The Latest Stuff:

2/20/07 - Stevens County is new for 2008. Check out the Regular Map Pages and Expanded Pages.
12/20/07 - Stevens County is now a Preserve America Community: http://theheritagenetwork.org/forums/
12/20/07 -  Pend Oreille County has been completely revised.  Check out the Regular Map Pages and the Expanded Pages.

    When I moved to Northeast Washington in 1974, I realized that everything was more personal here.  People waved when cars passed on the road.  After a winter, folks recognize most faces in the small towns.  With county populations that could fit several times over in most big league ballparks we get to know each other.  This is a business website for Map Metrics, but also a personal website for Joe Barreca and a direct link to a lot of other local businesses and their owners because Northeast Washington is a personal place.

            Our main business is publishing detailed, emergency-service-quality map books for four counties in Northeast Washington and two in North Idaho.  You can look at how those books are made and download pages from them in the Maps section of this website.  The “Metrics” part of this business relates to using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to overlay and measure diverse sets of information.  Our series of geologic atlases stretches the space of this northern tier back through millions of years.   The data we provide on thousands of mines in the region helps rockhounds explore for metals and minerals.

            Rich forests, abundant wildlife and available water sustained native peoples here since the end of the last ice age.   The history of the Sinixt Indians who managed Kettle Falls as a sacred fishery puts us on the world’s cultural map.  David Thompson, fur trader and cartographer, visited Kettle Falls in 1811 leaving a legacy of maps and woodcraft.  By the end of the century, mining boomtowns brought thousands of settlers.  Most of those towns are now ghost towns.  The stories and gravesites of those settlers still provide strong roots across our maps.

            Wave after wave of urban refugees made this area their home.  Our communities still welcome strangers.  We have a large network of businesses and a natural playground for visitors.  You can explore both using our maps.

            As an agricultural region, we provide a haven for small and organic farms as well as the world-class orchards of the Okanogan Valley.  Our cool nights and hot days bring a unique flavor to the wines of the region.  An active community of growers brings the flavors of Northeast Washington to farmers markets and gourmet restaurants throughout the Northwest.

            Whether you are coming to stay or just passing through, Map Metrics welcomes you to Northeast Washington and North Idaho.  We strive to provide you with a virtual link to our favorite place.