2000 Population Distribution in the United States

The U. S. Census Bureau's "Nighttime Map" illustrates how the east and midwest are more densely populated than the west. It provides insight into why there are different perceptions about what is rural among regions. From the Census Bureau:

The 2000 version of the Population Distribution in the United States map reflects population data from the 2000 Decennial Census. The U.S. land area is shown in black against a midnight blue background in which the population locations are shown as if lights were visible during the night sky. White dots coalesce to form the urban population concentrations. On the wall-sized version of the map, each white "dot" represents 1,000 people. On the page-sized version of the map, each white "dot" represents 7,500 people.

Click on the map to enlarge it.