RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Louisiana >> Rapides Parish >> Westport >> Tidbits & TriviaIndex...

Outdoor Activities ...

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

When in Westport, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Westport 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 Westport:
    • 30.964635, -92.797371
    • 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 Westport
  • 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 parish-by-parish basis. We have selected Rapides Parish as the starting point when you click on the link below:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Rapides Parish
    • Since Westport is near Vernon Parish and also Allen Parish, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Vernon Parish
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Allen Parish
  • 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 Westport

Communities Also Named Westport ...

We found 25 communities that are also named Westport.

Within Louisiana, the name Westport is unique.

Beyond Louisiana, we know of 25 communities that are located in the United States and Canada. Of these 25 communities, 22 are located in the United States and three are in Canada.

  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • California
      • Mendocino County
      • This Westport is located in Mendocino County and lies 1,835 miles [2,953.1 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Westport that is located in Rapides Parish.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Mendocino County community of Westport.
    • Connecticut
      • Fairfield County
      • This Westport is located in Fairfield County and lies 1,288 miles [2,072.8 km]<1> to the northeast of the Westport that is located in Rapides Parish.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Fairfield County community of Westport.
    • Georgia
      • Columbia County
      • This Westport is located in Columbia County and lies 651 miles [1,047.7 km]<1> to the east northeast of the Westport that is located in Rapides Parish.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Columbia County community of Westport.
    • Illinois
      • Lawrence County
      • This Westport is located in Lawrence County and lies 613 miles [986.5 km]<1> to the north northeast of the Westport that is located in Rapides Parish.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Lawrence County community of Westport.
    • Indiana
      • Decatur County
      • This Westport is located in Decatur County and lies 698 miles [1,123.3 km]<1> to the north northeast of the Westport that is located in Rapides Parish.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Decatur County community of Westport.
      • Porter 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 Indiana community of Westport [Porter County].
    • Kansas
      • Sedgwick 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 Westport [Sedgwick County].
    • Kentucky
      • Oldham County
      • This Westport is located in Oldham County and lies 664 miles [1,068.6 km]<1> to the northeast of the Westport that is located in Rapides Parish.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Oldham County community of Westport.
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore City
      • This Westport is located in Baltimore City and lies 1,075 miles [1,730 km]<1> to the northeast of the Westport that is located in Rapides Parish.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Baltimore City community of Westport.
    • Massachusetts
      • Bristol County
      • This Westport is located in Bristol County and lies 1,407 miles [2,264.3 km]<1> to the northeast of the Westport that is located in Rapides Parish.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Bristol County community of Westport.
    • Minnesota
      • Pope County
      • This Westport is located in Pope County and lies 1,026 miles [1,651.2 km]<1> to the north of the Westport that is located in Rapides Parish.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Pope County community of Westport.
    • Missouri
      • Jackson County
      • This Westport is located in Jackson County and lies 567 miles [912.5 km]<1> to the north of the Westport that is located in Rapides Parish.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Jackson County community of Westport.
    • New Hampshire
      • Cheshire County
      • This Westport is located in Cheshire County and lies 1,389 miles [2,235.4 km]<1> to the northeast of the Westport that is located in Rapides Parish.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Cheshire County community of Westport.
    • New York
      • Essex County
      • This Westport is located in Essex County and lies 1,392 miles [2,240.2 km]<1> to the northeast of the Westport that is located in Rapides Parish.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Essex County community of Westport.
    • Newfoundland and Labrador
      • This Westport lies 2,269 miles [3,651.6 km]<1> to the northeast of the Westport that is located in Rapides Parish.
    • North Carolina
      • Lincoln County
      • This Westport is located in Lincoln County and lies 750 miles [1,207 km]<1> to the east northeast of the Westport that is located in Rapides Parish.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Lincoln County community of Westport.
    • Nova Scotia
      • This Westport lies 1,701 miles [2,737.5 km]<1> to the northeast of the Westport that is located in Rapides Parish.
    • Oklahoma
      • Pawnee County
      • This Westport is located in Pawnee County and lies 414 miles [666.3 km]<1> to the north northwest of the Westport that is located in Rapides Parish.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Pawnee County community of Westport.
    • Ontario
      • This Westport lies 1,297 miles [2,087.3 km]<1> to the northeast of the Westport that is located in Rapides Parish.
    • Oregon
      • Clatsop County
      • This Westport is located in Clatsop County and lies 1,936 miles [3,115.7 km]<1> to the northwest of the Westport that is located in Rapides Parish.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Clatsop County community of Westport.
    • Pennsylvania
      • Clinton County
      • This Westport is located in Clinton County and lies 1,095 miles [1,762.2 km]<1> to the northeast of the Westport that is located in Rapides Parish.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Clinton County community of Westport.
    • South Dakota
      • Brown County
      • This Westport is located in Brown County and lies 1,059 miles [1,704.3 km]<1> to the north northwest of the Westport that is located in Rapides Parish.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Brown County community of Westport.
    • Tennessee
      • Carroll County
      • This Westport is located in Carroll County and lies 427 miles [687.2 km]<1> to the northeast of the Westport that is located in Rapides Parish.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Carroll County community of Westport.
    • Washington
      • Grays Harbor County
      • This Westport is located in Grays Harbor County and lies 1,988 miles [3,199.4 km]<1> to the northwest of the Westport that is located in Rapides Parish.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Grays Harbor County community of Westport.
    • Wisconsin
      • Richland County
      • This Westport is located in Richland County and lies 853 miles [1,372.8 km]<1> to the north of the Westport that is located in Rapides Parish.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Richland County community of Westport.

Curious and Interesting Names Near Westport ...

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.

  • Blanche
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
    • Blanche is located in Rapides Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blanche
  • Elizabeth
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
  • Elmer
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
  • Grant
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Longleaf
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the east)
  • Marionville ‑ Historic
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the south)
    • Marionville is located in Allen Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marionville
  • Pearl
    (11 miles [17.7 km] to the east)
  • Price Crossing
    (13 miles [20.9 km] to the north)
    • Price Crossing is located in Rapides Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Price Crossing
  • Sugartown
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
  • Tenmile
    (15 miles [24.1 km] to the southwest)
    • Tenmile is located in Allen Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tenmile
  • Union Hill
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Union Hill is located in Rapides Parish
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Union Hill

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

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

  • Alexandria, which is the Seat of Rapides Parish, lies 31 miles [49.9 km]<1> to the northeast. If you could walk a straight line from Westport to Alexandria, with an average speed<4> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take most of two days to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take just over a day.
  • Baton Rouge, which is the State Capital of Louisiana, lies 103 miles [165.8 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 4 days and walking would take 6 days.
  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 1,044 miles [1,680.2 km] to the northeast (NE). Driving would take over two days, a buggy would take 41 days and walking would take 60 days.
  • The shortest distance<5> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 6,923 miles [11,141.5 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<6>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 7,640 miles [12,295.4 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 5,515 miles [8,875.5 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 obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Westport) 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 Bird Creek to see Pete ... Bird Creek 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 Westport 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 parish. 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>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<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 Westport 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 Westport. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 30.9646, Longitude: -92.7974       In this case, the coordinates for Westport have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<6>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 317.12 degrees.
<7>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 312.945 degrees.
<8>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 313.162 degrees.