Read a Road Map Day

Read a Road Map Day is an American holiday dedicated to road maps. These pieces of paper have played an important role in orienteering for centuries and were once an essential element for any traveler. The holiday is observed annually on April 5.

History

Details on the creation of Read a Road Map Day are not available. This holiday was likely created to maintain the relevance of road maps. In the modern world, road maps have certainly lost some of their popularity, as smartphones with built-in GPS and special electronic maps now help people find their way in any situation. Nevertheless, road maps continue to be bought and used, as these paper tools can be extremely useful in cases of gadget failure or lack of a network. Therefore, they should always be in the backpack of any traveler.

The first paper road maps were created in ancient Egypt. Pieces of papyrus found during excavations have established that the oldest known map depicted the land around Thebes. Since then, road maps have been continuously developed, with new routes appearing and existing ones being expanded and supplemented. Up until the modern digital age, road maps were the main tool for orienteering.

Interesting Facts

• The first highly detailed road map was created in 350 BC in ancient Rome. It depicted the routes to Western Asia.
• After the advent of the automobile, road maps became very popular, reflecting not only main roads and detours but also the locations of recreational facilities and gas stations.

How to Celebrate

If you have an old road map, be sure to take it out and study how the routes shown there have changed today. If you’ve never used this travel paraphernalia, now might be the perfect time to start. Try using it in the field and study all the map conventions.

Share the holiday on social media. Ask others if they have ever used a paper road map.

When is Read a Road Map Day in 2025?

Read a Road Map Day is observed on April 5 each year.

Observations