mapmaking patterns

When a map extent crops geographic space, it invariably lops off routes before they’ve reached the “next” destination. But people often think about routes with respect to destinations (“route 7 to Burlington”). Knowing where a route is heading helps them orient the map and identify the route by more than route name.

Show the reader which routes head to key destinations (places at high levels in your place taxonomy). Place a label (“to Burlington”) just inside the map frame that clips the route. You may also consider placing an arrowhead on the route line symbol.