads other than the one you're presently on.

[xcellntbuy]

South Florida is pretty striking, where you have dark green (the Everglades) right next to the bright yellow.

One moment you're deep in a vast grid system designed for six million people...thirty minutes later, you can be 25 miles from any through roads other than the one you're presently on.

Absolutely true.  If you have ever flown at night into south Florida, the dividing line (called the urban development boundary (UDB) between development and wild Everglades is absolutely stark.  Lots of people, homes and businesses in the east, millions of birds and hungry alligators in the west.

[-NCX75-]

South Florida is pretty striking, where you have dark green (the Everglades) right next to the bright yellow.

One moment you're deep in a vast grid system designed for six million people...thirty minutes later, you can be 25 miles from any through roads other than the one you're presently on.

Absolutely true.  If you have ever flown at night into south Florida, the dividing line (called the urban development boundary (UDB) between development and wild Everglades is absolutely stark.  Lots of people, homes and businesses in the east, millions of birds and hungry alligators in the west.

I'd hate to be one of those guys whose backyard backs to the edge of the Everglades... here in DFW we obviously don't have to worry about that. Heck, there is probably a new subdivision up in Celina, TX (30+ miles from Dallas) as I type, and when I wake up tomorrow morning it'll be the next big suburb.

(slight exaggeration here, for both FL and TX.  )

Oh, as for the map, I think it would be sufficient to look at a road map and find the areas without roads. 

[formulanone]

I'd hate to be one of those guys whose backyard backs to the edge of the Everglades... here in DFW we obviously don't have to worry about that.

I used to live about one mile from the western fringes of the "Water Conservation Area" - basically, that huge expanse west of civilization that is neither national preserve land nor national park - but other than lots of mosquitoes in the summer evenings, it was nice knowing there wouldn't be anything built further west than there, because it was perpetually under water, mud, sawgrass, and alligators.

That's what makes it so different; many large urban agglomerations have the city core(s), then suburbs, then rural and small towns, and then low-population density farmland. There in South Florida, it's mostly Atlantic Ocean - Cities - Dense Suburbs - Canal - Levee Wall - Almost Uninhabited Swampland compressed between a 10-to-15 mile span. I guess the southern areas of Louisiana are kind of the same way, although the coastal terrain is even more inhospitable, so civilization is mostly located more inland, and along the Mississippi River, as it is the backbone of their economy.

[-NCX75-]

I'd hate to be one of those guys whose backyard backs to the edge of the Everglades... here in DFW we obviously don't have to worry about that.

I used to live about one mile from the western fringes of the "Water Conservation Area" - basically, that huge expanse west of civilization that is neither national preserve land nor national park - but other than lots of mosquitoes in the summer evenings, it was nice knowing there wouldn't be anything built further west than there, because it was perpetually under water, mud, sawgrass, and alligators.

That's what makes it so different; many large urban agglomerations have the city core(s), then suburbs, then rural and small towns, and then low-population density farmland. There in South Florida, it's mostly Atlantic Ocean - Cities - Dense Suburbs - Canal - Levee Wall - Almost Uninhabited Swampland compressed between a 10-to-15 mile span. I guess the southern areas of Louisiana are kind of the same way, although the coastal terrain is even more inhospitable, so civilization is mostly located more inland, and along the Mississippi River, as it is the backbone of their economy.

I've never been to S. Florida, but when I went to New Orleans it was fascinating as to how quick the swamp gave way to the 'burbs. One second you're driving a causeway that lasts seemingly forever over uninhabitable wasteland, the next second you're in the good ol' city of Kenner. (I think it's all right... never spent much time there)

[Road Hog]

South Florida is pretty striking, where you have dark green (the Everglades) right next to the bright yellow.

One moment you're deep in a vast grid system designed for six million people...thirty minutes later, you can be 25 miles from any through roads other than the one you're presently on.

Absolutely true.  If you have ever flown at night into south Florida, the dividing line (called the urban development boundary (UDB) between development and wild Everglades is absolutely stark.  Lots of people, homes and businesses in the east, millions of birds and hungry alligators in the west.

I'd hate to be one of those guys whose backyard backs to the edge of the Everglades... here in DFW we obviously don't have to worry about that. Heck, there is probably a new subdivision up in Celina, TX (30+ miles from Dallas) as I type, and when I wake up tomorrow morning it'll be the next big suburb.

(slight exaggeration here, for both FL and TX.  )

Not too far off the mark for TX. Gotta watch out for coyotes and hawks if you have little animals.