McMap

While listening to NPR the other day, I heard an interview with a gentleman that blogs about maps. Some of us just have a fascination with geographic distribution of data. Like Ken Jennings, I find few things as interesting to stare at as a good map. Maphead: Charting the Wide, Weird World of Geography Wonks
Of all the maps hosted on this man’s immense blog, I was particularly drawn to this one:

This is a map showing the locations of all of the McDonald’s in the lower 48 United States. The sheer numbers are impressive enough, but look at the patterns. Major metropolitan centers, the string of locations along major interstates, the equidistant points in places like the Dakotas. No doubt this map is highly correlated with the current population of the US.  Simple, beautiful, and interesting. Everything a good map should be.