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

Outdoor Activities ...

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

When in Lake Zurich, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Lake Zurich 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 Lake Zurich:
    • 42.195504, -88.087780
    • 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 Lake Zurich
  • 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

Curious and Interesting Names Near Lake Zurich ...

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
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ancient Oaks have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ancient Oaks
    • Ancient Oaks is located in Lake County
  • Beaver Creek
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Beaver Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Beaver Creek
    • Beaver Creek is located in Lake County
  • Bishops Ridge
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bishops Ridge have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cedar Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Creek
    • Cedar Creek is located in Lake County
  • Chapel Hill
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Chapel Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chapel Hill
    • Chapel Hill is located in Lake County
  • Copperfield
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Copperfield have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Copperfield
    • Copperfield is located in Lake County
  • Deer Chase
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Deer Chase have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deer Chase
    • Deer Chase is located in Lake County
  • Deer Park
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Deer Park have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deer Park
    • Deer Park is located in Lake County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 4,199 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Deer Park <2>
  • Echo Lake
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Echo Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Echo Lake
    • Echo Lake is located in Lake County
  • Forest Lake
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest Lake
    • Forest Lake is located in Lake County
  • Heather Highlands
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Heather Highlands have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heather Highlands
    • Heather Highlands is located in Lake County
  • Herons Crossing
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Herons Crossing have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Herons Crossing
    • Herons Crossing is located in Lake County
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Hickory Hills
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hickory Hills have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hickory Hills
      • Hickory Hills is located in Lake County
    • Long Grove Valley
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Long Grove Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Meadowridge have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadowridge
      • Meadowridge is located in Lake County
    • Park Hill
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Park Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Park Hill
      • Park Hill is located in Lake County
    • Pheasant Knolls
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pheasant Knolls have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ponds have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Prairie Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Prairie Creek
      • Prairie Creek is located in Lake County
    • Quail Run
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Quail Run have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Quentin Corners have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Quentin Corners
      • Quentin Corners is located in Lake County
    • Ravens Wing
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ravens Wing have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ravens Wing
      • Ravens Wing is located in Lake County
    • Squires
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Squires have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Squires
      • Squires 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.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tall Oaks
      • Tall Oaks is located in Lake County
    • Tall Trees
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tall Trees have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tall Trees
      • Tall Trees is located in Lake County
    • Thornfield
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Thornfield have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thornfield
      • Thornfield is located in Lake County
    • Timber Trails
      (Less than 2 miles to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Timber Trails have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for White Birch Lakes have been provided by the GNIS.<1> 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 Lake Zurich 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 village such as Lake Zurich to various places of note, such as the White House.

With a nod to our favorite Gazetteers, the straight-line distance<3> beginning in Lake Zurich and extending to:

  • Waukegan, which is the Seat of Lake County, lies 17 miles [27.4 km]<3> to the northeast. If you could walk a straight line from Lake Zurich to Waukegan, with an average speed<4> 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.
  • Springfield, which is the State Capital of Illinois, lies 185 miles [297.7 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 622 miles [1,001 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<5> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 6,183 miles [9,950.6 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<6>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,924 miles [11,143.1 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,809 miles [7,739.3 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<8>

Footnotes ...

<1>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.
<2>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<3>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- Lake Zurich) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Lake Zurich. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.1955, Longitude: -88.0878       In this case, the coordinates for Lake Zurich have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Lake Zurich to the Middle East to be East and South, the Great Circle Route actually lies to the North and East.
<6>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 314.737 degrees.
<7>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 311.719 degrees.
<8>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 308.701 degrees.