Outdoor Activities ...
As we travel, we like to pursue some of our interests (such as astronomy and bird watching).
When in Gem, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Gem and the surrounding area.
- Weather ...
- Before heading outdoors, you should check the weather:
- The National Weather Service forecast for Gem
- 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 Gem:
- 39.779405, -85.896583
- 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 Gem
- 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 Hancock County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
- eBird sighting report for Hancock County
- Since Gem is near Marion County and also Shelby County, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
- eBird sighting report for Marion County
- eBird sighting report for Shelby 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 Gem ...
We found thirteen communities that share the name Gem.
Within Indiana, the name Gem is unique.
Beyond Indiana, we know of another thirteen communities that are located throughout in the United States and Canada. Of these thirteen communities, twelve are located in the United States and one is in Canada.
- Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
- Alberta
- This Gem lies 1,478 miles [2,378.6 km]<1> to the northwest of the Gem that is located in Hancock County.
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Kansas
- Reno 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 Gem [Reno County].
- Thomas County
- This Gem is located in Thomas County and lies 797 miles [1,282.6 km]<1> to the west of the Gem that is located in Hancock County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Thomas County community of Gem.
- Michigan
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Dakota
- Texas
- West Virginia
- Alberta
Curious and Interesting Names Near Gem ...
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.
- Denny Corner
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Denny Corner
- Denny Corner is located in Hancock County
- Five Points
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Five Points have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Five Points
- Five Points is located in Marion County
- Fountaintown
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fountaintown have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fountaintown
- Fountaintown is located in Shelby County
- Greenfield
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenfield
- Greenfield is located in Hancock County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 23,369 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Greenfield <4>
- Indian Lake
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Indian Lake have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indian Lake
- Indian Lake is located in Marion County
- Ivanhoe
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the west) - Maxwell
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maxwell
- Maxwell is located in Hancock County
- Mohawk
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mohawk
- Mohawk is located in Hancock County
- Mount Comfort
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mount Comfort have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mount Comfort
- Mount Comfort is located in Hancock County
- Continue List (6 more) ...
- Pleasant View
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Pleasant View have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pleasant View
- Pleasant View is located in Shelby County
- Rainbow Highlands
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rainbow Highlands have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rainbow Highlands
- Rainbow Highlands is located in Marion County
- Reedville Station
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Reedville Station have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reedville Station
- Reedville Station is located in Hancock County
- Sugar Hills
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sugar Hills have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sugar Hills
- Sugar Hills is located in Hancock County
- Sun Down
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest) - Willow Lakes
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Willow Lakes have been provided by the GNIS.<3> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willow Lakes
- Willow Lakes is located in Marion County
- Pleasant View
How Far From Gem 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 Gem to various places of note, such as the White House.
With a nod to our favorite Gazetteers, the straight-line distance beginning in Gem and extending to:
- Greenfield, which is the Seat of Hancock County, lies just to the East.
- Indianapolis, which is the State Capital of Indiana, lies 14 miles [22.5 km]<1> to the west (W). If you could walk a straight line from Gem to Indianapolis, 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.
- The White House (Washington, DC) is 476 miles [766 km] to the east (E). Driving, with an average speed of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, would take most of a day, a buggy would take 19 days and walking would take 27 days.
- The shortest distance<6> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 6,217 miles [10,005.3 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>
- The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,946 miles [11,178.5 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<8>
- The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,824 miles [7,763.5 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<9>
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Gem. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for Hancock County: www.hancockcoingov.org/
The official website for State of Indiana: https://www.in.gov
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- Gem) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Gem. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.7794, Longitude: -85.8966 |
| <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 Gem 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 Gem 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 313.309 degrees. |
| <8> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 309.745 degrees. |
| <9> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 308.341 degrees. |