Story highlights The stunning result was the culmination of a lot of factors

Trump outperformed his polls in some key areas while Clinton failed to turn her map into a reality

Throughout the fall, we ran a series called Critical Counties, exploring 11 counties around the country that chief national correspondent John King identified as key in the 2016 election. Here's a look back.

Washington (CNN)

Donald Trump overcame long odds to win the election in part because of Hillary Clinton's failure to seize the structural advantages she had entering the general election.

Trump managed to walk away with Ohio and even took Pennsylvania, a state no Republican presidential nominee had won in decades. And the margins were close in some places like Michigan, a state most thought was comfortably in the blue column.

The stunning result was the culmination of a lot of factors but, simply put, Trump outperformed his polls in some key areas while Clinton failed to turn her map into a reality.

Over the course of the 2016 campaign, CNN analyzed a series of counties that could help explain the election. From these critical counties in Michigan, Colorado, Pennsylvania and other states, we see how Trump's win came together. We also see where Clinton lived up to expectations and where she fell short.

So as the dust continues to settle around the Republican upset, here's how Trump and Clinton fared in 11 counties that helped decide the election.

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