{"id":1008,"date":"2026-10-23T17:32:59","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T17:32:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jfdi-blog-hex-maps-vs-real-maps"},"modified":"2026-10-23T17:32:59","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T17:32:59","slug":"hex-maps-vs-real-maps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jfdi.pro\/blog\/hex-maps-vs-real-maps\/","title":{"rendered":"Hex maps vs real maps: why election maps use hexagons"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Election maps use hexagons because constituencies have roughly equal numbers of voters but wildly unequal areas. On a normal map, a handful of huge rural seats fill most of the picture and the cities shrink to specks. A hex map gives every seat one identical hexagon, so the picture shows seats, which is what decides an election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Make a hex map of your data<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The numbers behind the distortion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I added up the areas of all 650 Westminster constituencies on the July 2024 boundaries (ONS boundary files):<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Area<\/th>Seats<\/th>Share of seats<\/th>Share of UK land<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
London<\/td>75<\/td>11.5%<\/td>0.6%<\/td><\/tr>
Scotland<\/td>57<\/td>8.8%<\/td>32%<\/td><\/tr>
Rest of the UK<\/td>518<\/td>79.7%<\/td>67%<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

London elects more MPs than Scotland, yet on a normal map Scotland takes up about fifty times as much space. Fifty-nine seats are smaller than 20 km\u00b2, while the largest, Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, covers about 11,600 km\u00b2. Colour each seat by the winning party and the map mostly shows who won the Highlands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The same data both ways. On the left, real boundaries; on the right, one hexagon per seat.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What a hex map is<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A hex map is a kind of cartogram<\/em>: a map where the size of each area stands for something other than land. Here, each constituency is one hexagon, placed roughly where it really is so neighbours stay neighbours. London becomes a recognisable cluster, and you can see every seat in Manchester or Glasgow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The layout used in the JFDI map maker<\/a> is the House of Commons Library’s, the same one many newsrooms use. It’s published under the Open Parliament Licence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When to use hexagons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Use a hex map when each area counts equally<\/strong> in what you’re showing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n