Outdoor Activities ...
As we travel, we like to pursue some of our interests (such as astronomy and bird watching).
When in Big Springs, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Big Springs and the surrounding area.
- Weather ...
- Before heading outdoors, you should check the weather:
- The National Weather Service forecast for Big Springs
- Astronomy & Satellites ...
- Whether using binoculars, a small telescope or the naked-eye, the Heavens-Above website can help you to find your way around the night-time sky. In addition to detailed sky charts, their website will help you find planets, asteriods, comets, satellites and their tracks across the sky.
- To give accurate results, Heavens-Above requires the latitude and longitude of your location. As a starting point, when we link to Heavens-Above, we pass this GPS location for Big Springs:
- 42.938047, -96.607535
- Once you're on the Heavens-Above website, you can improve its accuracy by giving a more precise longitude and latitude as your actual position.
- The Heavens-Above Website, centered on Big Springs
- Bird Watching ...
- We enjoy finding new spots for bird watching and we use the eBird website for local sighting reports and to help identify hotspots.
- The eBird website is organized on a county-by-county basis. We have selected Union County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
- eBird sighting report for Union County
- Since Big Springs is near Sioux County and also Plymouth County, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
- eBird sighting report for Sioux County
- eBird sighting report for Plymouth County
- Waymarking ...
- Looking for somewhere out of the ordinary? Find a unique place and want to share it with others? Then it's time to visit Waymarking.com:
- Waymark.com
Communities Also Named Big Springs ...
We found 22 communities that share the name Big Springs.
Within South Dakota, the name Big Springs is unique.
Beyond South Dakota, we know of another 22 communities that are located throughout in the United States.
- Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
- Alabama
- Bibb County
- We found mention of this community, but have little information.<1> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Alabama community of Big Springs [Bibb County].
- Randolph County
- This Big Springs is located in Randolph County and lies 904 miles [1,454.8 km]<2> to the southeast of the Big Springs that is located in Union County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Randolph County community of Big Springs.
- Arizona
- Coconino County
- This Big Springs is located in Coconino County and lies 941 miles [1,514.4 km]<2> to the west southwest of the Big Springs that is located in Union County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Coconino County community of Big Springs.
- Arkansas
- Stone County
- We found mention of this community, but have little information.<1> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Arkansas community of Big Springs [Stone County].
- California
- Siskiyou County
- This Big Springs is located in Siskiyou County and lies 1,316 miles [2,117.9 km]<2> to the west of the Big Springs that is located in Union County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Siskiyou County community of Big Springs.
- Georgia
- Troup County
- This Big Springs is located in Troup County and lies 934 miles [1,503.1 km]<2> to the southeast of the Big Springs that is located in Union County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Troup County community of Big Springs.
- Idaho
- Fremont County
- This Big Springs is located in Fremont County and lies 737 miles [1,186.1 km]<2> to the west northwest of the Big Springs that is located in Union County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Fremont County community of Big Springs.
- Indiana
- Boone County
- This Big Springs is located in Boone County and lies 570 miles [917.3 km]<2> to the east southeast of the Big Springs that is located in Union County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Boone County community of Big Springs.
- Kansas
- Douglas County
- This Big Springs is located in Douglas County and lies 277 miles [445.8 km]<2> to the south southeast of the Big Springs that is located in Union County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Douglas County community of Big Springs.
- Mississippi
- Clay County
- We found mention of this community, but have little information.<1> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Mississippi community of Big Springs [Clay County].
- Nebraska
- Deuel County
- This Big Springs is located in Deuel County and lies 308 miles [495.7 km]<2> to the west southwest of the Big Springs that is located in Union County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Deuel County community of Big Springs.
- New Jersey
- Sussex County
- This Big Springs is located in Sussex County and lies 1,131 miles [1,820.2 km]<2> to the east of the Big Springs that is located in Union County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Sussex County community of Big Springs.
- Ohio
- Logan County
- This Big Springs is located in Logan County and lies 688 miles [1,107.2 km]<2> to the east of the Big Springs that is located in Union County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Logan County community of Big Springs.
- South Carolina
- Chesterfield County
- This Big Springs is located in Chesterfield County and lies 1,054 miles [1,696.2 km]<2> to the east southeast of the Big Springs that is located in Union County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Chesterfield County community of Big Springs.
- Tennessee
- Blount County
- This Big Springs is located in Blount County and lies 831 miles [1,337.4 km]<2> to the east southeast of the Big Springs that is located in Union County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Blount County community of Big Springs.
- Dickson County
- This Big Springs is located in Dickson County and lies 677 miles [1,089.5 km] to the southeast of the Big Springs that is located in Union County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Dickson County community of Big Springs.
- Hancock County
- This Big Springs is located in Hancock County and lies 846 miles [1,361.5 km] to the east southeast of the Big Springs that is located in Union County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Hancock County community of Big Springs.
- Madison County
- We found mention of this community, but have little information.<1> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Tennessee community of Big Springs [Madison County].
- Overton County
- This Big Springs is located in Overton County and lies 750 miles [1,207 km] to the east southeast of the Big Springs that is located in Union County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Overton County community of Big Springs.
- Rutherford County
- This Big Springs is located in Rutherford County and lies 743 miles [1,195.7 km] to the southeast of the Big Springs that is located in Union County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Rutherford County community of Big Springs.
- Texas
- Rusk County
- This Big Springs is located in Rusk County and lies 755 miles [1,215.1 km]<2> to the south of the Big Springs that is located in Union County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Rusk County community of Big Springs.
- West Virginia
- Calhoun County
- This Big Springs is located in Calhoun County and lies 853 miles [1,372.8 km]<2> to the east southeast of the Big Springs that is located in Union County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Calhoun County community of Big Springs.
- Alabama
Curious and Interesting Names Near Big Springs ...
As we travel, we always see a community with a name that gives pause. While there are names which are interesting or familiar, some catch our attention or strike our fancy. We always wonder about such a name. If time permits and the community is not too far, we'll usually try to make a side-trip.
- Clay Point
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Clay Point have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clay Point
- Clay Point is located in Clay County
- Craig
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east) - Emmet
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest) - Greenfield
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Greenfield have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenfield
- Greenfield is located in Clay County
- Estimated population in 2014: 40 people
- Hill Side
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west) - Hub City
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west) - Junction City
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southwest)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Junction City
- Junction City is located in Union County
- Marshalltown ‑ Historic
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the west)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marshalltown have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marshalltown
- Marshalltown is located in Clay County
- Moe
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the north)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moe
- Moe is located in Lincoln County
- Ruble
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
How Far From Big Springs to ...
We spend a lot of time looking through Gazetteers, Almanacs & Directories that were published in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Many of the Gazetteers include the distance from a community such as Big Springs to various places of note, such as the White House.
With a nod to our favorite Gazetteers, the straight-line distance beginning in Big Springs and extending to:
- Elk Point, which is the Seat of Union County, lies 18 miles [29 km]<2> to the south southwest. If you could walk a straight line from Big Springs to Elk Point, with an average speed<4> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take just over a day to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take five to six hours.
- Pierre, which is the State Capital of South Dakota, lies 210 miles [338 km] to the west northwest (WNW). Driving, with an average speed of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, would take a little over three hours, a buggy would take 9 days and walking would take 12 days.
- The White House (Washington, DC) is 1,055 miles [1,697.9 km] to the east (E). Driving would take over two days, a buggy would take 42 days and walking would take 60 days.
- The shortest distance<5> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 6,437 miles [10,359.3 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<6>
- The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 7,193 miles [11,576 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>
- The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 5,104 miles [8,214.1 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<8>
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Big Springs. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for State of South Dakota: sd.gov/
Footnotes ...
| <1> | If we encounter the name of what might be a community, our methodology is to add that name to our Gazetteer as a placeholder. As we find more information about that community, it will be added to our Gazetteer. Just as a reminder: Our definition of a community is rather broad and includes those places (or areas) where several families lived and had a name which identified that place. For example, you might hear somebody say that they are going over to Mile's to see Pete ... Mile's is just a gas station and a couple of homes at the crossroads. While it might not be on the map, everybody in the area knows it by that name. Places of interest include buildings at a crossroad, several families clustered in a hollow or maybe the location of a way station. It also includes places like mines, lumber camps, ferry crossings, etc. The community might still exist, is now gone or only existed for just a short period of time. Also keep in mind that Big Springs could have been on the original document by mistake, misspelled, the original/alternate name of a community that we've listed elsewhere or was placed in the wrong county. Sometimes a post office or train station would have a different name than the community where it's located, so two names might be referring to the same community - we're working to straighten it all out. |
| <2> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Big Springs) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Big Springs. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.9380, Longitude: -96.6075 In this case, the coordinates for Big Springs have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). |
| <3> | The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required. |
| <4> | While we have tried to pick reasonable speeds, the rate of travel is very theoretical - obstacles like fences, hills, lakes, river crossings and rest stops have been ignored. When we say 'Days' of travel, we're assuming 8 hours of travel per day. |
| <5> | The shortest line can be visualized by stretching a string on a Globe from Point A to Point B - this is known as a Great Circle Route. Where you might expect the shortest route from Big Springs to the Middle East to be East and South, the Great Circle Route actually lies to the North and East. |
| <6> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 320.631 degrees. |
| <7> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 318.567 degrees. |
| <8> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 312.935 degrees. |