We present high-resolution absorption measurements (R ~ 150 000) of the interstellar Na I D-lines at 5890 Å observed towards 46 early-type stars. The distance to these stars ranges from 20–200 pc, allowing a probe of the local interstellar medium (LISM). The velocity structure, velocity dispersions and column densities of the various cloud components have been derived using an absorption line-fitting analysis. Sodium column densities have been determined for 23 of the 46 target stars. No sodium absorption was detected towards any of the stars with distances < 43 pc. Such null results imply a corresponding hydrogen column density limit, N(H), of ~ 2.5 × 1018cm−2 in many directions in the LISM. For three exceptionally vacant lines of sight (to β CMa, 36 Lyn and η Hya) this limit of low hydrogen column density can be placed out to a much further distance of > 150 pc.

We have plotted the distribution of sodium column density in the LISM for a total of 118 stars in the form of three galactic maps. These maps qualitatively show that the present picture of the LISM, in which the first 50 pc is essentially free of dense clumps of neutral gas, is correct. Our map of sodium columns for stars with distances > 100 pc shows that the region within the galactic quadrant defined by 200° < l < 270° shows a conspicuous absence of any significant concentration of neutral gas. This region will be a prime direction of study for forthcoming soft X-ray and extreme ultraviolet satellite experiments.