In 1995, three respected mapping firms collaborated on a vision they shared for a new line of state road atlases. The result was Benchmark Maps, a partnership that would apply the unique talents of each company to produce atlases with an entirely new kind of look and presentation. These new atlases would combine strikingly beautiful Landscape Maps™ with data collection of unequaled accuracy and detail.

To get the best data, teams of field checkers drive throughout each state and conduct hundreds of information-gathering interviews. The roads featured in the atlases are classed by type and surface, and all consequential locales and features are shown.

Three atlases – New Mexico, Arizona and Oregon – have been awarded "Best Atlas Design" or "Best of Show" in the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping's distinguished national map competition. These are the highest honors attainable in the map industry.

Now there are eleven atlases, six folding recreation maps, and six folding road maps with more currently in production. Every new map and atlas raises the bar a little, while finding new friends in new markets. Benchmark Maps' mission is to continue to refine and improve the series and strive to identify and serve the needs of a broad range of users.