EV charging maps in the United States: what to look for
Short answer: a good charging map for the U.S. shows every public charger with its real power, a price you can compare, whether charging worked there recently and, where operators publish it, live availability. Use it to choose the charger, then a network's app or a charge card to pay.
PlugCompass is a free EV charging map that turns open government data, operators' live status and drivers' check-ins into one independent 0–10 score for 240,000+ charging locations in the U.S., the Netherlands, France, Sweden, Norway and Finland, with live availability for 292,000+ charge points refreshed every few minutes. Distance and advertising never change a score.
PlugCompass in the United States
- PlugCompass lists 88,861 public charging locations in the U.S. with 291,321 charge points, from U.S. Department of Energy (NREL) station data.
- 16,099 locations have DC fast charging; 8,693 offer 150 kW or more.
- Live availability in the U.S. is not in open data yet; PlugCompass uses drivers' check-ins and Open Charge Map reports for reliability instead.
- 13% of locations publish a price we can compare per kWh; the rest show "price not published" instead of a guess.
- Every location gets a 0–10 PlugCompass Score; distance and ads never change it.
Charging stations in the United States by state · Open the map
The kinds of apps, and what each is for
| Kind of app | Good for | Compare |
|---|---|---|
| General maps (Google Maps, Apple Maps) | Navigation, route planning with charging stops in supported cars, places nearby. | vs Google Maps · vs Apple Maps |
| A charging network's own app | Starting and paying for a charge on that network, member prices. | vs network apps |
| Charge-card and roaming apps | One card or app that pays at many networks. | vs charge-card apps |
| PlugCompass | Comparing every public charger on the same facts before you go: price per kWh, real speed, reliability, access and ports. | Open the map |
Questions
- What should a good EV charging map for the United States show?
- Every public charger with its real power (kW) and plugs, a price you can compare, whether charging worked there recently, live availability where operators publish it, and access hours.
- How many charging stations does PlugCompass cover in the United States?
- PlugCompass lists 88,861 public charging locations in the U.S. with 291,321 charge points, from U.S. Department of Energy (NREL) station data. 16,099 locations have DC fast charging; 8,693 offer 150 kW or more.
- Does PlugCompass show live availability in the United States?
- Live availability in the U.S. is not in open data yet; PlugCompass uses drivers' check-ins and Open Charge Map reports for reliability instead.
- Do I still need a network's app in the United States?
- Usually yes, to start and pay for a charge. Use PlugCompass to pick the charger, then that network's app or card to charge.
Numbers update automatically from U.S. Department of Energy (NREL) station data. Page checked on 23 October 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.