Gas Station Road Maps: Passports to Imagination and Adventure

Printed highway and street maps were given out for free at almost every gas station in the United States during the half century from 1925 to 1975. This paper focuses on the history, cultural significance and uses of these maps and their lasting impacts. Road maps distributed by Chevron, Phillips, Shell, Sinclair and many other oil companies are indeed a “time journey” back to the era in which they were produced. The humble gas station road map presented much more than just a representation of the geography of streets, roads and other physical features. They also reflected the complex and multifaceted larger society of which they were a part, including Americans deep longing for adventure, escape, discovery and self-realization as well as their attitudes toward nature, travel, natural resources, minorities and sexual relations. Thus, road maps distributed at gas stations are a resource for teaching and research as well as personal enjoyment.