For reading a road atlas there are basic tips on RoadAtlases.net. Visit our website and and try to read according to our below mentioned tips.

Finding Cities and Counties

Step One
Go to the index in the back of the atlas.

Step Two
Look up the state the city or county is in.

Step Three
Get the letter-number coordinates for the city or county you are trying to find.

Step Four
Turn to the map of the state in which the city or county is located. You will see a list of letters running along the left side of the map and a list of numbers running along the bottom.

Step Five
Place your left index finger on the letter coordinate and your right index finger on the number coordinate.

Step Six
Move your fingers inward. You will find the city or county when they converge.

Using the Mileage Chart

Step One
If both cities are in the same state, go to the map of that state and look for the state mileage chart. If the cities are in different states, go to the master mileage chart for the United States.

Step Two
Find the city you are traveling from in the left column and the city you are traveling to along the top. Place your left index finger on the city in the left column and your right index finger on the city at the top.

Step Three
Move your fingers inward until they converge. The number you see is the distance between the two cities in miles.

Determining Mileage on the Map

Step One
Find the starting city on the map.

Step Two
Follow the highway leading away from the starting city toward the first town out. You will see a small black number near the highway displaying the mileage between the two towns.

Step Three
Go to the next city. Add the number for the mileage between these two cities to the first number.

Step Four
Repeat Step 3 until you reach your destination.