Story Map

A story map is a digital storytelling format that weaves together interactive maps with supporting content such as text, photographs, videos, and charts. The goal is to guide a reader through a geographic narrative—whether it covers climate change impacts, community history, disaster response, or travel adventures—in a visually compelling and spatially grounded way. Story maps typically follow a sequential layout where users scroll or click through sections, with the map view updating to reflect each part of the narrative. Some formats use sidecars with a scrolling panel alongside a persistent map, while others employ full-screen map transitions. The Esri ArcGISArcGISArcGIS is a leading GIS platform offering tools for spatial analysis, mapping, and data visualization. It serves a wi... StoryMaps platform is the most widely known tool, but open-source alternatives like StoryMapJS from Knight Lab and custom solutions built with MapboxMapboxMapbox is a robust platform that equips developers with tools to create highly customizable, interactive maps for web... or LeafletLeafletLeaflet is a lightweight, mobile-friendly JavaScript library for building interactive mapping applications. Known for... are also popular. Organizations use story maps for public engagement, journalism, education, grant reporting, and internal communication. They lower the barrier to understanding spatial data by embedding it within a familiar reading experience. Effective story maps balance geographic detail with narrative pacing, avoid overwhelming readers with too many layers, and ensure accessibility with alt text, readable fonts, and mobile-responsive layouts.