Time Series
Horizon Chart
Layered, folded area chart that shows many time series in minimal vertical space.
Server CPU Usage
Hourly load across 10 servers
View data (80 rows)
| Hour | CPU | Server |
|---|---|---|
| 6am | 25 | web-01 |
| 8am | 45 | web-01 |
| 10am | 72 | web-01 |
| 12pm | 85 | web-01 |
| 2pm | 68 | web-01 |
| 4pm | 90 | web-01 |
| 6pm | 55 | web-01 |
| 8pm | 30 | web-01 |
| 6am | 15 | web-02 |
| 8am | 35 | web-02 |
| 10am | 55 | web-02 |
| 12pm | 78 | web-02 |
| 2pm | 62 | web-02 |
| 4pm | 82 | web-02 |
| 6pm | 48 | web-02 |
| 8pm | 25 | web-02 |
| 6am | 22 | web-03 |
| 8am | 40 | web-03 |
| 10am | 65 | web-03 |
| 12pm | 88 | web-03 |
| 2pm | 72 | web-03 |
| 4pm | 86 | web-03 |
| 6pm | 52 | web-03 |
| 8pm | 28 | web-03 |
| 6am | 18 | web-04 |
| 8am | 32 | web-04 |
| 10am | 60 | web-04 |
| 12pm | 80 | web-04 |
| 2pm | 70 | web-04 |
| 4pm | 84 | web-04 |
| 6pm | 50 | web-04 |
| 8pm | 22 | web-04 |
| 6am | 12 | web-05 |
| 8am | 28 | web-05 |
| 10am | 50 | web-05 |
| 12pm | 72 | web-05 |
| 2pm | 58 | web-05 |
| 4pm | 76 | web-05 |
| 6pm | 42 | web-05 |
| 8pm | 18 | web-05 |
| 6am | 40 | api-01 |
| 8am | 60 | api-01 |
| 10am | 88 | api-01 |
| 12pm | 95 | api-01 |
| 2pm | 80 | api-01 |
| 4pm | 92 | api-01 |
| 6pm | 70 | api-01 |
| 8pm | 45 | api-01 |
| 6am | 35 | api-02 |
| 8am | 55 | api-02 |
| 10am | 80 | api-02 |
| 12pm | 90 | api-02 |
| 2pm | 75 | api-02 |
| 4pm | 85 | api-02 |
| 6pm | 62 | api-02 |
| 8pm | 38 | api-02 |
| 6am | 30 | api-03 |
| 8am | 48 | api-03 |
| 10am | 72 | api-03 |
| 12pm | 84 | api-03 |
| 2pm | 68 | api-03 |
| 4pm | 78 | api-03 |
| 6pm | 58 | api-03 |
| 8pm | 32 | api-03 |
| 6am | 20 | db-01 |
| 8am | 28 | db-01 |
| 10am | 42 | db-01 |
| 12pm | 65 | db-01 |
| 2pm | 55 | db-01 |
| 4pm | 72 | db-01 |
| 6pm | 38 | db-01 |
| 8pm | 22 | db-01 |
| 6am | 10 | cache-01 |
| 8am | 18 | cache-01 |
| 10am | 35 | cache-01 |
| 12pm | 52 | cache-01 |
| 2pm | 40 | cache-01 |
| 4pm | 58 | cache-01 |
| 6pm | 30 | cache-01 |
| 8pm | 15 | cache-01 |
Use a horizon chart when…
- Comparing 10+ time series in limited space
- Dashboard with many metrics
Avoid when…
- General audiences
- When precise reading matters
Data it needs
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Min Rows | 6 |
| Min Columns | 2 |
| Column Types | datenumber |
Visual anatomy
Marks
area (layered)
Channels
color-luminanceposition-y
Axes
x-time
Guiding principles
Consider instead
Common mistakes
Using with unfamiliar audiences
Too many bands losing readability
History
Developed by Heer, Kong, and Agrawala at UC Berkeley (2009).
Accessibility notes
Describe overall trend direction and key inflection points.
Related reading
Got data? Let's see what works.
Drop your CSV. You'll get a Horizon Chart plus four alternatives - ranked by which one actually fits your data best.