RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Alabama >> Jefferson County >> Alliance >> Tidbits & TriviaIndex...

Outdoor Activities ...

As we travel, we like to pursue some of our interests (such as astronomy and bird watching).

When in Alliance, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Alliance and the surrounding area.

  • Weather ...
  • 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 Alliance:
    • 33.547886, -87.126386
    • 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.
    • Open the Heavens-Above website centered on Alliance
  • 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 Jefferson County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Jefferson County
    • Since Alliance is near Walker County and also Tuscaloosa County, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Walker County
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Tuscaloosa 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:
    • Open the Waymark.com report for Alliance

Communities Also Named Alliance ...

We found 28 communities that are also named Alliance.

There is one other community in Alabama that is also named Alliance.

Beyond Alabama, we know of 27 communities that are located in the United States and Canada. Of these 27 communities, 26 are located in the United States and two are in Canada.

  • Communities Located In Alabama ...
    • Macon County
      • This Alliance is located in Macon County and lies 116 miles [186.7 km]<1> to the southeast of the Alliance that is located in Jefferson County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Macon County community of Alliance.
  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • Alberta
      • This Alliance lies 1,786 miles [2,874.3 km]<1> to the northwest of the Alliance that is located in Jefferson County.
    • California
      • Humboldt County
      • This Alliance is located in Humboldt County and lies 2,078 miles [3,344.2 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Alliance that is located in Jefferson County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Humboldt County community of Alliance.
    • Florida
      • Calhoun County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<2> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Florida community of Alliance [Calhoun County].
      • Jackson County
      • This Alliance is located in Jackson County and lies 234 miles [376.6 km]<1> to the south southeast of the Alliance that is located in Jefferson County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Jackson County community of Alliance.
    • Georgia
      • Decatur County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<2> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Georgia community of Alliance [Decatur County].
      • Jasper County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Georgia community of Alliance [Jasper County].
    • Indiana
      • Madison County
      • This Alliance is located in Madison County and lies 455 miles [732.3 km]<1> to the north of the Alliance that is located in Jefferson County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Madison County community of Alliance.
      • Marion County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<2> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Indiana community of Alliance [Marion County].
    • Kansas
      • Barton County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<2> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Kansas community of Alliance [Barton County].
      • Ellis County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Kansas community of Alliance [Ellis County].
      • Ellsworth County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Kansas community of Alliance [Ellsworth County].
      • Neosho County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Kansas community of Alliance [Neosho County].
    • Kentucky
      • Floyd County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<2> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Kentucky community of Alliance [Floyd County].
    • Louisiana
      • Plaquemines Parish
      • This Alliance is located in Plaquemines Parish and lies 314 miles [505.3 km]<1> to the south southwest of the Alliance that is located in Jefferson County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Plaquemines Parish community of Alliance.
      • Sabine Parish
      • This Alliance is located in Sabine Parish and lies 404 miles [650.2 km] to the west southwest of the Alliance that is located in Jefferson County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Sabine Parish community of Alliance.
    • Mississippi
      • Noxubee County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<2> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Mississippi community of Alliance [Noxubee County].
    • Missouri
      • Bollinger County
      • This Alliance is located in Bollinger County and lies 320 miles [515 km]<1> to the north northwest of the Alliance that is located in Jefferson County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Bollinger County community of Alliance.
    • Nebraska
      • Box Butte County
      • This Alliance is located in Box Butte County and lies 1,039 miles [1,672.1 km]<1> to the northwest of the Alliance that is located in Jefferson County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Box Butte County community of Alliance.
    • Nevada
      • Clark County
      • This community is historic<3> and although located in Clark County, we don't know where within the county.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Clark County community of Alliance.
    • New Jersey
      • Salem County
      • This Alliance is located in Salem County and lies 783 miles [1,260.1 km]<1> to the northeast of the Alliance that is located in Jefferson County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Salem County community of Alliance.
    • North Carolina
      • Pamlico County
      • This Alliance is located in Pamlico County and lies 598 miles [962.4 km]<1> to the east northeast of the Alliance that is located in Jefferson County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Pamlico County community of Alliance.
    • Ohio
      • Mahoning County
      • This Alliance is located in Mahoning County and lies 605 miles [973.7 km]<1> to the north northeast of the Alliance that is located in Jefferson County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Mahoning County community of Alliance.
    • Ontario
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<2> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Ontario community of Alliance.
    • South Carolina
      • Fairfield County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<2> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the South Carolina community of Alliance [Fairfield County].
    • Texas
      • Hunt County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<2> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Texas community of Alliance [Hunt County].
    • Virginia
      • Surry County
      • This Alliance is located in Surry County and lies 632 miles [1,017.1 km]<1> to the east northeast of the Alliance that is located in Jefferson County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Surry County community of Alliance.
    • West Virginia
      • Harrison County
      • This Alliance is located in Harrison County and lies 549 miles [883.5 km]<1> to the northeast of the Alliance that is located in Jefferson County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Harrison County community of Alliance.

Curious and Interesting Names Near Alliance ...

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.

  • Booker Heights
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Booker Heights is located in Jefferson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Booker Heights
  • Driftwood
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Driftwood is located in Jefferson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Driftwood
  • Flat Creek
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Flat Creek is located in Jefferson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flat Creek
  • Glaze Ferry
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Glaze Ferry is located in Jefferson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glaze Ferry
  • Maxine
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
    • Maxine is located in Jefferson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maxine
  • Oak Grove
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Oak Grove is located in Jefferson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Grove
  • Pumpkin Center
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Pumpkin Center is located in Walker County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pumpkin Center
  • Rock Creek
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Rock Creek is located in Jefferson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock Creek
  • Short Creek
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Short Creek is located in Jefferson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Short Creek
  • Snow Ferry
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Snow Ferry is located in Walker County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Snow Ferry
  • Toadvine
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Toadvine is located in Jefferson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toadvine
  • Vines Mill
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Vines Mill is located in Jefferson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vines Mill
  • Wilderness Garden
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Wilderness Garden is located in Jefferson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilderness Garden
  • Williams Ferry
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Williams Ferry is located in Jefferson County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Williams Ferry

How Far From Alliance to ...

We spend a lot of time looking through Gazetteers & Almanacs that were published in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Many of the Gazetteers include the distance from a community such as Alliance to various places of note, such as the White House.

With a nod to our favorite Gazetteers, the straight-line distance beginning in Alliance and extending to:

  • Birmingham, which is the Seat of Jefferson County, lies 18 miles [29 km]<1> to the east. If you could walk a straight line from Alliance to Birmingham, 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.
  • Montgomery, which is the State Capital of Alabama, lies 93 miles [149.7 km] to the south southeast (SSE). Driving, with an average speed of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, would take less than two hours, a buggy would take most of three days and walking would take 6 days.
  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 671 miles [1,079.9 km] to the northeast (NE). Driving would take just about two full days, a buggy would take 27 days and walking would take 39 days.
  • The shortest distance<5> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 6,563 miles [10,562.1 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<6>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 7,273 miles [11,704.8 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 5,149 miles [8,286.5 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<8>'

Footnotes ...

<1>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Alliance) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<2>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 Alliance 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.
<3>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Alliance, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<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 Alliance to the Middle East to be East and South, the Great Circle Route actually lies to the North and East.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Alliance. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 33.5479, Longitude: -87.1264       In this case, the coordinates for Alliance have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<6>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 313.874 degrees.
<7>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 309.519 degrees.
<8>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 310.421 degrees.