2014 Rand McNally Road Atlas

[shadyjay]

Over the Easter weekend, I went to 3 Walmarts down in CT... only 2012 atlas to be found, no 2013s. 

[Henry]

Great, another new atlas to draw fictional roads on!

[Morriswa]

Another year, another atlas I will buy.  I buy a new RMN every year, and I have since 1988 I believe.  It's a yearly tradition for me.  I would eventually like to have a mint condition collection from 1926-present.  I also need to buy the other brand of atlas, the cartography that was used in the National Geographic atlases back in the day.

1.  I, too, have a yearly tradition to buy/receive the new Rand McNally atlas every year.  It is the best road atlas I have ever used.  A few years ago, however, I started getting the "Large Scale" versions, as my eyesight is not as decent as it used to be.  I like the "Large Scale" versions better than the old "Large Print" ones, because, while both enlarge the map, the "Large Scale" ones keep the scale intact.

2.  I want a decent (or better) copy of every Rand McNally road atlas from the beginning to now.

3.  I think the other brand is AAA.  I can't stand AAA's cartography.  That is why I never buy one.

I can't wait to see the new one.  As I am originally from SC, I want to see the new insets.

[elsmere241]

I usually buy the Rand McNally every year, but since I just bought the 2012, I may just pass on 2013.

[Morriswa]

Why?  It sounds like it will be great.

[sr641]

I hope indiana 641 is on the new atlas.

[NE2]

Why?  It sounds like it will be great.

What's wrong with your hearing?

[Morriswa]

I hope indiana 641 is on the new atlas.

Indiana 641?  I heard somewhere that US 641 used to be in Indiana.  I've also heard that that is not true.  Does this apply to the Indiana route?

[Alex]

I hope indiana 641 is on the new atlas.

Indiana 641?  I heard somewhere that US 641 used to be in Indiana.  I've also heard that that is not true.  Does this apply to the Indiana route?

Some maps (1950 or 60s?) showed US 41 and US 641 overlap northward into Evansville. That was the extent of US 641 in Indiana.

SR 641 is the designation given to the Terre Haute bypass. Currently it is only open from US 41 northeast to McDaniel Road, but is planned to continue north to I-70 at US 40/SR 46. More info at https://www.aaroads.com/guide.php?page=s0641in

[Morriswa]

Thank you for giving me more definite info on the possible former path of US 641.

Also, thanks for clearing up the confusion with SR 641.

[oscar]

I saw 2013 RMcN atlases today at a few Sheetz gas stations in the eastern West Virginia panhandle.  No Wal-Mart editions of the 2013 atlas yet at the local Wal-Marts.

I'll wait until the Wal-Marts get their version.  They cost less, and include a Wal-Mart directory (to help find places to resupply on the road).  I find the annual updates to the directory generally more useful than the usually minor annual updates to the maps.

[mukade]

Some maps (1950 or 60s?) showed US 41 and US 641 overlap northward into Evansville. That was the extent of US 641 in Indiana.

I have a map or two that shows US 641 in Indiana, but FWIW, INDOT says that it never did enter the state.

Back to the topic, both Books-a-Million and Amazon web sites claimed they had 2013 atlases in stock (at least for a while).

[florida]

Silly me was looking at the 2012 atlas today at Wal-Mart, trying to find the changes. All I found was the updated Charleston, SC map, not realizing that the other updates are for 2013.

[just realized that the 2011 in my house had the same Charleston map.  ]

[rawmustard]

The Barnes and Noble here had the 2013 large print and mid-size editions yet still only the 2012 standard edition on the shelf. Didn't think to check Target while I was in there earlier today for its edition (runs the same price as the W store usually).

[Morriswa]

I try to get the large scale version.

[Kacie Jane]

The Barnes and Noble here had the 2013 large print and mid-size editions yet still only the 2012 standard edition on the shelf.

Ironically, my Barnes and Noble had the exact opposite situation (2013 standard, 2012 everything else).  Despite preferring the large scale version, I decided to bite the bullet and pick up a copy of the new one.

Here's the situation:

• As noted, I-376 and I-520 were updated in a 2012 B version, and are correct in the 2013.  However, that's really all that's been fixed from the 2012 thread here.
• Oh, wait.  South Carolina is now spelled correctly on the national map. Yay.
• The Turnpike branches in northern NJ are still labeled as I-95E/W.  Likewise, there are still shields for I-278E, NY 907W, and NY 987G.  (The latter two are technically correct, but useless for navigational purposes.)
• I-170 is still there.
• WA SR 603 is still there.
• I-285 in Atlanta is still mislabeled.

If you have any other errors or updates you're curious about, save yourself the money and just ask me.  I'll take one for the team here.

[NE2]

Hey, at least it's better than Google Maps. For now.

[Kacie Jane]

It's a race to the bottom between the two.  I'll admit that the 2013 doesn't appear to be any worse than 11/12, which does help to put it above Google.  However, a couple of years ago, I certainly would have ranked Google above RMcN.

[bassoon1986]

South Dakota had a shield for a Bus I 194 in the Bismarck inset? What's the story there? It's technically I-194, just not signed right?

[agentsteel53]

South Dakota had a shield for a Bus I 194 in the Bismarck inset? What's the story there? It's technically I-194, just not signed right?

do you mean North Dakota?  having a Bismarck insert, complete with any sort of x94, on the South Dakota page would be quite the error for RMN!

[bassoon1986]

yeah, sorry    

[Truvelo]

Once again next year's atlas is out when we're not even half way through the current year

[Kacie Jane]

South Dakota had a shield for a Bus I 194 in the Bismarck inset? What's the story there? It's technically I-194, just not signed right?

Yes, it should either be a red and blue shield, or no shield.  The confusion probably sets in because the exit off I-94 is signed as BL-94 (should probably have a TO, but doesn't).

I've always been amused by SPUR I-270 near DC, which has been shown with a green shield in recent editions.

[Kacie Jane]

To reply to the bold underlining in the OP, here's what I found for the city insets for those states:

• MD: The Baltimore inset is larger, and Columbia is now included there, rather than its own inset.  Salisbury now gets an inset.
• NC: The Wilmington inset is larger.
• ND: Bismarck and Fargo are both larger.  (Note: The BR-194 error was not in the 2012 edition.  Yay for more new errors.)  Minot gets an inset.
• SC: Greenville and Myrtle Beach are slightly larger.
• VA: Harrisonburg gets an inset.

[tdindy88]

After reading this thread I went out to check if the nearest bookstore to me had the 2013 edition, they did.

A few observations for my home state of Indiana:

-US 24 is a freeway from Fort Wayne east into Ohio, and I think it's considered a freeway most of the way to Toledo (I didn't really check the Ohio pages.) In either case, I believe this error has been stated before.
-US 31 construction between South Bend and Plymouth, which I think was in the 2012 version as well. Still no mention of construction on the Kokomo bypass. The SR 25 corridor that's under construction is also not shown. 
-The new US 231 corridor around West Lafayette and it is mentioned as a freeway under construction. (I'm looking for the facepalm smiley but I am not seeing it.)
-City insets for the Hoosier State are unchanged, though I still wish more of the Indianapolis area would be shown on the previous page.
-I-69 in Southwest Indiana shows up as under construction from SR 68 to US 231 with the segment from I-64 to SR 68 signed as I-69. Of course, once the actual year 2013 comes around, that segment should be open. 
-New four-lane US 231 corridor in Spencer County is not shown, not really surprised.