Google Maps is great for getting around—not only because of its simplicity, but also its color-coded topography that helps you discern forests from roads. Unfortunately, Google Maps doesn't outright explain what each color means, so let me be your map key.

Google Maps is packed with useful features, from navigation functionality to improved safety tools. Google is always looking to improve the user experience, including thoughtful color coding designed to help you discern what you're looking at instantly. The idea is to create a detailed representation of the world with a minimalist aesthetic.

Let's start with the basic categories of colors and go from there.

Gray: This represents roads, highways, railways, and underground tunnels. Roads are a lighter gray, while highways are much darker with dotted white lines. These are notably easier to discern compared to the nearly identical shades of yellow Google Maps used before.

Railroads are thin gray lines, similar in color to roads. But they have one major distinction: dashes that are meant to resemble cross-ties. Underground tunnels are gray with cross-hatch shading.

Green Lines: When you enable the Biking option, you'll find a series of green lines that refer to trails, bicycle-friendly roads, dedicated lanes, and dirt trails. These are represented as a solid dark green line, a dotted green line, a solid light green line, and dark green dashes, respectively.