RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Illinois >> Hancock County >> West Point >> Tidbits & TriviaIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
Illinois


The Commemorative Quarter for Illinois







Outdoor Activities ...

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

When in West Point, we use the following websites to find information relevant to West Point 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 West Point:
    • 40.255281, -91.183221
    • 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 West Point
  • 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 West Point ...

We found 34 communities that share the name West Point.

There is one other community in Illinois which is also named West Point.

Beyond Illinois, we know of another 33 communities that are located throughout in the United States and Canada. Of these 33 communities, 31 are located in the United States and three are in Canada.

  • Communities Located In Illinois ...
    • Jackson County
      • This West Point is located in Jackson County and lies 182 miles [292.9 km]<1> to the south southeast of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Jackson County community of West Point.
  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • Alabama
      • Calhoun County
      • This West Point is located in Calhoun County and lies 532 miles [856.2 km]<1> to the southeast of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Calhoun County community of West Point.
      • Cullman County
      • This West Point is located in Cullman County and lies 475 miles [764.4 km] to the south southeast of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Cullman County community of West Point.
      • Morgan County
      • This West Point is located in Morgan County and lies 471 miles [758 km] to the south southeast of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Morgan County community of West Point.
    • Arkansas
      • Benton County
      • This West Point is located in Benton County and lies 331 miles [532.7 km]<1> to the southwest of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Benton County community of West Point.
      • White County
      • This West Point is located in White County and lies 349 miles [561.7 km] to the south of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the White County community of West Point.
    • California
      • Calaveras County
      • This West Point is located in Calaveras County and lies 1,565 miles [2,518.6 km]<1> to the west of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Calaveras County community of West Point.
    • Georgia
      • Bibb County
      • This West Point is located in Bibb County and lies 657 miles [1,057.3 km]<1> to the southeast of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Bibb County community of West Point.
      • Troup County
      • This West Point is located in Troup County and lies 608 miles [978.5 km] to the southeast of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Troup County community of West Point.
    • Iowa
      • Lee County
      • This West Point is located in Lee County and lies 34 miles [54.7 km]<1> to the north northwest of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Lee County community of West Point.
    • Kansas
      • Geary 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 West Point [Geary County].
      • Rush 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 West Point [Rush County].
    • Kentucky
      • Hardin County
      • This West Point is located in Hardin County and lies 320 miles [515 km]<1> to the east southeast of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Hardin County community of West Point.
    • Louisiana
      • Plaquemines Parish
      • This West Point is located in Plaquemines Parish and lies 753 miles [1,211.8 km]<1> to the south of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Plaquemines Parish community of West Point.
    • Maine
      • Sagadahoc County
      • This West Point is located in Sagadahoc County and lies 1,116 miles [1,796 km]<1> to the east northeast of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Sagadahoc County community of West Point.
    • Michigan
      • Delta 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 West Point [Delta County].
    • Minnesota
      • Isanti County
      • This West Point is located in Isanti County and lies 382 miles [614.8 km]<1> to the north northwest of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Isanti County community of West Point.
    • Mississippi
      • Clay County
      • This West Point is located in Clay County and lies 479 miles [770.9 km]<1> to the south southeast of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Clay County community of West Point.
    • Nebraska
      • Cuming County
      • This West Point is located in Cuming County and lies 307 miles [494.1 km]<1> to the west northwest of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Cuming County community of West Point.
    • Nevada
      • Clark 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 Nevada community of West Point [Clark County].
    • New York
      • Orange County
      • This West Point is located in Orange County and lies 902 miles [1,451.6 km]<1> to the east of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Orange County community of West Point.
    • Newfoundland and Labrador
      • This West Point lies 1,691 miles [2,721.4 km]<1> to the east northeast of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
    • Ohio
      • Columbiana County
      • This West Point is located in Columbiana County and lies 551 miles [886.7 km]<1> to the east of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Columbiana County community of West Point.
      • Morrow County
      • This West Point is located in Morrow County and lies 441 miles [709.7 km] to the east of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Morrow County community of West Point.
    • Oklahoma
      • Payne County
      • This West Point is located in Payne County and lies 416 miles [669.5 km]<1> to the southwest of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Payne County community of West Point.
    • Ontario
      • 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 Ontario community of West Point.
    • Pennsylvania
      • Cambria County
      • This West Point is located in Cambria County and lies 649 miles [1,044.5 km]<1> to the east of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Cambria County community of West Point.
      • Montgomery County
      • This West Point is located in Montgomery County and lies 836 miles [1,345.4 km] to the east of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Montgomery County community of West Point.
    • Prince Edward Island
      • This West Point lies 1,405 miles [2,261.1 km]<1> to the east northeast of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
    • South Dakota
      • Minnehaha 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 Dakota community of West Point [Minnehaha County].
    • Texas
      • Fayette County
      • This West Point is located in Fayette County and lies 784 miles [1,261.7 km]<1> to the south southwest of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Fayette County community of West Point.
      • Lynn County
      • This West Point is located in Lynn County and lies 774 miles [1,245.6 km] to the southwest of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Lynn County community of West Point.
    • Utah
      • Davis County
      • This West Point is located in Davis County and lies 1,094 miles [1,760.6 km]<1> to the west of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Davis County community of West Point.
    • Virginia
      • King William County
      • This West Point is located in King William County and lies 794 miles [1,277.8 km]<1> to the east of the West Point that is located in Hancock County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the King William County community of West Point.

Curious and Interesting Names Near West Point ...

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.

  • Carthage
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the north)
  • Chili
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chili
    • Chili is located in Hancock County
  • Coatsburg
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Coatsburg have been provided by the GNIS.<5> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coatsburg
    • Coatsburg is located in Adams County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 139 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Coatsburg <4>
  • Elderville
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Elderville have been provided by the GNIS.<5> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elderville
    • Elderville is located in Hancock County
  • Ferris
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ferris have been provided by the GNIS.<5> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ferris
    • Ferris is located in Hancock County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 143 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Ferris <4>
  • Golden
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Golden have been provided by the GNIS.<5> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Golden
    • Golden is located in Adams County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 611 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Golden <4>
  • Gregory Landing
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gregory Landing have been provided by the GNIS.<5> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gregory Landing
    • Gregory Landing is located in Clark County (MO)
  • Middle Creek
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Middle Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<5> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middle Creek
    • Middle Creek is located in Hancock County
  • Plymouth
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Plymouth have been provided by the GNIS.<5> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plymouth
    • Plymouth is located in Hancock County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 459 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Plymouth <4>

How Far From West Point 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 West Point to various places of note, such as the White House.

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

  • Carthage, which is the Seat of Hancock County, lies 11 miles [17.7 km]<1> to the north northeast. If you could walk a straight line from West Point to Carthage, 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 87 miles [140 km] to the east southeast (ESE). Driving, with an average speed of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, would take less than two hours, a buggy would take most of three days and walking would take 5 days.
  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 757 miles [1,218.3 km] to the east (E). Driving would take just about two full days, a buggy would take 30 days and walking would take 43 days.
  • The shortest distance<7> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 6,392 miles [10,286.9 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<8>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 7,133 miles [11,479.5 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<9>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 5,018 miles [8,075.7 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<10>

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for West Point. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for State of Illinois: https://illinois.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- West Point) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in West Point. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 40.2553, Longitude: -91.1832    
<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 West Point 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 West Point, 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 West Point 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 316.783 degrees.
<9>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 313.793 degrees.
<10>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 310.743 degrees.









 

Copyright 2024
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024