RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Alabama >> Tuscaloosa County >> Alta Vista >> Tidbits & TriviaIndex...

Outdoor Activities ...

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

When in Alta Vista, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Alta Vista 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 Alta Vista:
    • 33.193452, -87.528617
    • 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 Alta Vista
  • 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 Tuscaloosa County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Tuscaloosa County
    • Since Alta Vista is near Hale County and also Bibb County, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Hale County
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Bibb 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 Alta Vista

Communities Also Named Alta Vista ...

We found 27 communities that are also named Alta Vista.

There is one other community in Alabama that is also named Alta Vista.

Beyond Alabama, we know of 26 communities that are located in the United States and Canada. Of these 26 communities, 25 are located in the United States and two are in Canada.

  • Communities Located In Alabama ...
    • Lee County
      • This Alta Vista is located in Lee County and lies 129 miles [207.6 km]<1> to the east southeast of the Alta Vista that is located in Tuscaloosa County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Lee County community of Alta Vista.
  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • California
      • Alameda 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 California community of Alta Vista [Alameda County].
      • Inyo County
      • This Alta Vista is located in Inyo County and lies 1,763 miles [2,837.3 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Alta Vista that is located in Tuscaloosa County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Inyo County community of Alta Vista.
      • Tulare County
      • This community is historic<3> and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the California community of Alta Vista [Tulare County].
    • Colorado
      • El Paso County
      • This Alta Vista is located in El Paso County and lies 1,007 miles [1,620.6 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Alta Vista that is located in Tuscaloosa County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the El Paso County community of Alta Vista.
      • Jefferson County
      • This Alta Vista is located in Jefferson County and lies 1,074 miles [1,728.4 km] to the west northwest of the Alta Vista that is located in Tuscaloosa County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Jefferson County community of Alta Vista.
    • Florida
      • Charlotte 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 Alta Vista [Charlotte County].
      • Hillsborough County
      • This Alta Vista is located in Hillsborough County and lies 468 miles [753.2 km]<1> to the southeast of the Alta Vista that is located in Tuscaloosa County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Hillsborough County community of Alta Vista.
    • Georgia
      • Douglas County
      • This Alta Vista is located in Douglas County and lies 165 miles [265.5 km]<1> to the east northeast of the Alta Vista that is located in Tuscaloosa County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Douglas County community of Alta Vista.
      • Muscogee County
      • This Alta Vista is located in Muscogee County and lies 158 miles [254.3 km] to the east southeast of the Alta Vista that is located in Tuscaloosa County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Muscogee County community of Alta Vista.
    • Iowa
      • Chickasaw County
      • This Alta Vista is located in Chickasaw County and lies 739 miles [1,189.3 km]<1> to the north northwest of the Alta Vista that is located in Tuscaloosa County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Chickasaw County community of Alta Vista.
    • Kansas
      • Wabaunsee County
      • This Alta Vista is located in Wabaunsee County and lies 634 miles [1,020.3 km]<1> to the northwest of the Alta Vista that is located in Tuscaloosa County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Wabaunsee County community of Alta Vista.
    • Maryland
      • Montgomery County
      • This Alta Vista is located in Montgomery County and lies 705 miles [1,134.6 km]<1> to the northeast of the Alta Vista that is located in Tuscaloosa County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Montgomery County community of Alta Vista.
    • Missouri
      • Daviess County
      • This community is historic<3> and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Missouri community of Alta Vista [Daviess County].
    • New Mexico
      • San Miguel County
      • This Alta Vista is located in San Miguel County and lies 993 miles [1,598.1 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Alta Vista that is located in Tuscaloosa County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the San Miguel County community of Alta Vista.
    • Ontario
      • This Alta Vista lies 1,051 miles [1,691.4 km]<1> to the north northeast of the Alta Vista that is located in Tuscaloosa County.
    • Saskatchewan
      • This Alta Vista lies 1,501 miles [2,415.6 km]<1> to the north northwest of the Alta Vista that is located in Tuscaloosa County.
    • South Carolina
      • Greenville County
      • This Alta Vista is located in Greenville County and lies 315 miles [506.9 km]<1> to the east northeast of the Alta Vista that is located in Tuscaloosa County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Greenville County community of Alta Vista.
      • Richland 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 Alta Vista [Richland County].
    • Tennessee
      • Hamilton 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 Tennessee community of Alta Vista [Hamilton County].
      • McMinn County
      • This Alta Vista is located in McMinn County and lies 228 miles [366.9 km]<1> to the northeast of the Alta Vista that is located in Tuscaloosa County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the McMinn County community of Alta Vista.
    • Texas
      • Frio County
      • This Alta Vista is located in Frio County and lies 745 miles [1,199 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Alta Vista that is located in Tuscaloosa County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Frio County community of Alta Vista.
      • Hidalgo County
      • This Alta Vista is located in Hidalgo County and lies 803 miles [1,292.3 km] to the west southwest of the Alta Vista that is located in Tuscaloosa County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Hidalgo County community of Alta Vista.
    • Utah
      • Salt Lake County
      • This Alta Vista is located in Salt Lake County and lies 1,430 miles [2,301.4 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Alta Vista that is located in Tuscaloosa County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Salt Lake County community of Alta Vista.
      • Weber County
      • This Alta Vista is located in Weber County and lies 1,446 miles [2,327.1 km] to the west northwest of the Alta Vista that is located in Tuscaloosa County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Weber County community of Alta Vista.
    • Washington
      • Lewis County
      • This Alta Vista is located in Lewis County and lies 2,040 miles [3,283.1 km]<1> to the northwest of the Alta Vista that is located in Tuscaloosa County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Lewis County community of Alta Vista.
      • Spokane 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 Washington community of Alta Vista [Spokane County].

Curious and Interesting Names Near Alta Vista ...

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.

  • Cedar Crest
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Cedar Crest is located in Tuscaloosa County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Crest
  • Cedar Knoll
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Cedar Knoll is located in Tuscaloosa County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Knoll
  • Cherokee Hills
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Cherokee Hills is located in Tuscaloosa County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cherokee Hills
  • Cherry Dale
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Cherry Dale is located in Tuscaloosa County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cherry Dale
  • Cloverdale
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Cloverdale is located in Tuscaloosa County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cloverdale
  • Coventry
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Coventry is located in Tuscaloosa County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coventry
  • Dearing Place
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Dearing Place is located in Tuscaloosa County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dearing Place
  • Echo Hill
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Echo Hill is located in Tuscaloosa County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Echo Hill
  • Fairway Drive
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Fairway Drive is located in Tuscaloosa County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairway Drive
  • Forest Lake
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Forest Lake is located in Tuscaloosa County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest Lake
  • Hickory Forest
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Hickory Forest is located in Tuscaloosa County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hickory Forest
  • Hillcrest
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Hillcrest is located in Tuscaloosa County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hillcrest
  • Continue List   (15 more) ...
    • Kennedy Park
      (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
      • Kennedy Park is located in Tuscaloosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kennedy Park
    • Lake Shore
      (Less than 2 miles to the east)
      • Lake Shore is located in Tuscaloosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Shore
    • Lakeview
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
      • Lakeview is located in Tuscaloosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakeview
    • Meadow Lawn
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
      • Meadow Lawn is located in Tuscaloosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadow Lawn
    • Meadowbrook
      (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
      • Meadowbrook is located in Tuscaloosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadowbrook
    • Riverview
      (Less than 2 miles to the north)
      • Riverview is located in Tuscaloosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverview
    • Rosedale
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
      • Rosedale is located in Tuscaloosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosedale
    • Rosedale Courts
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
      • Rosedale Courts is located in Tuscaloosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosedale Courts
    • Rosewood
      (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
      • Rosewood is located in Tuscaloosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosewood
    • South Park
      (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
      • South Park is located in Tuscaloosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Park
    • Springbrook
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
      • Springbrook is located in Tuscaloosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Springbrook
    • University
      (Less than 2 miles to the north)
      • University is located in Tuscaloosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for University
    • University Lane
      (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
      • University Lane is located in Tuscaloosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for University Lane
    • University Place
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
      • University Place is located in Tuscaloosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for University Place
    • Warrior Heights
      (Less than 2 miles to the north)
      • Warrior Heights is located in Tuscaloosa County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warrior Heights

How Far From Alta Vista to ...

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

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

  • Tuscaloosa, which is the Seat of Tuscaloosa County, lies just to the West Northwest.
  • Montgomery, which is the State Capital of Alabama, lies 90 miles [144.8 km]<1> to the southeast (SE). If you could drive a straight line from Alta Vista to Montgomery, with an average speed<4>of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, it would take less than two hours to make the trip. A comfortable walk of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour would take 6 days. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take most of three days.
  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 705 miles [1,134.6 km] to the northeast (NE). Driving would take just about two full days, a buggy would take 28 days and walking would take 40 days.
  • The shortest distance<5> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 6,597 miles [10,616.8 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<6>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 7,307 miles [11,759.5 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 5,183 miles [8,341.2 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 things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Alta Vista) 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 Alta Vista 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 Alta Vista, 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 Alta Vista 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 Alta Vista. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 33.1935, Longitude: -87.5286       In this case, the coordinates for Alta Vista have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<6>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 314.093 degrees.
<7>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 309.724 degrees.
<8>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 310.656 degrees.