Category: mapping

Those who plot their location data on a map find it useful for both business and personal reasons. Doing so provides new insights you can only get from visualizing your data geographically. For example, you could create a proposal tracking map to see where your proposals are most accepted. Then you’ll know to concentrate your efforts there or increase your marketing in the other areas.

There are many uses for maps in daily life and there are just as many mapping software options. There’s ArcGIS and other desktop geographic information systems software, the Google Maps API, and web-based mapping tools that don’t require a software download nor coding experience. Yet even with all the software and web mapping options available today, avid map makers still reminisce about the days of Microsoft MapPoint. Whether you were a fan of Microsoft MapPoint or not, MapPoint inspired today’s mapping tools, including BatchGeo, which allows you to create custom maps like the one below.

View Household income, average clustering in a full screen map

Let’s go over what Microsoft MapPoint is, what happened to it, and what it did so that we can identify the best alternative to this pioneering mapping software.

What Is Microsoft MapPoint?

Microsoft MapPoint is a discontinued mapping software released in 1999 by Microsoft. A desktop application, Microsoft MapPoint allowed users to analyze data—custom or included—on a map. The Microsoft MapPoint graphics and draggable maps were an exciting first for the market and the software also supported integrations between its maps and Microsoft’s other products. However, Microsoft MapPoint is no longer readily available.

What Happened to Microsoft MapPoint?

Though popular in both the U.S. and Europe, Microsoft MapPoint was discontinued at the end of 2014, after 15 years on the market. By that point, users had access to web-based mapping tools that didn’t require a download. Microsoft continued to provide online support for Microsoft MapPoint until the summer of 2015, but then users needed to find a custom mapping alternative that offered similar features.

What a Microsoft MapPoint Alternative Needs

Any Microsoft MapPoint alternative should offer users the ability to do the things they loved to do with Microsoft MapPoint. These include:

• Find addresses/Geocoding
• Save/share work with other users
• Data mapping (manipulation of pushpin colors, visibility, highlighting)
• Points of interest

Because users could do all of the above with Microsoft MapPoint, an alternative must allow much of the same—though it wouldn’t be crazy for users to expect even more from a mapping tool so many years after the prime of Microsoft MapPoint.

How BatchGeo Compares to Microsoft MapPoint

Just as with Microsoft MapPoint, users of BatchGeo can find and geocode addresses, easily save and share work with others (they don’t even have to be BatchGeo users), and map and manipulate data and points of interest. BatchGeo is clearly a great Microsoft MapPoint alternative, though you can do even more with BatchGeo than you could with Microsoft MapPoint.

Feature	Microsoft MapPoint	BatchGeo
Find addresses/Geocoding	✔	✔
Save/share work with other users	✔	✔
Data mapping	✔	✔
GPS guidance (Turn by turn)	✔
Points of interest	✔	✔
No software download		✔
Map grouping		✔
Clustering		✔
Heat view		✔
Advanced or simple printing styles		✔
Embed on a website		✔

As an online mapping tool, creating maps with BatchGeo is done on your web browser; there’s no need to go through the hassle of downloading and installing any software. In addition to being easily accessible online, BatchGeo offers users ways to gain insight into their maps that even Microsoft MapPoint didn’t have. This includes clustering and heat view, among others.

Clustering

Map marker clustering is essential for users looking to avoid marker overload. Without the ability to cluster dense areas of markers together on a map, your maps can end up like this:

While colorful, this map offers almost no insight into data trends due to the hundreds of overlapping markers. Clustering solves this problem with larger summary markers to give you an idea of what’s “below” at closer zoom levels.

With Microsoft MapPoint, users could cluster their maps with additional paid add-ons such as MPCluster. However, BatchGeo’s online mapping tool offers users the ability to auto-cluster map markers for free. You can change your maps from overwhelming to useful with the click of a button:

View Household income, average clustering in a full screen map

Heat View

In addition to clustering, BatchGeo users can also analyze their data via a map with heat view. Heat view is another way to identify areas with large amounts of markers on your map, like so:

Find out more about how heat view can turn up the heat on your data insights here. Before getting started with clustering and heat view, you must first create a custom map with BatchGeo.

Create Custom Maps With BatchGeo

To create custom maps that offer even more insight than Microsoft MapPoint did, follow the steps below.

1. Open your spreadsheet
2. Select (Ctrl+A or Cmd+A) and copy (Ctrl+C or Cmd+C) all your data
3. Open your web browser and go to batchgeo.com
4. Click on the location data box with the example data in it, then paste (Ctrl+V or Cmd+V) your own data
5. Check to make sure you have the proper location data columns available by clicking “Validate and Set Options”
6. Select the proper location column from each drop-down
7. Click “Make Map” and watch as the geocoder performs its process

When you use BatchGeo to create your custom maps, you have access to the same mapping capabilities as Microsoft MapPoint—without the need to download software. Plus, map clustering and heat view help you to uncover even more insights into your data. And it’s all free for up to 250 locations per map. Explore how BatchGeo can improve your data mapping experience when you make your first map at batchgeo.com.

When the weather is nice (and sometimes even when it’s not), nature-lovers break out their hiking sticks to take trips to the best state parks in the US. States offer protected state park status to places with picturesque beauty, historical importance, or recreational potential, so each and every state park is bound to impress. Depending on where you live, you could visit more than 160 different state parks and still not have seen them all. So, which state has the most state parks, and which state has the least? Where are the largest state parks in the US or the oldest state parks located? The map below contains information about Michigan state parks, Texas state parks, and all the state parks in between.

View State Parks in a full screen map

We gathered the data for this map of US state parks from Wikipedia. A note: some of the state park systems include beaches, state fish and wildlife areas, forests, historic parks, recreation areas, reservations, and other state-protected areas. However, we only included places with “state park” in the name, of which there were 2,280. Unfortunately, that doesn’t include the state parks in Alaska, Hawaii, and Montana, as the data was unavailable. That said, once you discover which state has the most state parks and exactly how many there are, it’ll take years to visit them all.

Which State Has the Most State Parks?

All 50 US. states have at least one state park. However, it’s to be expected that some states have more state parks than others. Whether motivated by larger populations or just a higher priority for natural spaces, the following list taken from the map answers the question of which state has the most state parks?

1. New York
2. Florida
3. Washington
4. Pennsylvania
5. Connecticut
6. California
7. Texas
8. Michigan
9. Ohio
10. Minnesota

Keeping in mind that due to lack of easily accessible data, those in Alaska, Hawaii, and Montana aren’t on the map, New York has the most state parks of any US state: 178. Of the 51 counties in New York with state parks, Suffolk County is the location of the highest amount of New York’s state parks (23). Jefferson County and Niagara County are also home to over 10 of New York’s state parks as well. When combined with Suffolk County, these three NY counties account for over 27% of the state’s state parks.

Florida has the second-most state parks (148) while Washington has just seven state park less than Florida at 141. Florida has more counties with state parks (55) than New York but of them, Monroe County is the most concentrated with state parks: 10 are located there. There are 35 counties that house Washington’s state parks. San Juan County, King County, Jefferson County (a seemingly popular county name), and Mason County all hold 10 or more state parks.

Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and California own 110, 99, 90 state parks, respectively while Texas state parks add up to 78. Michigan state parks aren’t too far behind Texas state parks: Michigan has 77. To see how many state parks the rest of the top 10 states hold, check out the map. Otherwise, stay tuned for the states with the least state parks.

States With the Least State Parks

Just as some states are bound to have more state parks than others, the opposite must also be true. Several US states have very few state parks and the following are the 10 with the least.

1. Nebraska
2. Wyoming
3. Nevada
4. North Dakota
5. South Dakota
6. Rhode Island
7. Alabama
8. Delaware
9. Arizona
10. Kentucky

It appears Nebraska has the least state parks of the states on the map: just 8, though it’s worth noting it could be because Nebraska isn’t a very populous state. Following Nebraska’s low numbers are those in Wyoming, another state with a lower population. The state has just 11 state parks. Although is it any wonder? What state park can compete with Yellowstone National Park? Look here to see a map of other major US national parks.

Nevada, North Dakota, and South Dakota each have just 13 state parks, while Rhode Island has 14. The rest of the states on the list are home to 15 parks or more. To count them for yourself, use the map. Otherwise, stay tuned to learn the massive acreage of the largest state parks in the US.

Largest State Parks in the US

Sometimes bigger is better. If you’re planning a two-hour drive to a state park, it would be nice to have plenty of hiking trail options and views for days instead of just a small acreage. The following are the largest state parks in the US.

Park name	County or city	State	Size (acres)	Year established
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park	San Diego	California	585,930	1933
Big Bend Ranch State Park	Presidio, Brewster	Texas	311,000	1988
Baxter State Park	Piscataquis	Maine	209,501	1931
Henry W. Coe State Park	Santa Clara	California	89,164	1959
Falcon State Park	Zapata, Starr	Texas	83,654	1965
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park	Collier	Florida	75,000	1975
Custer State Park	Custer	South Dakota	71,000	1919
State Forest State Park	Jackson	Colorado	70,838	1970
Allegany State Park	Cattaraugus	New York	64,800	1921
Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park	Bureau	Illinois	60,314	1970

One of the largest state parks in the US is the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park located across the three counties of San Diego, Imperial, and Riverside, California. At nearly 600,000 acres, this state park is the size of over 440,000 football fields. Another of the largest state parks in the US is the Big Bend Ranch State Park of Presidio and Brewster, Texas. Like the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, this 311,000-acre state park is so large it takes up more than one county. The last state park over 100,000 acres on the map is Piscataquis, Maine’s Baxter State Park. It’s 209,501 acres large.

The saying “everything is bigger in Texas” is true for Texas state parks. With both Big Bend and Falcon State Park, Texas state parks are certainly some of the largest state parks in the US; some might even say they’re the best state parks in the US. Now, several of the largest state parks in the US are quite old. For example, Allegany State Park was established way back in 1921. But that isn’t even the oldest state park on the map.

Oldest State Parks

More than just the size of state parks, you can also sort the map by the years the parks were established. The years of establishment range from 1777 all the way up to 2019.

One of the oldest state parks on the map, the Princeton Battlefield State Park in Princeton, New Jersey, was technically established in 1777. As the site of an American Revolution battle between George Washington’s troops and British forces on January 3, 1777, it’s been around for a while. However, it seems this state park was officially deemed as such at a later date because New York’s Niagara Falls State Park is actually considered the oldest state park in the US. When you think of Niagara Falls, you’re probably unknowingly picturing the view from the Observation Tower at Prospect Point in the Niagara Falls State Park. Established in 1845, the state park offers a coveted view of all three waterfalls.

More state parks that have been around for some time include the Putnam Memorial State Park in Fairfield, Connecticut, Itasca State Park in Hubbard, Minnesota, and the Interstate State Park Chisago, Minnesota, among others.

More Grouping Options with BatchGeo

To view even more state parks over a century old, change the grouping option on the map to “Year established.” Since your data often contains more than just location, with BatchGeo, you can group your map by the extra data for even more insights. It’s helpful to be able to view the map grouped by different data, in this case, by both state park size and year established. When making your own maps, you can add and group by even more data, all with batchgeo.com.

COVID-19 has caused chaos and mass disruption in the lives of everyone around the world, especially those in major cities. In the U.S., New York City accounts for over 70% of the state’s coronavirus deaths. Yet some cities in the U.S. are better equipped to handle the sudden influx of severely ill patients than others. Part of a city’s pandemic response depends on the number of available intensive care units—or ICU—beds. ICU beds are reserved for patients with severe or life-threatening illnesses—like COVID-19—and injuries. These patients require constant medical attention, which they’ll get in an ICU.

There are roughly 93,000 ICU beds in the U.S. and they are differently distributed around the country’s cities. Each city’s ICU data is available as the number of ICU beds per 10,000 people older than 15. The U.S.’s national average is 3.6 beds per 10,000 people. Several states also have over five cities with more than average number of ICU beds. Others aren’t as prepared. There are some clear regional differences in ICUs, which we can see thanks to BatchGeo’s automatic ranges on the map below.

View ICU beds by city in a full screen map

We gathered this ICU data in late March 2020 from The Washington Post. In areas where more beds are needed, regional governments may be working to improve the situation. That said, this map helps show preparedness as the outbreak ramped up. To take into account the differing populations of these cities, the data was gathered as number of ICU beds per 10,000 people. Let’s discover the cities with the most—and the least—beds available.

Ten Cities With the Most and Least ICU Beds

With patients facing severe or life-threatening illnesses and injuries—COVID-19 related or not—the more ICU beds available, the faster and better care they receive. While the U.S.’s national average is about 3.6 ICU beds per 10,000 patients, the following cities have ICU beds nearly double that. Out of the 307 cities with accessible ICU data, the ten below are home to the most ICU beds.

City	State	ICU beds per 10,000
SLIDELL	LA	10.6
DULUTH	MN	7.5
AUGUSTA	GA	7.2 (*tie*)
FLORENCE	SC	7.2 (*tie*)
HUNTINGTON	WV	7.2 (*tie*)
ROCHESTER	MN	6.9
BIRMINGHAM	AL	6.6
LONGVIEW	TX	6.5 (*tie*)
LUBBOCK	TX	6.5 (*tie*)
DURHAM	NC	6.4

As you can see on the table, Slidell, Louisiana is the city containing the most ICUs. With 10.6 beds per 10,000 people, Slidell can offer care-seeking patients 3.1x as many ICU beds per 10,000 people than even the second-best city. That second-best city is Duluth, Minnesota, which offers 7.5 ICU beds for every 10,000 patients. Next comes Augusta, Georgia, Florence, South Carolina, and Huntington, West Virginia. These Southeastern cities offer the same number of ICU beds (7.2) per 10,000 people.

Rochester, Minnesota has 6.9 beds available per 10,000 folks and frankly, we’ve decided to move there. Following Rochester are Birmingham, Alabama, Longview and Lubbock, Texas, and Durham, North Carolina, which all are just below seven beds per 10,000 people. Note that like Minnesota, Texas also has two cities in the top ten. Other than those four Minnesota and Texas cities, the top ten consists of cities located in the Southeastern states of Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina, West Virginia, Alabama, and North Carolina.

To view more cities with lots of ICU beds per 10,000 patients, check out the map. For now, let’s move on from the best cities to the worst cities.

Cities With Very Few ICUs

While the cities with the most ICU beds may occasionally see one or two beds go unneeded, cities with few ICUs aren’t likely to have any to spare. The following ten cities could really use some more ICU beds, especially as we combat the coronavirus.

City	State	ICU beds per 10,000
FORT COLLINS	CO	1
DUBUQUE	IA	1.4 (*tie*)
SANTA CRUZ	CA	1.4 (*tie*)
WICHITA FALLS	TX	1.5 (*tie*)
EVERETT	WA	1.5 (*tie*)
MODESTO	CA	1.7 (*tie*)
LAFAYETTE	IN	1.7 (*tie*)
MASON CITY	IA	1.7 (*tie*)
PONTIAC	Ml	1.7 (*tie*)
HACKENSACK	NJ	1.7 (*tie*)
MORRISTOWN	NJ	1.7 (*tie*)

As the table above depicts, Fort Collins, Colorado has exactly one ICU bed for every 10,000 patients—not the most comforting thing to hear in the middle of a pandemic. Following Fort Collins are Dubuque, Iowa and Santa Cruz, California, both of which can offer patients 1.4 ICU beds per 10,000. And Dubuque isn’t the only city in Iowa with a significantly low number of ICU beds. Mason City, Iowa has just 1.7 ICU beds per 10,000 patients. Along with Iowa, California also has two cities in the bottom 10, as does New Jersey. It’s time for these cities to step up their ICU game, especially during these trying times.

In some cases, residents of cities with few ICU beds may be able to be transferred to other areas. It can be useful to look beyond the city level to see which states offer the greatest—and least—ICU protection.

States With the Most and Least Cities Above Average

Nine states contain five or more cities with greater ICU bed amounts than the national average. In these states, extremely ill or injured patients have better chances to gain access to an ICU bed.

• Texas – (14)
• Florida – (13)
• Ohio – (7)
• Tennessee – (6)
• Michigan – (6)
• Louisiana – (6)
• Indiana – (6)
• North Carolina – (5)
• Illinois – (5)

Fourteen cities in Texas have more ICU beds than the national average. These include previously-mentioned cities like Longview and Lubbock, along with Abilene, McAllen, Amarillo, San Antonio, Tyler, Victoria, Fort Worth, Dallas, Harlington, Corpus Christi, Houston, and Temple, Texas. Florida is similar to Texas in that it has 13 cities above the national average for ICU beds. These 13 cities are Ormond Beach, Gainesville, St. Petersburg, Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale, Hudson, Orlando, Panama City, Sarasota, Tampa, Clearwater, Miami, and Pensacola.

Ohio is home to the third-most cities above average: seven. Cities like Toledo, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, Akron, Canton, and Kettering all have more ICU beds per 10,000 people than the nation’s average of 3.6 beds. To see the cities above average in Tennessee, Michigan, and the states on the list, click through the map. Inversely, the map can also help you identify the states with the most cities below average, though they’re also listed below.

States Below National Average

On the opposite end of the healthcare spectrum, there are a lot more states with five or more cities containing ICU beds below that of the national average (3.6 ICU beds per 10,000 people). These states are:

• California – (21)
• Pennsylvania – (10)
• New York – (10)
• Michigan – (9)
• Texas – (8)
• Illinois – (8)
• Virginia – (7)
• Wisconsin – (6)
• Washington – (6)
• Iowa – (6)
• Oregon – (5)
• New Jersey – (5)
• Georgia – (5)
• Florida – (5)
• Colorado – (5)

Twenty-one cities in California have ICU beds below the national average. You may also note that Texas, Michigan, Illinois, and Florida appear on both the top and the bottom list. These states are home to both a large number of cities above and below national average. To see the many cities below national average in the other 13 states, take a peek at the map.

Regional Differences in U.S. ICUs

There are a lot of ways to analyze this data. Just browsing the map, we see regional differences in ICUs thanks to BatchGeo’s automatic ranges. When sorting the map by range to identify the ten cities with the most ICU beds (“10.6-6.1”), we see that the majority of these cities are based in the Southeast or the Midwest, along with the three cities in Texas that represent the Southwest. There is not one city in the West that is in the highest range of ICU beds. Even when we add the next-highest range to our sorting of the map (“6-5.1”), we see the same pattern: cities in the Southeast and the Midwest have more ICU beds.

When mapmaking with BatchGeo, our mapping tool automatically organizes any data not related to location into useful ranges that help with sorting your maps. You get the benefit of additional insight into your data, not just by visualizing it geographically, but also by sorting your map by the different ranges. Get started with BatchGeo today for free.