RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Kentucky >> Fayette County >> Jonestown >> Tidbits & TriviaIndex...

Outdoor Activities ...

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

When in Jonestown, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Jonestown 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 Jonestown:
    • 37.977022, -84.496605
    • 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.
    • Open the Heavens-Above website centered on Jonestown
  • 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 Fayette County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Fayette County
    • Since Jonestown is near Jessamine County and also Clark County, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Jessamine County
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Clark 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:
    • Open the Waymark.com report for Jonestown

Communities Also Named Jonestown ...

We found 23 communities that are also named Jonestown.

Within Kentucky, the name Jonestown is unique.

Beyond Kentucky, we know of 23 communities that are located in the United States.

  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • Georgia
      • Fannin County
      • This Jonestown is located in Fannin County and lies 206 miles [331.5 km]<1> to the south of the Jonestown that is located in Fayette County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Fannin County community of Jonestown.
    • Indiana
      • Vermillion County
      • This Jonestown is located in Vermillion County and lies 201 miles [323.5 km]<1> to the northwest of the Jonestown that is located in Fayette County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Vermillion County community of Jonestown.
    • Kansas
      • Allen 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 Jonestown [Allen County].
    • Maryland
      • Caroline County
      • This Jonestown is located in Caroline County and lies 468 miles [753.2 km]<1> to the east of the Jonestown that is located in Fayette County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Caroline County community of Jonestown.
      • Howard County
      • This Jonestown is located in Howard County and lies 423 miles [680.8 km] to the east northeast of the Jonestown that is located in Fayette County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Howard County community of Jonestown.
      • Saint Mary's County
      • This Jonestown is located in Saint Mary's County and lies 438 miles [704.9 km] to the east of the Jonestown that is located in Fayette County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Saint Mary's County community of Jonestown.
    • Mississippi
      • Alcorn County
      • This Jonestown is located in Alcorn County and lies 315 miles [506.9 km]<1> to the southwest of the Jonestown that is located in Fayette County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Alcorn County community of Jonestown.
      • Coahoma County
      • This Jonestown is located in Coahoma County and lies 417 miles [671.1 km] to the southwest of the Jonestown that is located in Fayette County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Coahoma County community of Jonestown.
      • Warren County
      • This Jonestown is located in Warren County and lies 531 miles [854.6 km] to the southwest of the Jonestown that is located in Fayette County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Warren County community of Jonestown.
      • Yazoo County
      • This Jonestown is located in Yazoo County and lies 486 miles [782.1 km] to the southwest of the Jonestown that is located in Fayette County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Yazoo County community of Jonestown.
    • North Carolina
      • Forsyth County
      • This Jonestown is located in Forsyth County and lies 264 miles [424.9 km]<1> to the east southeast of the Jonestown that is located in Fayette County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Forsyth County community of Jonestown.
      • Lenoir County
      • This Jonestown is located in Lenoir County and lies 429 miles [690.4 km] to the east southeast of the Jonestown that is located in Fayette County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Lenoir County community of Jonestown.
    • Ohio
      • Jackson County
      • This Jonestown is located in Jackson County and lies 126 miles [202.8 km]<1> to the northeast of the Jonestown that is located in Fayette County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Jackson County community of Jonestown.
      • Van Wert County
      • This Jonestown is located in Van Wert County and lies 192 miles [309 km] to the north of the Jonestown that is located in Fayette County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Van Wert County community of Jonestown.
    • Pennsylvania
      • Columbia County
      • This Jonestown is located in Columbia County and lies 487 miles [783.8 km]<1> to the east northeast of the Jonestown that is located in Fayette County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Columbia County community of Jonestown.
      • Lebanon County
      • This Jonestown is located in Lebanon County and lies 460 miles [740.3 km] to the east northeast of the Jonestown that is located in Fayette County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Lebanon County community of Jonestown.
      • Schuylkill County
      • This Jonestown is located in Schuylkill County and lies 477 miles [767.7 km] to the east northeast of the Jonestown that is located in Fayette County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Schuylkill County community of Jonestown.
      • Washington County
      • This Jonestown is located in Washington County and lies 284 miles [457.1 km] to the east northeast of the Jonestown that is located in Fayette County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Washington County community of Jonestown.
    • South Carolina
      • Horry County
      • This Jonestown is located in Horry County and lies 404 miles [650.2 km]<1> to the southeast of the Jonestown that is located in Fayette County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Horry County community of Jonestown.
    • Tennessee
      • Cocke 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 Tennessee community of Jonestown [Cocke County].
      • Giles County
      • This Jonestown is located in Giles County and lies 233 miles [375 km]<1> to the southwest of the Jonestown that is located in Fayette County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Giles County community of Jonestown.
    • Texas
      • Travis County
      • This Jonestown is located in Travis County and lies 923 miles [1,485.4 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Jonestown that is located in Fayette County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Travis County community of Jonestown.
    • Virginia
      • Rockbridge County
      • This Jonestown is located in Rockbridge County and lies 284 miles [457.1 km]<1> to the east of the Jonestown that is located in Fayette County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Rockbridge County community of Jonestown.

Curious and Interesting Names Near Jonestown ...

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.

  • Blueberry Hill
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Blueberry Hill is located in Fayette County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blueberry Hill
  • Catnip ‑ Historic
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Catnip is located in Jessamine County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Catnip
  • Chevy Chase
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Chevy Chase is located in Fayette County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chevy Chase
  • Fairway
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Fairway is located in Fayette County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairway
  • Gamesway
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Gamesway is located in Fayette County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gamesway
  • Garden Springs
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Garden Springs is located in Fayette County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garden Springs
  • Gardenside
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
    • Gardenside is located in Fayette County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gardenside
  • Idle Hour
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Idle Hour is located in Fayette County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Idle Hour
  • Indian Hills
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Indian Hills is located in Fayette County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indian Hills
  • Continue List   (6 more) ...
    • Liberty Heights
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
      • Liberty Heights is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liberty Heights
    • Open Gates
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Open Gates is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Open Gates
    • Pine Meadows
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
      • Pine Meadows is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Meadows
    • Shadeland
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
      • Shadeland is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shadeland
    • Stoneybrook
      (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
      • Stoneybrook is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stoneybrook
    • Twin Oaks
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Twin Oaks is located in Fayette County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Twin Oaks

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

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

  • Lexington, which is the Seat of Fayette County, lies just to the North.
  • Frankfort, which is the State Capital of Kentucky, lies 25 miles [40.2 km]<1> to the northwest (NW). If you could walk a straight line from Jonestown to Frankfort, with an average speed<4> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take just about two full days to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take most of a day.
  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 408 miles [656.6 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 16 days and walking would take 24 days.
  • The shortest distance<5> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 6,247 miles [10,053.6 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<6>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,966 miles [11,210.7 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,842 miles [7,792.4 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<8>'

Footnotes ...

<1>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Jonestown) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<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 Jonestown 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 Jonestown, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<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 Jonestown to the Middle East to be East and South, the Great Circle Route actually lies to the North and East.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Jonestown. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 37.9770, Longitude: -84.4966       In this case, the coordinates for Jonestown have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<6>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 312.421 degrees.
<7>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 308.471 degrees.
<8>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 308.223 degrees.