U.S. Census Office, Proportion of Population in Cities and Towns of More than 2000 Inhabitants (1903)

This choropleth map from the Statistical Atlas, 1900, published in 1903 under the direction of Henry Gannett, displays the percentage of the population living in cities and towns of more than 2,000 inhabitants in counties across the United States in 1900. At the time, the U.S. Census Office generally defined "urban" as cities of 8,000 residents or more, so this map is not technically showing the "urban population." Still, it provides a snapshot of those living in relatively populated areas. The darker the shade of brown on the map, the higher the percentage of the population living in a city or town of more than 2000 inhabitants. The blue shade represents places where there were no municipalities of 2000 or more people. The map clearly visualizes the urban, industrial spaces that emerged and grew throughout the Great Lakes and Northeast regions in the late 19th century.