Via FlowingData, Ben Fry has put together an amazing map of all 26 million road segments in the United States.
As Nathan notes, it really is striking how the density shifts in the middle of the country. Having made 6 cross-country adventures, that was something I knew intuitively to be true, but it is still striking to see it on a map. Driving from the East to the West, my trips begin as a race for that line. How many miles can I cover per day? 600? 700? 800? How long until I get to the sagebrush? How long until I get to see the open sky? You hit that line and something in you shifts. I can't explain it, but I know it is real. The plains and mountains of Colorado... the Great Basin of Nevada... the red rocks of Utah.... the forests and mountain streams of Idaho and Wyoming... and the huge, endless skies of Montana.... Aw man.... Now I want to go drive.
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