[GIS] Which projection is best for mapping the contiguous United States

coordinate systemunited-states

If I wanted to project latitude & longitude data for the contiguous United States (the United States excluding Alaska and Hawaii), which projection would I use? I prefer more accurate distances followed by shapes

Best Answer

The Albers equal area conic is the typical projection for historical USGS maps of the lower 48, it being a general-purpose low-distortion compromise for mid-latitude short and wide extents.

As a reference on map projections, I like the ESRI book Understanding Map Projections. Its first 30 pages are not unlike a short textbook, followed by ~70 pages of appendix on individual projections, their uses, strengths, weaknesses, etc.

  • Albers, pg 37
  • Lambert, pg 66
  • equidistant conic, pg 53
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