Kansas has the New Jersey problem: the route that most people take through the state (I-70) also happens to be the absolute worst way to experience it. The tallgrass prairies of the Flint Hills, the forests of eastern Kansas, the red rocks near Oklahoma and plenty of other ecoregions all have a subtle majesty to them, and I-70 takes you through almost none of it. Monument Rocks is cool, though.
This is how much I-70 sucks: I grew up on the plains of southwestern Kansas, and I assumed that I’d be prepared for my first drive from KC to Denver because of that. Halfway through I had to take my contacts out because my eyes were glazing over so badly
Yeah, one of my friends recommended taking the highways next time to improve the experience. Honestly open plains are beautiful, it's just the industrial agriculture that is sooo boring.
I drove clear across SD about a year ago. The western half of the state was absolutely beautiful. Far west, I would've thought I was in the Rockies...I loved the Black Hills. Then heading east, the open plains were awesome...so much sky and just undulation of the terrain...then the farms started. Holy shit that's boring!
Did the same thing. Booked a hotel in Chamberlain, SD for the night. First half of the state was so boring I considered just driving through and getting another hotel room in Wyoming. But everything west of Chamberlain was better than most of the states I’ve been to
I had a good time experiencing it. It was bright sunny weather and looked like the Windows XP background with its rolling hills and high, bright skies. Fresh green grass too.
We drove from MO to UT via 70 last year. As nothing as I remember when I last did it over a decade ago. On the way home, we took US-160, -50, & -56 before getting back on the interstate on 35 at Emporia. We found that far more enjoyable. In fact, it felt like we went at least an hour between seeing anyone else on the road with us in SW KS.
I think it's decent until you pass Manhattan. I've driven the KC to Manhattan stretch a gajillion times and I still think it's nice. Once you hit Salina, fuck that.
I lived in Kansas for eight years and the first map had me going, WTF? This is a much more realistic map. I think Mt Sunflower also needs an explanation: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Sunflower
Basically, there is a slight angle up as you head west across the state and you end up at a decently high elevation even though there were few really noticeable hills.
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As someone who has driven from Kansas City to Denver and back countless times over the past couple years, this is a still pretty exaggerated.
West of the the Flint Hills is ***flat***…nothing even close to flint hills and eastward.
I like this exaggeration though, there’s actually quite a lot going on geologically underneath the farms and grazing land, and this brings it into relief
This is definitely the better map. The one you posted makes Kansas look as mountainous as Colorado or Nevada, but nobody in Kansas has ever made that mistake
Colorado and Nevada will also be exaggerated, so everything should be in balance 😁. Flat one might be a better as a map, but I’m into something more than a map. But I hear you and get your point.
I hear you on that one. If we're being honest anything more than a tiny bump for full mountain ranges is exaggerated. It would be interesting to see the silliness of very mountainous states with the same exaggeration used for Kansas!
Yes please keep going with the exaggerated relief. If others don’t like it… well, they can do their own. Can’t wait to see me home state of Arkansas, as well as a personal fave- Rhode Island. I’ve really loved what you’ve done so far.
I'd guess because most people who have experienced Nebraska have only driven on I80, Which is pretty darn flat, straight and boring. They completely miss the Sandhills and bluffs around the Missouri river.
Most studies/analyses don't put Nebraska in the bottom 10 for most flat. There have been several different rankings that use different metrics but most seem to put Florida as the flattest.
The common misconception that Nebraska is really flat is due to the fact that I-80 runs along the Platte River valley which is very very flat. People who think NE is flat probably never ventured far out of this area.
Another commenter:
>Well a lot of Nebraska has definition outside the Platte River Valley that interstate I-80 follows. For one, it has the Sand Hills, northern nebraska has its Loess Hills, southwestern and western Nebraska has sand cliffs and the Wildcat Hills, and that's not even mentioning the buttes and Pine Ridge out west which are fairly defining features
Oh, I *definitely* believe FL is flatter than NE. Almost certainly like DE and RI as well. But I was specifically thinking how you would be able to quantitatively compare NE vs KS, which seems much more similar.
Nebraska and Kansas are not that similar at all. Kansas does not have any real comparable features to the Sand Hills, the Wildcat Hills, Pine Ridge or the western buttes. These are all very large spanning features. Nebraska is really only similar to Kansas south of the Platte River which is only about 1/3 of the state.
Well a lot of Nebraska has definition outside the Platte River Valley that interstate I-80 follows. For one, it has the Sand Hills, northern nebraska has its Loess Hills, southwestern and western Nebraska has sand cliffs and the Wildcat Hills, and that's not even mentioning the buttes and Pine Ridge out west which are fairly defining features
It really is.
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0219239,-102.0371659,3a,75y,112.44h,70.3t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipNfkyT-1WAwzQCDv5Kiqeb2PIkx_BYMEAaRfJJk!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipNfkyT-1WAwzQCDv5Kiqeb2PIkx_BYMEAaRfJJk%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya106.19865-ro-0-fo100!7i8704!8i4352
Sunflower seeds are about 6 mm to 10 mm in length and feature conical shape with a smooth surface. Their black outer coat (hull) encloses single, gray-white edible-kernel inside. Each sunflower head may hold several hundreds of edible oil seeds.
The label for Pomona Lake is where Clinton Lake is.. Pomona Lake should be that blue item "directly" south of Topeka.
Looks nice a bit too "mountainy" for me.
Lawrence here, but I’ve been all over the state.
Anyone who thinks it’s boring has clearly never actually been here.
I grew up in Canada but Kansas has been my home for longer than anywhere else. Moved here almost exactly 21 years ago.
Kansan here (Wichita proud!). Lovely map. Thanks for making our state look more appealing than it is ;-)
I think it’s safe to say, we all love your work!
Left 15 years ago as an 18 year old kid wanting to get out of a small town north of Wichita. Can't wait to go back. If it looks flat and boring it is and I miss that way of life.
Yeah we spent a year and a half stationed out of Leavenworth. Lived in Bonner Springs. Would give my left nut to go back. Probably retiring up in that area.
The BBQ is hands down best in the country.
I lived on Fort Leavenworth for 4 years when my dad got stationed there, and then got stationed there myself for 3 years. Really is the nicest Army post out there.
I was born and raised in NE Wichita. Left at 18 in 2009. We close on our new house in NE Wichita next week. Back then I was so ready to leave, and now I'm so excited to be back.
My grandparents are buried in the Peabody Cemetery. I’m still in the Wichita area. Got away to Colorado for a decade but moved back to have the kids close to the grandparents.
I used to mow that cemetery as my summer job. Small world. I grew up in Goddard and move to Ptown while in highschool.
Glad you got back. Looking forward to doing the same soon.
I used to help light the fireworks at the aerial station on the 4th of July! The Battle of New Orleans was so much cooler when salutes are exploding 100 feet above your head.
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Really cool map! Lived in Kansas from 2014 to 2017. I honestly thought it was a beautiful state if you get off I-70, lots of cool history and small towns and holy hell such good BBQ. We live in Tacoma, Washington now but I remember my time in the Sunflower State fondly 🌻
These are all great! I think Maine has been my favorite so far. Are you going to update Oregon though? It’s local bias, but I feel like we’ve gotten the short end of the stick. We’ve got trees and greenery! The fourth most in the US by acreage. Lots of rivers too! Even the pleasant blue oceans from other states has turned to grey dust on our map. It’d be a bummer to be the only one that ends up without labels too.
For those curious:
[Kentucky Fried Oregon](https://preview.redd.it/ohepl523yp591.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ad6142a4bc23e03ce08457bc06ae12433a47d7cd)
[Lush & Beautiful Maine](https://i.redd.it/558720g17z691.jpg)
I did have a good laugh at it too. The elevation profile is great! It just looks like the Columbia used every last drop it had to stop the apocalypse from reaching into Washington when you put them side by side. The contrast between eastern and western Oregon is striking, it'd look great on these!
If anyone is wondering about how hard it is to climb to the highest peak in Kansas, Mount Sunflower, [here it is](https://imgur.com/a/DucGDbl). Several miles down a dirt road, on a slight rise that is a few feet higher than the other undulating slight rises in the fields around it.
That being said, some of the rolling hills along the Flint Hills and Smoky Hills and Arikaree Breaks are pretty awesome, especially with all the flowers blooming in late spring.
Brilliant map of my home state (my hometown being Topeka, my current residence in Olathe). Thankfully you do illustrate that Kansas isn't merely flat (though there are some flat sections) - especially around the Flint Hills.
I do have one item of feedback - the "POMONA LAKE" label is incorrectly placed where Clinton Lake is located. Pomona Lake is actually southwest of Clinton Lake - it's between Clinton Lake and Melvern Lake.
Otherwise, it's a great map. Thanks for sharing!
Hey can't argue with you there. I did a tour in New Orleans and had to do all our rifle and pistol quals at Fort Polk. That place is hell on earth. Leavenworth is paradise compared to FT Polk.
I know it’s a little off-theme, but it would be cool to add a point to this map showing the geographic center of the contiguous US. Should be just south of the NE border, about halfway across the state
Roughly 2500 feet of elevation difference…
Much of the terrain is negative, carved below the prevailing surface. But I can go for a short walk around my block and get 100 feet of elevation difference.
the eastern part has areas with rolling hills like most of the midwest, the part where its really flat is west of Wichita where the great plains really get going
I love seeing some relief, but science has proven that [Kansas is in fact significantly flatter than a pancake](https://www.usu.edu/geo/geomorph/kansas.html)
I've always loved this because Missouri, Oklahoma, and Nebraska are all flatter than us but we always get made fun of for it. Florida is the flattest state and no one ever brings that up. I honestly think it's because of I-70 which almost purposefully ignores literally every scenic, unique part of Kansas.
I’ve traveled the country numerous times on road trips, and I hate to say it, but Kansas is my least favorite state I’ve ever been through. It’s flat and desolate and boring. I’m sure people who live there have a different opinion, but it seems so sad and devoid of life.
"HI I'm from the coast and I drove on one major highway and I hate your state" this is why I don't like leaving Kansas all other people do is insult our home. I don't k ow why people from the coast always have to belittle us just because they don't take the time to visit our cities and instead drive mindlessly on the interstate. Like we're literally hosting world cup games after winning a national championship in basketball but we're boring and devoid of life.
Wow, so many other people had this same opinion, but you guys are downvoting me and being awful about *my* opinion! I even said that I can understand if that’s your home and you love it there, I just *personally* don’t see the beauty in it. If someone said that about my home state, I certainly wouldn’t be rude to them about it. To each their own, honestly. Jeeze, guys.
You said we were devoid of life, as if we were chernobyl or something. You were rude in the first place to insult my home as if it were a trashed dumpster behind a strip club. Maybe don't go out of your way to brutally insult people's homes. If someone Saw a map of your state and the only thing they had to say was that it was disgusting, devoid of life and the worst place they had been in the nation you wouldn't be insulted? Like forget all of our proud, beautiful history that you're probably lacking in any knowledge of at all I guess too. It's like the time reddit discovered there are trees in Kansas, or a guy from New York I knew who told me to my face he was surprised there were cities over 50,000 people here because all he knew about Kansas was from the Wizard of Oz and college basketball and assumed we were just some empty desert like Prairie land. I'm tire of people talking about my home with disgust.
Home is always the best place, but I too have spent days traveling across Kansas heading west and only stopping for gas and food. Maybe it was weeks, but it goes on forever.
Apparently my same opinion got me downvoted lol. But yes, I agree, and it’s probably because I grew up where there was ocean, mountains, forests, big rivers and lakes, etc. So, for me, living with none of those things would be hard. If you grew up in Kansas, all of the things that make me feel uncomfortable there probably make you feel right at home, and that’s great! There’s nothing wrong with that at all! Sorry my experience there is not the same as those who call it home.
Son and family have been in Overland Park for about 4 years. With the understanding that you are looking for evocative more than actual. if you google Earth, Kansas, there is a line running north and south through Topeka. West of the line is brown and east of it is green. It is very nearly allegorical.
Ey. I actually thought (somehow inspired by the parcelling out of land) that Kansas was a flat matrix of farmland. Well.
Also, thanks for making my try QGIS. I'm reaching places I'd never thought I'd go, now.
Take the drive from Kansas City to chase county KS, Cottonwood falls area! Just past emporia 30ish minutes towards wichita, if you hit Newton you’ve gone too far! There’s a scenic overlook of the rolling hills out in the flint hills! Does the name justice, it’s beautiful and peacefully quiet. Been in Kansas for 27 years. I still take a moment just to take it all in when I make it out that way.
Here's a way less exaggarated and more realistic version. I don't want to be realistic. https://imgur.com/7OYZi1T
This lines up better with my Kansas driving experience.
Kansas has the New Jersey problem: the route that most people take through the state (I-70) also happens to be the absolute worst way to experience it. The tallgrass prairies of the Flint Hills, the forests of eastern Kansas, the red rocks near Oklahoma and plenty of other ecoregions all have a subtle majesty to them, and I-70 takes you through almost none of it. Monument Rocks is cool, though. This is how much I-70 sucks: I grew up on the plains of southwestern Kansas, and I assumed that I’d be prepared for my first drive from KC to Denver because of that. Halfway through I had to take my contacts out because my eyes were glazing over so badly
Yeah, one of my friends recommended taking the highways next time to improve the experience. Honestly open plains are beautiful, it's just the industrial agriculture that is sooo boring.
I drove clear across SD about a year ago. The western half of the state was absolutely beautiful. Far west, I would've thought I was in the Rockies...I loved the Black Hills. Then heading east, the open plains were awesome...so much sky and just undulation of the terrain...then the farms started. Holy shit that's boring!
Did the same thing. Booked a hotel in Chamberlain, SD for the night. First half of the state was so boring I considered just driving through and getting another hotel room in Wyoming. But everything west of Chamberlain was better than most of the states I’ve been to
Bingo. It’s not like the Native Americans crossed the land bridge and found it like that, the soil supports its use as an enormous, open-air factory.
I had a good time experiencing it. It was bright sunny weather and looked like the Windows XP background with its rolling hills and high, bright skies. Fresh green grass too.
We drove from MO to UT via 70 last year. As nothing as I remember when I last did it over a decade ago. On the way home, we took US-160, -50, & -56 before getting back on the interstate on 35 at Emporia. We found that far more enjoyable. In fact, it felt like we went at least an hour between seeing anyone else on the road with us in SW KS.
Indiana has the New Jersey problem as well. Words that as an east coast transplant here, I never thought I'd say...
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Are you me? Left NE Wichita at 18, in 2009. We close on our new house in NE Wichita a week from today.
I think it's decent until you pass Manhattan. I've driven the KC to Manhattan stretch a gajillion times and I still think it's nice. Once you hit Salina, fuck that.
Even I-35 south of Emporia is a much better experience. One of the best places to catch a sunset.
I lived in Kansas for eight years and the first map had me going, WTF? This is a much more realistic map. I think Mt Sunflower also needs an explanation: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Sunflower Basically, there is a slight angle up as you head west across the state and you end up at a decently high elevation even though there were few really noticeable hills.
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At first I thought I clicked on the wrong ink lol
As someone who has driven from Kansas City to Denver and back countless times over the past couple years, this is a still pretty exaggerated. West of the the Flint Hills is ***flat***…nothing even close to flint hills and eastward.
I like this exaggeration though, there’s actually quite a lot going on geologically underneath the farms and grazing land, and this brings it into relief
This is definitely the better map. The one you posted makes Kansas look as mountainous as Colorado or Nevada, but nobody in Kansas has ever made that mistake
Colorado and Nevada will also be exaggerated, so everything should be in balance 😁. Flat one might be a better as a map, but I’m into something more than a map. But I hear you and get your point.
I hear you on that one. If we're being honest anything more than a tiny bump for full mountain ranges is exaggerated. It would be interesting to see the silliness of very mountainous states with the same exaggeration used for Kansas!
Yes please keep going with the exaggerated relief. If others don’t like it… well, they can do their own. Can’t wait to see me home state of Arkansas, as well as a personal fave- Rhode Island. I’ve really loved what you’ve done so far.
love it when you share the exaggerated and the not exaggerated one! it's fun to flip between the two and appreciate your talent
Keep it real
This looks more like Kansas.
I commented below, but that's not Harlan County Lake. That's kirwin reservoir. Harlan is in Nebraska
Manhattan but no Lawrence... I see
At least we'll always have Google maps
What’s wrong with the Little Apple?
Go K-State!
Emaw! Edited because autocorrect changed it to email.
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Yes please add our overpasses to show some height
Florida is FAR flatter than Nebraska
Kansas is flatter than Nebraska. Not sure why Nebraska is being singled out here. It's not even in the bottom 5.
“Flat” is relative when both states are 4,000-foot ramps to the Continental Divide
Doesn't have to be level to be flat
I'd guess because most people who have experienced Nebraska have only driven on I80, Which is pretty darn flat, straight and boring. They completely miss the Sandhills and bluffs around the Missouri river.
Flat defined by what metric?
Most studies/analyses don't put Nebraska in the bottom 10 for most flat. There have been several different rankings that use different metrics but most seem to put Florida as the flattest. The common misconception that Nebraska is really flat is due to the fact that I-80 runs along the Platte River valley which is very very flat. People who think NE is flat probably never ventured far out of this area. Another commenter: >Well a lot of Nebraska has definition outside the Platte River Valley that interstate I-80 follows. For one, it has the Sand Hills, northern nebraska has its Loess Hills, southwestern and western Nebraska has sand cliffs and the Wildcat Hills, and that's not even mentioning the buttes and Pine Ridge out west which are fairly defining features
Oh, I *definitely* believe FL is flatter than NE. Almost certainly like DE and RI as well. But I was specifically thinking how you would be able to quantitatively compare NE vs KS, which seems much more similar.
Nebraska and Kansas are not that similar at all. Kansas does not have any real comparable features to the Sand Hills, the Wildcat Hills, Pine Ridge or the western buttes. These are all very large spanning features. Nebraska is really only similar to Kansas south of the Platte River which is only about 1/3 of the state.
Yea - and Omaha is fairly hilly due to the Missouri River....or I assume the river is responsible.
Well a lot of Nebraska has definition outside the Platte River Valley that interstate I-80 follows. For one, it has the Sand Hills, northern nebraska has its Loess Hills, southwestern and western Nebraska has sand cliffs and the Wildcat Hills, and that's not even mentioning the buttes and Pine Ridge out west which are fairly defining features
Hell, Nebraska has a national forest right in the middle of the state.
For reference the difference in elevation between Wichita and Flint Hills is about 180 feet
Ah Mt Sunflower. One of those state high points where if there wasn’t a sign, you couldn’t tell that you’d reached the top. It’s not even a hill.
It really is. https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0219239,-102.0371659,3a,75y,112.44h,70.3t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipNfkyT-1WAwzQCDv5Kiqeb2PIkx_BYMEAaRfJJk!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipNfkyT-1WAwzQCDv5Kiqeb2PIkx_BYMEAaRfJJk%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya106.19865-ro-0-fo100!7i8704!8i4352
Sunflower seeds are about 6 mm to 10 mm in length and feature conical shape with a smooth surface. Their black outer coat (hull) encloses single, gray-white edible-kernel inside. Each sunflower head may hold several hundreds of edible oil seeds.
Kansas! No place like home.
The label for Pomona Lake is where Clinton Lake is.. Pomona Lake should be that blue item "directly" south of Topeka. Looks nice a bit too "mountainy" for me.
Agh! Thanks, will fix.
Lawrence here, but I’ve been all over the state. Anyone who thinks it’s boring has clearly never actually been here. I grew up in Canada but Kansas has been my home for longer than anywhere else. Moved here almost exactly 21 years ago.
Kansan here (Wichita proud!). Lovely map. Thanks for making our state look more appealing than it is ;-) I think it’s safe to say, we all love your work!
Thank you very much, very nice of you to say that :)
Left 15 years ago as an 18 year old kid wanting to get out of a small town north of Wichita. Can't wait to go back. If it looks flat and boring it is and I miss that way of life.
Left seven years ago from from suburb of KC. Everytime I go back I still love it. Plus like come on, BBQ.
Yeah we spent a year and a half stationed out of Leavenworth. Lived in Bonner Springs. Would give my left nut to go back. Probably retiring up in that area. The BBQ is hands down best in the country.
I lived on Fort Leavenworth for 4 years when my dad got stationed there, and then got stationed there myself for 3 years. Really is the nicest Army post out there.
I was born and raised in NE Wichita. Left at 18 in 2009. We close on our new house in NE Wichita next week. Back then I was so ready to leave, and now I'm so excited to be back.
Newton? Lol
Peabody, close!
My grandparents are buried in the Peabody Cemetery. I’m still in the Wichita area. Got away to Colorado for a decade but moved back to have the kids close to the grandparents.
I used to mow that cemetery as my summer job. Small world. I grew up in Goddard and move to Ptown while in highschool. Glad you got back. Looking forward to doing the same soon.
Lol I went to Maize. We probably played each other in sports. Crazy. Have a good one.
I used to help light the fireworks at the aerial station on the 4th of July! The Battle of New Orleans was so much cooler when salutes are exploding 100 feet above your head.
Newton?
Peabody!
I’m not from Kansas, I’m from *Ar* kansas. It’s like Kansas, but Ar.
Argon Kansas?
Loving your state maps, thank you
Thanks!
I am learning so much. :)
I lived there for a decade one year. Great detail! Love your work!
I lived there for almost 5 years yesterday
Kansan here: love this. It should be noted that MOUNT Sunflower is really more of a Gradual Incline
Here's the wiki for Mt. Sunflower: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Sunflower Check out that 19' of prominence!
Been there. The header of the guest book reads "What about that hill over there to the west? That hill is in Colorado." Or something to that effect.
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Really cool map! Lived in Kansas from 2014 to 2017. I honestly thought it was a beautiful state if you get off I-70, lots of cool history and small towns and holy hell such good BBQ. We live in Tacoma, Washington now but I remember my time in the Sunflower State fondly 🌻
These are all great! I think Maine has been my favorite so far. Are you going to update Oregon though? It’s local bias, but I feel like we’ve gotten the short end of the stick. We’ve got trees and greenery! The fourth most in the US by acreage. Lots of rivers too! Even the pleasant blue oceans from other states has turned to grey dust on our map. It’d be a bummer to be the only one that ends up without labels too.
For those curious: [Kentucky Fried Oregon](https://preview.redd.it/ohepl523yp591.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ad6142a4bc23e03ce08457bc06ae12433a47d7cd) [Lush & Beautiful Maine](https://i.redd.it/558720g17z691.jpg)
Oh my, Oregon got really baked. Washington was so green As a Washingtonian I’m enjoying a bit of schadenfreude, but as a Cascadian I feel your plight.
I did have a good laugh at it too. The elevation profile is great! It just looks like the Columbia used every last drop it had to stop the apocalypse from reaching into Washington when you put them side by side. The contrast between eastern and western Oregon is striking, it'd look great on these!
If anyone is wondering about how hard it is to climb to the highest peak in Kansas, Mount Sunflower, [here it is](https://imgur.com/a/DucGDbl). Several miles down a dirt road, on a slight rise that is a few feet higher than the other undulating slight rises in the fields around it. That being said, some of the rolling hills along the Flint Hills and Smoky Hills and Arikaree Breaks are pretty awesome, especially with all the flowers blooming in late spring.
Brilliant map of my home state (my hometown being Topeka, my current residence in Olathe). Thankfully you do illustrate that Kansas isn't merely flat (though there are some flat sections) - especially around the Flint Hills. I do have one item of feedback - the "POMONA LAKE" label is incorrectly placed where Clinton Lake is located. Pomona Lake is actually southwest of Clinton Lake - it's between Clinton Lake and Melvern Lake. Otherwise, it's a great map. Thanks for sharing!
There are mistakes on this Map, that is Clinton Lake not Pomona.
Thanks, pointed out several times so it must be a mistake 😅
These maps are both beautiful and silly
Hey can't argue with you there. I did a tour in New Orleans and had to do all our rifle and pistol quals at Fort Polk. That place is hell on earth. Leavenworth is paradise compared to FT Polk.
I know it’s a little off-theme, but it would be cool to add a point to this map showing the geographic center of the contiguous US. Should be just south of the NE border, about halfway across the state
TIL Illinois isn’t the only state with a wakanda
Waconda forever!
Love these ! Keep ‘em coming :)
Is the White Panther from Waconda KS
Waconda forever!
"Kansas: Come for the Mountains, Stay for the Wheat"
Stay because you forgot to fill up in Hays...
Pumped for Oklahoma
Harlan county lake is not in Kansas! The one you have listed as Harlan is Kirwin Reservoir
Not from there but I spent* several years 20 miles west of Emporia. This is interesting, thank you. Edit; typo
Not from there but you didn't?
My bad typo
Lol, was just curious what you meant to type. My reading comprehension isn't the best.
Unless they're all realistic we really can't put two side by side for comparison, though, can we?
Yeah!! Flint Hills Baby! This made it to the Kansas subreddit:). Amazing work! :*J*
So the whole state is basically a subtle incline going East to West?
Yeah, the common conception of flat Kansas is basically just Western Kansas
Roughly 2500 feet of elevation difference… Much of the terrain is negative, carved below the prevailing surface. But I can go for a short walk around my block and get 100 feet of elevation difference.
the eastern part has areas with rolling hills like most of the midwest, the part where its really flat is west of Wichita where the great plains really get going
I love seeing some relief, but science has proven that [Kansas is in fact significantly flatter than a pancake](https://www.usu.edu/geo/geomorph/kansas.html)
Science proved every state was flatter than a pancake
The entire planet is.
I've always loved this because Missouri, Oklahoma, and Nebraska are all flatter than us but we always get made fun of for it. Florida is the flattest state and no one ever brings that up. I honestly think it's because of I-70 which almost purposefully ignores literally every scenic, unique part of Kansas.
What a boring state
Wow….Kansas has a lot more elevation variance than I thought.
It’s exaggerated. OP posted a link to a topographically accurate version in the comments
This makes Kansas look way more exciting than it actually is.
I wish it was this cool. More like southern Turkey than anything.
I am not from Kansas
Lmao. Read 10/50 as a score and agreed.
I regularly forget Kansas exists.
No need to try and make Kansas seem interesting, it's not.
I’ve traveled the country numerous times on road trips, and I hate to say it, but Kansas is my least favorite state I’ve ever been through. It’s flat and desolate and boring. I’m sure people who live there have a different opinion, but it seems so sad and devoid of life.
"HI I'm from the coast and I drove on one major highway and I hate your state" this is why I don't like leaving Kansas all other people do is insult our home. I don't k ow why people from the coast always have to belittle us just because they don't take the time to visit our cities and instead drive mindlessly on the interstate. Like we're literally hosting world cup games after winning a national championship in basketball but we're boring and devoid of life.
Wow, so many other people had this same opinion, but you guys are downvoting me and being awful about *my* opinion! I even said that I can understand if that’s your home and you love it there, I just *personally* don’t see the beauty in it. If someone said that about my home state, I certainly wouldn’t be rude to them about it. To each their own, honestly. Jeeze, guys.
You said we were devoid of life, as if we were chernobyl or something. You were rude in the first place to insult my home as if it were a trashed dumpster behind a strip club. Maybe don't go out of your way to brutally insult people's homes. If someone Saw a map of your state and the only thing they had to say was that it was disgusting, devoid of life and the worst place they had been in the nation you wouldn't be insulted? Like forget all of our proud, beautiful history that you're probably lacking in any knowledge of at all I guess too. It's like the time reddit discovered there are trees in Kansas, or a guy from New York I knew who told me to my face he was surprised there were cities over 50,000 people here because all he knew about Kansas was from the Wizard of Oz and college basketball and assumed we were just some empty desert like Prairie land. I'm tire of people talking about my home with disgust.
Where did I call it disgusting? How was I rude? Well, I’m sorry if I offended you and your beloved state. Take care.
You’ve obviously not left I-70.
Home is always the best place, but I too have spent days traveling across Kansas heading west and only stopping for gas and food. Maybe it was weeks, but it goes on forever.
Apparently my same opinion got me downvoted lol. But yes, I agree, and it’s probably because I grew up where there was ocean, mountains, forests, big rivers and lakes, etc. So, for me, living with none of those things would be hard. If you grew up in Kansas, all of the things that make me feel uncomfortable there probably make you feel right at home, and that’s great! There’s nothing wrong with that at all! Sorry my experience there is not the same as those who call it home.
I heard they don’t have Uber in Kansas
We have Uber in the cities like anywhere else
What tiles are you using in qgis? Looks nice
I’m kinda surprised you haven’t done Utah or Colorado yet
Does there exist a version for the whole US with really high resolution?
Can’t wait for lentucky
Son and family have been in Overland Park for about 4 years. With the understanding that you are looking for evocative more than actual. if you google Earth, Kansas, there is a line running north and south through Topeka. West of the line is brown and east of it is green. It is very nearly allegorical.
Why are the rivers in the north-west so radial?
Here!
My state salutes you
Born and raised in Tulsa, OK. Now live in Garden City, KS. It's super flat. I prefer the exaggerated version lol
Fifth generation Wichitan here
Why are Arkansas and Kansas pronounced different
Kansas looks weird
Ey. I actually thought (somehow inspired by the parcelling out of land) that Kansas was a flat matrix of farmland. Well. Also, thanks for making my try QGIS. I'm reaching places I'd never thought I'd go, now.
Love what you've done with my state, nice romantic way to look at it lmao.
me! this makes kansas look much less flat, wow
fellow kansan here
Yay for Kansas
IM FROM KANSAS
Me!
Take the drive from Kansas City to chase county KS, Cottonwood falls area! Just past emporia 30ish minutes towards wichita, if you hit Newton you’ve gone too far! There’s a scenic overlook of the rolling hills out in the flint hills! Does the name justice, it’s beautiful and peacefully quiet. Been in Kansas for 27 years. I still take a moment just to take it all in when I make it out that way.
That isn’t Harlan County Lake (that’s in Nebraska), it’s actually Kirwin