Outdoor Activities ...
As we travel, we like to pursue some of our interests (such as astronomy and bird watching).
When in Lafayette, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Lafayette and the surrounding area.
- Weather ...
- Before heading outdoors, you should check the weather:
- The National Weather Service forecast for Lafayette
- 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 Lafayette:
- 37.885858, -122.118035
- 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 Lafayette
- 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 Contra Costa County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
- eBird sighting report for Contra Costa County
- Since Lafayette is near Alameda County and also Solano County, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
- eBird sighting report for Alameda County
- eBird sighting report for Solano 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 Lafayette ...
We found 38 communities that share the name Lafayette.
Within California, the name Lafayette is unique.
Beyond California, we know of another 38 communities that are located throughout in the United States.
- Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
- Alabama
- Colorado
- Florida
- Georgia
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Linn County
- This Lafayette is located in Linn County and lies 1,627 miles [2,618.4 km]<1> to the east northeast of the Lafayette that is located in Contra Costa County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Linn County community of Lafayette.
- Louisa 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 Iowa community of Lafayette [Louisa County].
- Kansas
- Doniphan 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 Lafayette [Doniphan County].
- Stevens 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 Lafayette [Stevens County].
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Lafayette Parish
- This Lafayette is located in Lafayette Parish and lies 1,792 miles [2,883.9 km]<1> to the east of the Lafayette that is located in Contra Costa County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Lafayette Parish community of Lafayette.
- Orleans Parish
- 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 Louisiana community of Lafayette [Orleans Parish].
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Gratiot 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 Lafayette [Gratiot County].
- Kent 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 Michigan community of Lafayette [Kent County].
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- New Jersey
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Allen County
- This Lafayette is located in Allen County and lies 2,032 miles [3,270.2 km]<1> to the east northeast of the Lafayette that is located in Contra Costa County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Allen County community of Lafayette.
- Hancock County
- This community is historic<3> and although located in Hancock County, we don't know where within the county.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Hancock County community of Lafayette.
- Holmes County
- This community is historic and although located in Holmes County, we don't know where within the county.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Holmes County community of Lafayette.
- Madison County
- This Lafayette is located in Madison County and lies 2,068 miles [3,328.1 km] to the east northeast of the Lafayette that is located in Contra Costa County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Madison County community of Lafayette.
- Medina County
- This Lafayette is located in Medina County and lies 2,133 miles [3,432.7 km] to the east northeast of the Lafayette that is located in Contra Costa County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Medina County community of Lafayette.
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- McKean County
- This Lafayette is located in McKean County and lies 2,294 miles [3,691.8 km]<1> to the east northeast of the Lafayette that is located in Contra Costa County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the McKean County community of Lafayette.
- Montgomery County
- This Lafayette is located in Montgomery County and lies 2,490 miles [4,007.3 km] to the east northeast of the Lafayette that is located in Contra Costa County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Montgomery County community of Lafayette.
- Rhode Island
- Tennessee
- Macon County
- This Lafayette is located in Macon County and lies 1,974 miles [3,176.8 km]<1> to the east of the Lafayette that is located in Contra Costa County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Macon County community of Lafayette.
- Putnam County
- This Lafayette is located in Putnam County and lies 1,997 miles [3,213.9 km] to the east of the Lafayette that is located in Contra Costa County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Putnam County community of Lafayette.
- Texas
- Lamar County
- This community is historic<3> and although located in Lamar County, we don't know where within the county.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Lamar County community of Lafayette.
- Upshur County
- This Lafayette is located in Upshur County and lies 1,566 miles [2,520.2 km]<1> to the east of the Lafayette that is located in Contra Costa County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Upshur County community of Lafayette.
- Virginia
- Montgomery County
- This Lafayette is located in Montgomery County and lies 2,274 miles [3,659.6 km]<1> to the east northeast of the Lafayette that is located in Contra Costa County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Montgomery County community of Lafayette.
- Orange 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 Virginia community of Lafayette [Orange County].
- West Virginia
Curious and Interesting Names Near Lafayette ...
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.
- Canyon
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canyon
- Canyon is located in Alameda County
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Canyon <4>
- Danville
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Danville
- Danville is located in Contra Costa County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 44,883 people
- Former name for Danville:
- Inmanville
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Danville <4>
- Four Corners
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Four Corners have been provided by the GNIS.<5> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Four Corners
- Four Corners is located in Contra Costa County
- Grand Lake
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grand Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<5> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grand Lake
- Grand Lake is located in Alameda County
- Maxwell Park
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Maxwell Park have been provided by the GNIS.<5> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maxwell Park
- Maxwell Park is located in Alameda County
- Mountain View
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mountain View have been provided by the GNIS.<5> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mountain View
- Mountain View is located in Contra Costa County
- Pleasant Hill
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant Hill
- Pleasant Hill is located in Contra Costa County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 34,781 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Pleasant Hill <4>
- Rockridge
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest) - Seminary Park
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Seminary Park have been provided by the GNIS.<5> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seminary Park
- Seminary Park is located in Alameda County
- Continue List (6 more) ...
- Sparkle
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast) - Thousand Oaks
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Thousand Oaks have been provided by the GNIS.<5> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thousand Oaks
- Thousand Oaks is located in Alameda County
- Trestle Glen
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Trestle Glen have been provided by the GNIS.<5> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Trestle Glen
- Trestle Glen is located in Alameda County
- Vine Hill
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the north) - Walnut Creek
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walnut Creek
- Walnut Creek is located in Contra Costa County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 69,936 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Walnut Creek <4>
- Walnut Heights
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Walnut Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<5> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walnut Heights
- Walnut Heights is located in Contra Costa County
- Sparkle
How Far From Lafayette 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 city such as Lafayette to various places of note, such as the White House.
With a nod to our favorite Gazetteers, the straight-line distance beginning in Lafayette and extending to:
- Martinez, which is the Seat of Contra Costa County, lies 9 miles [14.5 km]<1> to the north. If you could walk a straight line from Lafayette to Martinez, with an average speed<6> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take four to five hours to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take a little over three hours.
- Sacramento, which is the State Capital of California, lies 58 miles [93.3 km] to the northeast (NE). Driving, with an average speed of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, would take less than an hour, a buggy would take over two days and walking would take most of three days.
- The White House (Washington, DC) is 2,415 miles [3,886.6 km] to the east northeast (ENE). Driving would take 5 days, a buggy would take 95 days and walking would take 138 days.
- The shortest distance<7> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 7,402 miles [11,912.4 km] and it lies to the north northeast (NNE).<8>
- The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 8,169 miles [13,146.7 km] and it lies to the north northeast (NNE).<9>
- The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 6,222 miles [10,013.3 km] and it lies to the north northeast (NNE).<10>
Off-the-Road Links ...
The official website for Lafayette: www.ci.lafayette.ca.us/
The official website for Contra Costa County: www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/
The official website for State of California: https://www.ca.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 drawn from Point A (ie- Lafayette) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Lafayette. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 37.8859, Longitude: -122.1180 |
| <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 Lafayette 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 Lafayette, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <4> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
| <5> | 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. |
| <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 Lafayette 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 339.961 degrees. |
| <9> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 340.869 degrees. |
| <10> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 327.98 degrees. |