Outdoor Activities ...
As we travel, we like to pursue some of our interests (such as astronomy and bird watching).
When in Helena, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Helena and the surrounding area.
- Weather ...
- Before heading outdoors, you should check the weather:
- The National Weather Service forecast for Helena
- 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 Helena:
- 33.284866, -86.868765
- 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 Helena
- 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 Shelby County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
- eBird sighting report for Shelby County
- Since Helena is near Jefferson County and also Bibb County, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
- eBird sighting report for Jefferson County
- 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:
- Waymark.com
Communities Also Named Helena ...
We found 35 communities that share the name Helena.
Within Alabama, the name Helena is unique.
Beyond Alabama, we know of another 35 communities that are located throughout in the United States.
- Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- San Diego 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 Helena [San Diego County].
- Trinity 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 Helena [Trinity County].
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Adams County
- This Helena is located in Adams County and lies 1,777 miles [2,859.8 km]<1> to the northwest of the Helena that is located in Shelby County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Adams County community of Helena.
- Washington 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 Idaho community of Helena [Washington County].
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Antrim 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 Michigan community of Helena [Antrim County].
- Huron County
- This Helena is located in Huron County and lies 758 miles [1,219.9 km]<1> to the north northeast of the Helena that is located in Shelby County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Huron County community of Helena.
- Marquette County
- This Helena is located in Marquette County and lies 893 miles [1,437.1 km] to the north of the Helena that is located in Shelby County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Marquette County community of Helena.
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Andrew County
- This Helena is located in Andrew County and lies 628 miles [1,010.7 km]<1> to the northwest of the Helena that is located in Shelby County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Andrew County community of Helena.
- Pettis County
- This community is historic<3> and although located in Pettis County, we don't know where within the county.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Pettis County community of Helena.
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- Lander County
- This community is historic<3> and although located in Lander County, we don't know where within the county.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Lander County community of Helena.
- Nye County
- This community is historic and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Nevada community of Helena [Nye County].
- New York
- North Carolina
- Durham 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 North Carolina community of Helena [Durham County].
- Person 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 North Carolina community of Helena [Person County].
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Guernsey County
- This Helena is located in Guernsey County and lies 543 miles [873.9 km]<1> to the north northeast of the Helena that is located in Shelby County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Guernsey County community of Helena.
- Sandusky County
- This Helena is located in Sandusky County and lies 589 miles [947.9 km] to the north northeast of the Helena that is located in Shelby County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Sandusky County community of Helena.
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Wisconsin
Curious and Interesting Names Near Helena ...
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.
- Alabaster
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alabaster have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alabaster
- Alabaster is located in Shelby County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 33,701 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Alabaster <5>
- Chestnut Glen
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chestnut Glen have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chestnut Glen
- Chestnut Glen is located in Shelby County
- Dearing Downs
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dearing Downs have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dearing Downs
- Dearing Downs is located in Shelby County
- Eden Ridge
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eden Ridge have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eden Ridge
- Eden Ridge is located in Jefferson County
- Fox Haven
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast) - Hardy
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast) - High Point
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for High Point have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for High Point
- High Point is located in Jefferson County
- Keystone
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east) - Kingwood
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast) - Navajo Hills
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Navajo Hills have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Navajo Hills
- Navajo Hills is located in Shelby County
- Navajo Pines
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Navajo Pines have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Navajo Pines
- Navajo Pines is located in Shelby County
- Paramount
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast) - Continue List (5 more) ...
- Roy Ford
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast) - Shades Run
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shades Run have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shades Run
- Shades Run is located in Jefferson County
- Shadywood
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest) - Weeping Oaks
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Weeping Oaks have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weeping Oaks
- Weeping Oaks is located in Shelby County
- Whispering Oaks
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Whispering Oaks have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Whispering Oaks
- Whispering Oaks is located in Jefferson County
- Roy Ford
How Far From Helena 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 city such as Helena to various places of note, such as the White House.
With a nod to our favorite Gazetteers, the straight-line distance beginning in Helena and extending to:
- Columbiana, which is the Seat of Shelby County, lies 16 miles [25.7 km]<1> to the east southeast. If you could walk a straight line from Helena to Columbiana, with an average speed<6> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take most of 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 70 miles [112.7 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 about three full days and walking would take three full 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<7> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 6,565 miles [10,565.3 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<8>
- 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).<9>
- The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 5,150 miles [8,288.1 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<10>
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Helena. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for Shelby County: www.shelbycountyalabama.com/
The official website for State of Alabama: https://www.alabama.gov/
Footnotes ...
| <1> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a '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- Helena) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Helena. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 33.2849, Longitude: -86.8688 In this case, the coordinates for Helena have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). |
| <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 Rock Creek to see Pete ... Rock Creek 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 Helena 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 Helena, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <4> | 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. |
| <5> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <6> | 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. |
| <7> | 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 Helena to the Middle East to be East and South, the Great Circle Route actually lies to the North and East. |
| <8> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 313.702 degrees. |
| <9> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 309.284 degrees. |
| <10> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 310.373 degrees. |