Outdoor Activities ...
As we travel, we like to pursue some of our interests (such as astronomy and bird watching).
When in Thomas, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Thomas and the surrounding area.
- Weather ...
- Before heading outdoors, you should check the weather:
- The National Weather Service forecast for Thomas
- 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 Thomas:
- 40.308648, -87.529740
- 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 Thomas
- 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 Vermilion County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
- eBird sighting report for Vermilion County
- Since Thomas is near Warren County and also Fountain County, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
- eBird sighting report for Warren County
- eBird sighting report for Fountain 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 Thomas ...
We found 37 communities that share the name Thomas.
There is one other community in Illinois which is also named Thomas.
Beyond Illinois, we know of another 36 communities that are located throughout in the United States and Canada. Of these 36 communities, 36 are located in the United States and one is in Canada.
- Communities Located In Illinois ...
- Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Davies's County
- This Thomas is located in Davies's County and lies 118 miles [189.9 km]<1> to the south of the Thomas that is located in Vermilion County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Davies's County community of Thomas.
- Warren County
- We found mention of this community, but have little information.<3> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Indiana community of Thomas [Warren County].
- Kansas
- Barton County
- We found mention of this community, but have little information.<3> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Kansas community of Thomas [Barton County].
- Ellsworth 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 Thomas [Ellsworth County].
- Marshall 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 Thomas [Marshall County].
- Kentucky
- Boyd County
- We found mention of this community, but have little information.<3> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Kentucky community of Thomas [Boyd County].
- Estill County
- This Thomas is located in Estill County and lies 261 miles [420 km]<1> to the southeast of the Thomas that is located in Vermilion County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Estill County community of Thomas.
- Floyd County
- This Thomas is located in Floyd County and lies 321 miles [516.6 km] to the east southeast of the Thomas that is located in Vermilion County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Floyd County community of Thomas.
- Pike 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 Kentucky community of Thomas [Pike County].
- Louisiana
- Bienville Parish
- This community is historic<2> and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Louisiana community of Thomas [Bienville Parish].
- Rapides Parish
- This community is historic and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Louisiana community of Thomas [Rapides Parish].
- Washington Parish
- This Thomas is located in Washington Parish and lies 659 miles [1,060.6 km]<1> to the south southwest of the Thomas that is located in Vermilion County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Washington Parish community of Thomas.
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Oakland County
- This Thomas is located in Oakland County and lies 281 miles [452.2 km]<1> to the northeast of the Thomas that is located in Vermilion County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Oakland County community of Thomas.
- Tuscola County
- This Thomas is located in Tuscola County and lies 310 miles [498.9 km] to the northeast of the Thomas that is located in Vermilion County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Tuscola County community of Thomas.
- Van Buren County
- We found mention of this community, but have little information.<3> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Michigan community of Thomas [Van Buren County].
- Missouri
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Quebec
- This Thomas lies 875 miles [1,408.2 km]<1> to the northeast of the Thomas that is located in Vermilion County.
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Panola County
- We found mention of this community, but have little information.<3> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Texas community of Thomas [Panola County].
- Rockwall 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 Texas community of Thomas [Rockwall County].
- Upshur County
- This Thomas is located in Upshur County and lies 662 miles [1,065.4 km]<1> to the southwest of the Thomas that is located in Vermilion County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Upshur County community of Thomas.
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- King County
- This Thomas is located in King County and lies 1,779 miles [2,863 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Thomas that is located in Vermilion County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the King County community of Thomas.
- Walla Walla County
- This Thomas is located in Walla Walla County and lies 1,580 miles [2,542.8 km] to the west northwest of the Thomas that is located in Vermilion County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Walla Walla County community of Thomas.
- West Virginia
Curious and Interesting Names Near Thomas ...
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.
- Carbondale
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Carbondale have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Carbondale
- Carbondale is located in Warren County (IN)
- Danville
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the south)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Danville
- Danville is located in Vermilion County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 30,106 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Danville <5>
- Denmark ‑ Historic
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Denmark
- Denmark is located in Vermilion County
- Five Points
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Five Points have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Five Points
- Five Points is located in Warren County (IN)
- Fountain
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the southeast) - Heaton
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest) - Jamesburg
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west) - Judyville
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the northeast) - Kramer
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the east) - Rocky Ford
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the northeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rocky Ford have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rocky Ford
- Rocky Ford is located in Warren County (IN)
- Romine Corner
(12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Romine Corner have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Romine Corner
- Romine Corner is located in Warren County (IN)
- Sycamore Corner
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sycamore Corner have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sycamore Corner
- Sycamore Corner is located in Warren County (IN)
How Far From Thomas 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 Thomas to various places of note, such as the White House.
With a nod to our favorite Gazetteers, the straight-line distance beginning in Thomas and extending to:
- Danville, which is the Seat of Vermilion County, lies 12 miles [19.3 km]<1> to the south southwest. If you could walk a straight line from Thomas to Danville, with an average speed<6> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take five to six hours to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take nearly four hours.
- Springfield, which is the State Capital of Illinois, lies 117 miles [188.3 km] to the west southwest (WSW). Driving, with an average speed of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, would take about two hours, a buggy would take 5 days and walking would take 7 days.
- The White House (Washington, DC) is 566 miles [910.9 km] to the east (E). Driving would take just over a day, a buggy would take 23 days and walking would take 33 days.
- The shortest distance<7> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 6,254 miles [10,064.8 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<8>
- The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,988 miles [11,246.1 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<9>
- The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,868 miles [7,834.3 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<10>
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Thomas. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for Vermilion County: www.co.vermilion.il.us/
The official website for State of Illinois: https://illinois.gov
Footnotes ...
| <1> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Thomas) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Thomas. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 40.3086, Longitude: -87.5297 In this case, the coordinates for Thomas have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). |
| <2> | 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 Thomas, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
| <3> | 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 Thomas 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. |
| <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 Thomas 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 314.367 degrees. |
| <9> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 311.03 degrees. |
| <10> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 308.961 degrees. |