What does “within 25 miles” actually mean?

A circle begins with a question.

A circle around El Segundo looks like a simple way to define “local.” But local to whom, measured from where, and reached how? A public library can sit close to a point on a map while a route to its entrance takes a very different path. This PointCast feature introduces cartography as an everyday form of critical reading. Start with historical Los Angeles views, learn what projections and legends do, then build a carefully sourced map of public places. The goal is a map whose reader can understand the question, inspect the evidence, and see what still needs checking.

What we know before drawing.

The three official starter records have verified addresses and unverified coordinates. The Census origin is an internal representative point, not City Hall. Its datum needs checking. No pins, study-radius geometry or travel times have been invented for this feature.

Historical Los Angeles maps are linked through official catalogs; their image bytes are not embedded without inspection.