RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Illinois >> Lake County >> Forest Lake >> Tidbits & TriviaIndex...

Outdoor Activities ...

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

When in Forest Lake, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Forest Lake 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 Forest Lake:
    • 42.208033, -88.055525
    • 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 Forest Lake
  • 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 Forest Lake ...

We found seventeen communities that share the name Forest Lake.

Within Illinois, the name Forest Lake is unique.

Beyond Illinois, we know of another seventeen communities that are located throughout in the United States.

  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • Alabama
      • Tuscaloosa County
      • This Forest Lake is located in Tuscaloosa County and lies 622 miles [1,001 km]<1> to the south of the Forest Lake that is located in Lake County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Tuscaloosa County community of Forest Lake.
    • California
      • Lake County
      • This Forest Lake is located in Lake County and lies 1,821 miles [2,930.6 km]<1> to the west of the Forest Lake that is located in Lake County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Lake County community of Forest Lake.
      • San Joaquin 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 Forest Lake [San Joaquin County].
    • Georgia
      • Bibb County
      • This Forest Lake is located in Bibb County and lies 686 miles [1,104 km]<1> to the south southeast of the Forest Lake that is located in Lake County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Bibb County community of Forest Lake.
    • Indiana
      • Hendricks 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 Forest Lake [Hendricks County].
    • Kansas
      • Wyandotte 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 Forest Lake [Wyandotte County].
    • Maryland
      • Harford County
      • This Forest Lake is located in Harford County and lies 635 miles [1,021.9 km]<1> to the east southeast of the Forest Lake that is located in Lake County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Harford County community of Forest Lake.
    • Massachusetts
      • Hampden 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 Massachusetts community of Forest Lake [Hampden County].
    • Michigan
      • Alger County
      • This Forest Lake is located in Alger County and lies 291 miles [468.3 km]<1> to the north of the Forest Lake that is located in Lake County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Alger County community of Forest Lake.
    • Minnesota
      • Washington County
      • This Forest Lake is located in Washington County and lies 322 miles [518.2 km]<1> to the northwest of the Forest Lake that is located in Lake County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Washington County community of Forest Lake.
    • New Hampshire
      • Cheshire 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 New Hampshire community of Forest Lake [Cheshire County].
    • Pennsylvania
      • Susquehanna County
      • This Forest Lake is located in Susquehanna County and lies 620 miles [997.8 km]<1> to the east of the Forest Lake that is located in Lake County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Susquehanna County community of Forest Lake.
    • South Carolina
      • Greenwood County
      • This Forest Lake is located in Greenwood County and lies 636 miles [1,023.5 km]<1> to the south southeast of the Forest Lake that is located in Lake County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Greenwood County community of Forest Lake.
      • Horry County
      • This Forest Lake is located in Horry County and lies 769 miles [1,237.6 km] to the southeast of the Forest Lake that is located in Lake County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Horry County community of Forest Lake.
      • 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 Forest Lake [Richland County].
      • York County
      • This Forest Lake is located in York County and lies 624 miles [1,004.2 km] to the southeast of the Forest Lake that is located in Lake County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the York County community of Forest Lake.
    • Texas
      • Brazos County
      • Although located in Brazos County, we don't know the location within the county.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Brazos County community of Forest Lake.

Curious and Interesting Names Near Forest Lake ...

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.

  • Ancient Oaks
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ancient Oaks have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ancient Oaks
    • Ancient Oaks is located in Lake County
  • Beaver Creek
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beaver Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaver Creek
    • Beaver Creek is located in Lake County
  • Bishops Ridge
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bishops Ridge have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bishops Ridge
    • Bishops Ridge is located in Lake County
  • Cedar Creek
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cedar Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Creek
    • Cedar Creek is located in Lake County
  • Copperfield
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Copperfield have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Copperfield
    • Copperfield is located in Lake County
  • Echo Lake
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Echo Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Echo Lake
    • Echo Lake is located in Lake County
  • Heather Highlands
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Heather Highlands have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heather Highlands
    • Heather Highlands is located in Lake County
  • Herons Crossing
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Herons Crossing have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herons Crossing
    • Herons Crossing is located in Lake County
  • Hickory Hills
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hickory Hills have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hickory Hills
    • Hickory Hills is located in Lake County
  • Highview
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Highview have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Highview
    • Highview is located in Lake County
  • Lake View Highlands
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake View Highlands have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake View Highlands
    • Lake View Highlands is located in Lake County
  • Lake Zurich
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lake Zurich have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Zurich
    • Lake Zurich is located in Lake County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 19,760 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Lake Zurich <4>
  • Continue List   (12 more) ...
    • Long Grove
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Long Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Grove
      • Long Grove is located in Lake County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 7,868 people
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Long Grove <4>
    • Long Grove Valley
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Long Grove Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Grove Valley
      • Long Grove Valley is located in Lake County
    • Meadowridge
      (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Meadowridge have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadowridge
      • Meadowridge is located in Lake County
    • Pheasant Knolls
      (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pheasant Knolls have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pheasant Knolls
      • Pheasant Knolls is located in Lake County
    • Ponds
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ponds have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ponds
      • Ponds is located in Lake County
    • Prairie Creek
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Prairie Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairie Creek
      • Prairie Creek is located in Lake County
    • Quail Run
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Quail Run have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quail Run
      • Quail Run is located in Lake County
    • Quentin Corners
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Quentin Corners have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quentin Corners
      • Quentin Corners is located in Lake County
    • Rambling Hills
      (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rambling Hills have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rambling Hills
      • Rambling Hills is located in Lake County
    • Tall Oaks
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tall Oaks have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tall Oaks
      • Tall Oaks is located in Lake County
    • Timber Trails
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Timber Trails have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Timber Trails
      • Timber Trails is located in Lake County
    • White Birch Lakes
      (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for White Birch Lakes have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for White Birch Lakes
      • White Birch Lakes is located in Lake County

How Far From Forest Lake 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 Forest Lake to various places of note, such as the White House.

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

  • Waukegan, which is the Seat of Lake County, lies 15 miles [24.1 km]<1> to the northeast. If you could walk a straight line from Forest Lake to Waukegan, with an average speed<5> 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 four to five hours.
  • Springfield, which is the State Capital of Illinois, lies 186 miles [299.3 km] to the south southwest (SSW). Driving, with an average speed of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, would take a little over three hours, a buggy would take 8 days and walking would take 11 days.
  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 621 miles [999.4 km] to the east southeast (ESE). Driving would take just over a day, a buggy would take 25 days and walking would take 36 days.
  • The shortest distance<6> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 6,182 miles [9,949 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,922 miles [11,139.9 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<8>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,807 miles [7,736.1 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<9>

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- Forest Lake) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Forest Lake. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.2080, Longitude: -88.0555    
<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 Forest Lake 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>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're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<5>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.
<6>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 Forest Lake to the Middle East to be East and South, the Great Circle Route actually lies to the North and East.
<7>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 314.715 degrees.
<8>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 311.697 degrees.
<9>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 308.681 degrees.