Map reading is an essential skill that is becoming less common in an age of GPS devices and online resources. As a traveller you might be completely lost if your electronic device breaks down or you go somewhere out of range, so it is always a good idea to carry a paper map with you as backup. With an up-to-date and easy-to-read street map, you should be able to find any street address.
Obtain a street map. Use a local city or town map that displays every street name, not a state or county map that only charts major roadways. Find a map for the neighborhood or zone of your destination. Other helpful features are zip code partitions and numbered blocks. For example, it should be easy to find the area of a particular zip code or a street block with addresses between 100 and 200. Most maps include letter and number gridlines. Refer to the index of street names to locate a destination on the grid.
Learn as much as you can about your destination address. If possible, determine its zip code or what side of town it is on. This will help you narrow your search on the map, particularly if it does not have a grid or index.
Find the street of your destination address on the map. Put your finger on it or mark it so you do not lose sight of it.
Estimate where the address is located on the street. This will be easiest if the map is labeled with address blocks. For example, if you are looking for the address 150 North Maple Street, it will be located on the block between 100 North Maple Street and 200 North Maple Street. Note that even-numbered addresses are always on one side of the street and odd-numbered addresses are on the other. Which side they are on is different in every city.
Note that address numbers will increase as you move away from the city or town center. If your map is not labeled with address blocks, you will have to guess the exact location of the address based on other addresses in the area.
Mark the location of the address on the map if you think this will help you remember it.
