Outdoor Activities ...
As we travel, we like to pursue some of our interests (such as astronomy and bird watching).
When in Highlands, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Highlands and the surrounding area.
- Weather ...
- Before heading outdoors, you should check the weather:
- The National Weather Service forecast for Highlands
- 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 Highlands:
- 42.219536, -72.624534
- 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 Highlands
- 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 Hampden County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
- eBird sighting report for Hampden County
- Since Highlands is near Hampshire County and also Franklin County, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
- eBird sighting report for Hampshire County
- eBird sighting report for Franklin 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 Highlands ...
We found 47 communities that share the name Highlands.
There are two communities within Massachusetts that are also named Highlands.
Beyond Massachusetts, we know of another 45 communities that are located throughout in the United States and Canada. Of these 45 communities, 46 are located in the United States and three are in Canada.
- Communities Located In Massachusetts ...
- Essex County
- Middlesex County
- Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
- Alabama
- Etowah County
- This Highlands is located in Etowah County and lies 918 miles [1,477.4 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Etowah County community of Highlands.
- Madison County
- This Highlands is located in Madison County and lies 913 miles [1,469.3 km] to the west southwest of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Madison County community of Highlands.
- Shelby County
- This Highlands is located in Shelby County and lies 991 miles [1,594.9 km] to the west southwest of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Shelby County community of Highlands.
- Tuscaloosa County
- This Highlands is located in Tuscaloosa County and lies 1,021 miles [1,643.1 km] to the west southwest of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Tuscaloosa County community of Highlands.
- British Columbia
- We haven't found the location of this community yet.
- California
- San Mateo County
- This Highlands is located in San Mateo County and lies 2,617 miles [4,211.7 km]<1> to the west of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the San Mateo County community of Highlands.
- Santa Clara County
- This Highlands is located in Santa Clara County and lies 2,609 miles [4,198.8 km] to the west of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Santa Clara County community of Highlands.
- Colorado
- Arapahoe 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 Colorado community of Highlands [Arapahoe County].
- Denver 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 Colorado community of Highlands [Denver County].
- Jefferson County
- This Highlands is located in Jefferson County and lies 1,687 miles [2,715 km]<1> to the west of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Jefferson County community of Highlands.
- Delaware
- Florida
- Broward 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 Florida community of Highlands [Broward County].
- Duval County
- This Highlands is located in Duval County and lies 956 miles [1,538.5 km]<1> to the southwest of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Duval County community of Highlands.
- Georgia
- Cobb County
- This Highlands is located in Cobb County and lies 863 miles [1,388.9 km]<1> to the southwest of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Cobb County community of Highlands.
- Fayette County
- This Highlands is located in Fayette County and lies 889 miles [1,430.7 km] to the southwest of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Fayette County community of Highlands.
- Paulding County
- This Highlands is located in Paulding County and lies 878 miles [1,413 km] to the southwest of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Paulding County community of Highlands.
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Cook County
- This Highlands is located in Cook County and lies 777 miles [1,250.5 km]<1> to the west of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Cook County community of Highlands.
- DuPage 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 Illinois community of Highlands [DuPage County].
- Kentucky
- Fayette County
- This Highlands is located in Fayette County and lies 688 miles [1,107.2 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Fayette County community of Highlands.
- Jefferson County
- This Highlands is located in Jefferson County and lies 741 miles [1,192.5 km] to the west southwest of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Jefferson County community of Highlands.
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Cumberland County
- This Highlands is located in Cumberland County and lies 154 miles [247.8 km]<1> to the northeast of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Cumberland County community of Highlands.
- Piscataquis County
- This Highlands is located in Piscataquis County and lies 271 miles [436.1 km] to the north northeast of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Piscataquis County community of Highlands.
- Maryland
- Anne Arundel County
- This Highlands is located in Anne Arundel County and lies 298 miles [479.6 km]<1> to the southwest of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Anne Arundel County community of Highlands.
- Calvert County
- This Highlands is located in Calvert County and lies 318 miles [511.8 km] to the southwest of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Calvert County community of Highlands.
- Cecil County
- This Highlands is located in Cecil County and lies 240 miles [386.2 km] to the southwest of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Cecil County community of Highlands.
- Montgomery 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 Maryland community of Highlands [Montgomery County].
- New Brunswick
- This Highlands lies 392 miles [630.9 km]<1> to the northeast of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- This Highlands lies 780 miles [1,255.3 km]<1> to the northeast of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- North Carolina
- Jackson County
- This Highlands is located in Jackson County and lies 753 miles [1,211.8 km]<1> to the southwest of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Jackson County community of Highlands.
- Orange County
- This Highlands is located in Orange County and lies 554 miles [891.6 km] to the southwest of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Orange County community of Highlands.
- Ohio
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Berkeley County
- This Highlands is located in Berkeley County and lies 754 miles [1,213.4 km]<1> to the southwest of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Berkeley County community of Highlands.
- Greenville County
- This Highlands is located in Greenville County and lies 735 miles [1,182.9 km] to the southwest of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Greenville County community of Highlands.
- Horry County
- This Highlands is located in Horry County and lies 675 miles [1,086.3 km] to the south southwest of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Horry County community of Highlands.
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Harris County
- This Highlands is located in Harris County and lies 1,509 miles [2,428.5 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Harris County community of Highlands.
- Hidalgo County
- This Highlands is located in Hidalgo County and lies 1,808 miles [2,909.7 km] to the west southwest of the Highlands that is located in Hampden County.
- For more information, please visit our profile page for the Hidalgo County community of Highlands.
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- Alabama
Curious and Interesting Names Near Highlands ...
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.
- Cayenne
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south) - Chicopee
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chicopee
- Chicopee is located in Hampden County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 54,825 people
- Freeman Knoll
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Freeman Knoll have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Freeman Knoll
- Freeman Knoll is located in Hampden County
- Great Swamp
(Less than 2 miles to the north)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Great Swamp have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Great Swamp
- Great Swamp is located in Hampshire County
- Hockanum
(5 miles [8 km] to the north) - Liberty Heights
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Liberty Heights have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liberty Heights
- Liberty Heights is located in Hampden County
- Moody Corner
(5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Moody Corner have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Moody Corner
- Moody Corner is located in Hampshire County
- Mount Tom
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the north) - Mountain Park
(Less than 2 miles to the north)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mountain Park have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mountain Park
- Mountain Park is located in Hampden County
- Plainville ‑ Historic
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Plainville have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plainville
- Plainville is located in Hampden County
- Rock Valley
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Rock Valley have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock Valley
- Rock Valley is located in Hampden County
- Sandy Hill
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sandy Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandy Hill
- Sandy Hill is located in Hampden County
How Far From Highlands 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 Highlands to various places of note, such as the White House.
With a nod to our favorite Gazetteers, the straight-line distance beginning in Highlands and extending to:
- Springfield, which is the Seat of Hampden County, lies just to the South Southeast.
- Boston, which is the State Capital of Massachusetts, lies 80 miles [128.7 km]<1> to the east (E). If you could drive a straight line from Highlands to Boston, with an average speed<5>of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, it would take less than two hours to make the trip. A comfortable walk of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour would take 5 days. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take most of three days.
- The White House (Washington, DC) is 325 miles [523 km] to the southwest (SW). Driving would take five to six hours, a buggy would take 13 days and walking would take 19 days.
- The shortest distance<6> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 5,575 miles [8,972.1 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>
- The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,285 miles [10,114.7 km] and it lies to the east northeast (ENE).<8>
- The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,160 miles [6,694.9 km] and it lies to the east northeast (ENE).<9>
Off-the-Road Links ...
Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Highlands. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.
The official website for State of Massachusetts: https://www.mass.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- Highlands) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Highlands. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.2195, Longitude: -72.6245 In this case, the coordinates for Highlands have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). |
| <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 Highlands 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 Highlands, 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 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 Highlands 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 304.936 degrees. |
| <8> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 300.628 degrees. |
| <9> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 301.347 degrees. |