RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Kansas >> Osborne County >> Alton >> Tidbits & TriviaIndex...

Outdoor Activities ...

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

When in Alton, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Alton and the surrounding area.

  • 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 Alton:
    • 39.468572, -98.947868
    • 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 Alton
  • 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 Alton ...

We found 35 communities that share the name Alton.

There are two communities within Kansas that are also named Alton.

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

  • Communities Located In Kansas ...
    • Lyon County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<1> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Kansas community of Alton [Lyon County].
    • Sumner County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<1> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Kansas community of Alton [Sumner County].
  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • Alabama
      • Jefferson County
      • This Alton is located in Jefferson County and lies 793 miles [1,276.2 km]<2> to the east southeast of the Alton that is located in Osborne County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Jefferson County community of Alton.
    • Arkansas
      • Hempstead 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 Arkansas community of Alton [Hempstead County].
    • California
      • Humboldt County
      • This Alton is located in Humboldt County and lies 1,329 miles [2,138.8 km]<2> to the west northwest of the Alton that is located in Osborne County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Humboldt County community of Alton.
    • Florida
      • Lafayette County
      • This Alton is located in Lafayette County and lies 1,104 miles [1,776.7 km]<2> to the east southeast of the Alton that is located in Osborne County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Lafayette County community of Alton.
    • Georgia
      • Milton County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<1> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Georgia community of Alton [Milton County].
      • Tattnall 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 Georgia community of Alton [Tattnall County].
    • Idaho
      • Bear Lake County
      • This Alton is located in Bear Lake County and lies 664 miles [1,068.6 km]<2> to the west northwest of the Alton that is located in Osborne County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Bear Lake County community of Alton.
    • Illinois
      • Madison County
      • This Alton is located in Madison County and lies 470 miles [756.4 km]<2> to the east of the Alton that is located in Osborne County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Madison County community of Alton.
    • Indiana
      • Crawford County
      • This Alton is located in Crawford County and lies 680 miles [1,094.4 km]<2> to the east of the Alton that is located in Osborne County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Crawford County community of Alton.
    • Iowa
      • Sioux County
      • This Alton is located in Sioux County and lies 286 miles [460.3 km]<2> to the north northeast of the Alton that is located in Osborne County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Sioux County community of Alton.
    • Kentucky
      • Anderson County
      • This Alton is located in Anderson County and lies 759 miles [1,221.5 km]<2> to the east of the Alton that is located in Osborne County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Anderson County community of Alton.
    • Louisiana
      • Concordia Parish
      • 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 Louisiana community of Alton [Concordia Parish].
      • Saint Tammany Parish
      • This Alton is located in Saint Tammany Parish and lies 816 miles [1,313.2 km]<2> to the southeast of the Alton that is located in Osborne County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Saint Tammany Parish community of Alton.
    • Maine
      • Penobscot County
      • This Alton is located in Penobscot County and lies 1,581 miles [2,544.4 km]<2> to the east northeast of the Alton that is located in Osborne County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Penobscot County community of Alton.
    • Michigan
      • Delta County
      • This Alton is located in Delta County and lies 754 miles [1,213.4 km]<2> to the northeast of the Alton that is located in Osborne County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Delta County community of Alton.
      • Kent County
      • This Alton is located in Kent County and lies 746 miles [1,200.6 km] to the east northeast of the Alton that is located in Osborne County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Kent County community of Alton.
    • Minnesota
      • Faribault County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<1> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Minnesota community of Alton [Faribault County].
    • Missouri
      • Oregon County
      • This Alton is located in Oregon County and lies 452 miles [727.4 km]<2> to the east southeast of the Alton that is located in Osborne County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Oregon County community of Alton.
    • Montana
      • Glacier County
      • This community is historic<3> and although located in Glacier County, we don't know where within the county.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Glacier County community of Alton.
    • New Hampshire
      • Belknap County
      • This Alton is located in Belknap County and lies 1,453 miles [2,338.4 km]<2> to the east northeast of the Alton that is located in Osborne County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Belknap County community of Alton.
    • New York
      • Wayne County
      • This Alton is located in Wayne County and lies 1,164 miles [1,873.3 km]<2> to the east northeast of the Alton that is located in Osborne County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Wayne County community of Alton.
    • North Carolina
      • Union County
      • This Alton is located in Union County and lies 1,058 miles [1,702.7 km]<2> to the east southeast of the Alton that is located in Osborne County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Union County community of Alton.
    • North Dakota
      • Traill County
      • This Alton is located in Traill County and lies 552 miles [888.4 km]<2> to the north of the Alton that is located in Osborne County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Traill County community of Alton.
    • Nova Scotia
      • This Alton lies 1,846 miles [2,970.8 km]<2> to the east northeast of the Alton that is located in Osborne County.
    • Ohio
      • Franklin County
      • This Alton is located in Franklin County and lies 837 miles [1,347 km]<2> to the east of the Alton that is located in Osborne County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Franklin County community of Alton.
    • Ontario
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<1> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Ontario community of Alton.
    • Pennsylvania
      • McKean County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<1> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Pennsylvania community of Alton [McKean County].
    • Rhode Island
      • Washington County
      • This Alton is located in Washington County and lies 1,431 miles [2,303 km]<2> to the east northeast of the Alton that is located in Osborne County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Washington County community of Alton.
    • Texas
      • Denton County
      • This community is historic<3> and although located in Denton County, we don't know where within the county.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Denton County community of Alton.
      • Hidalgo County
      • This Alton is located in Hidalgo County and lies 910 miles [1,464.5 km]<2> to the south of the Alton that is located in Osborne County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Hidalgo County community of Alton.
    • Utah
      • Kane County
      • This Alton is located in Kane County and lies 744 miles [1,197.4 km]<2> to the west of the Alton that is located in Osborne County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Kane County community of Alton.
    • Virginia
      • Halifax County
      • This Alton is located in Halifax County and lies 1,100 miles [1,770.3 km]<2> to the east of the Alton that is located in Osborne County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Halifax County community of Alton.
    • West Virginia
      • Upshur County
      • This Alton is located in Upshur County and lies 1,002 miles [1,612.6 km]<2> to the east of the Alton that is located in Osborne County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Upshur County community of Alton.

Curious and Interesting Names Near Alton ...

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.

  • Cedar
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cedar have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar
    • Cedar is located in Smith County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 13 people
  • Cheyenne
    (26 miles [41.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cheyenne have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cheyenne
    • Cheyenne is located in Osborne County
    • Cheyenne has also been known as:
    • Cheyenne City
  • Cheyenne Gap
    (23 miles [37 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cheyenne Gap have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cheyenne Gap
    • Cheyenne Gap is located in Osborne County
  • Covert
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Covert have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Covert
    • Covert is located in Osborne County
  • Dispatch
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
  • Downs
    (21 miles [33.8 km] to the east)
  • Paradise
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Paradise have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paradise
    • Paradise is located in Russell County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 48 people
  • Plainville
    (24 miles [38.6 km] to the southwest)
  • Waldo
    (25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waldo
    • Waldo is located in Russell County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 29 people
    • Former name for Waldo:
    • Pleasant Run
    • Google driving directions:
    • From your current location to Waldo
    • From Alton to Waldo

How Far From Alton 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 city such as Alton to various places of note, such as the White House.

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

  • Osborne, which is the Seat of Osborne County, lies 13 miles [20.9 km]<2> to the east. If you could walk a straight line from Alton to Osborne, with an average speed<6> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take 6 hours to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take four to five hours.
  • Topeka, which is the State Capital of Kansas, lies 177 miles [284.9 km] to the east (E). Driving, with an average speed of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, would take a little over three hours, a buggy would take 7 days and walking would take 10 days.
  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 1,170 miles [1,882.9 km] to the east (E). Driving would take about three full days, a buggy would take 46 days and walking would take 67 days.
  • The shortest distance<7> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 6,700 miles [10,782.6 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<8>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 7,454 miles [11,996.1 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<9>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 5,357 miles [8,621.3 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<10>

Footnotes ...

<1>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 Alton 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.
<2>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Alton) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Alton. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.4686, Longitude: -98.9479    
<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 Alton, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<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 Alton 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 322.103 degrees.
<9>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 319.84 degrees.
<10>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 314.803 degrees.