Distribution
Ridgeline Plot
Stacked density plots for comparing many distributions, also called Joy Plot.
Temperature Distribution by Season
Seasonal shift in °C
View data (96 rows)
| Month | Temp |
|---|---|
| Jan | -2 |
| Jan | 1 |
| Jan | 3 |
| Jan | 5 |
| Jan | 0 |
| Jan | 4 |
| Jan | -1 |
| Jan | 2 |
| Feb | 0 |
| Feb | 3 |
| Feb | 5 |
| Feb | 7 |
| Feb | 2 |
| Feb | 6 |
| Feb | 1 |
| Feb | 4 |
| Mar | 5 |
| Mar | 8 |
| Mar | 10 |
| Mar | 12 |
| Mar | 7 |
| Mar | 11 |
| Mar | 6 |
| Mar | 9 |
| Apr | 10 |
| Apr | 14 |
| Apr | 16 |
| Apr | 18 |
| Apr | 12 |
| Apr | 15 |
| Apr | 11 |
| Apr | 17 |
| May | 16 |
| May | 19 |
| May | 21 |
| May | 23 |
| May | 17 |
| May | 22 |
| May | 18 |
| May | 20 |
| Jun | 21 |
| Jun | 24 |
| Jun | 26 |
| Jun | 28 |
| Jun | 22 |
| Jun | 27 |
| Jun | 23 |
| Jun | 25 |
| Jul | 24 |
| Jul | 28 |
| Jul | 30 |
| Jul | 32 |
| Jul | 26 |
| Jul | 29 |
| Jul | 27 |
| Jul | 31 |
| Aug | 23 |
| Aug | 27 |
| Aug | 29 |
| Aug | 31 |
| Aug | 25 |
| Aug | 28 |
| Aug | 26 |
| Aug | 30 |
| Sep | 18 |
| Sep | 22 |
| Sep | 24 |
| Sep | 26 |
| Sep | 19 |
| Sep | 23 |
| Sep | 20 |
| Sep | 25 |
| Oct | 8 |
| Oct | 12 |
| Oct | 15 |
| Oct | 18 |
| Oct | 10 |
| Oct | 14 |
| Oct | 11 |
| Oct | 16 |
| Nov | 4 |
| Nov | 7 |
| Nov | 9 |
| Nov | 12 |
| Nov | 5 |
| Nov | 10 |
| Nov | 6 |
| Nov | 8 |
| Dec | -1 |
| Dec | 2 |
| Dec | 4 |
| Dec | 6 |
| Dec | 1 |
| Dec | 5 |
| Dec | 0 |
| Dec | 3 |
Use a ridgeline plot when…
- Comparing 5-20 distributions
- Time-based distribution changes
- Visually striking overviews
Avoid when…
- Precise comparison (overlaps obscure)
- Fewer than 3 groups
Data it needs
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Min Rows | 10 |
| Min Columns | 2 |
| Column Types | stringnumber |
Visual anatomy
Marks
area
Channels
position-xheightvertical-offset
Axes
x-quantitativey-categorical (stacked)
Guiding principles
Common mistakes
Too many overlapping groups
Inconsistent scales across rows
Wrong KDE bandwidth — too smooth hides modes, too jagged adds noise
History
Named 'Joy Plot' after the Joy Division album cover; renamed to Ridgeline for inclusivity.
Accessibility notes
Pair group color with a row label (color alone is insufficient given heavy overlap) and provide per-group summary statistics in a data table.
Related reading
Got data? Let's see what works.
Drop your CSV. You'll get a Ridgeline Plot plus four alternatives - ranked by which one actually fits your data best.