RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Massachusetts >> Franklin County >> Northfield >> Tidbits & TriviaIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
Massachusetts


The Commemorative Quarter for Massachusetts







Outdoor Activities ...

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

When in Northfield, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Northfield 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 Northfield:
    • 42.695917, -72.452865
    • 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 Northfield
  • 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 Northfield ...

We found 30 communities that share the name Northfield.

Within Massachusetts, the name Northfield is unique.

Beyond Massachusetts, we know of another 30 communities that are located throughout in the United States and Canada. Of these 30 communities, 26 are located in the United States and eight are in Canada.

  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • British Columbia
      • This Northfield lies 2,465 miles [3,967 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
    • Connecticut
      • Fairfield County
      • This Northfield is located in Fairfield County and lies 125 miles [201.2 km]<1> to the south southwest of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Fairfield County community of Northfield.
      • Litchfield County
      • This Northfield is located in Litchfield County and lies 76 miles [122.3 km] to the south southwest of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Litchfield County community of Northfield.
    • Illinois
      • Cook County
      • This Northfield is located in Cook County and lies 781 miles [1,256.9 km]<1> to the west of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Cook County community of Northfield.
      • Will County
      • This Northfield is located in Will County and lies 806 miles [1,297.1 km] to the west of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Will County community of Northfield.
    • Indiana
      • Boone County
      • This Northfield is located in Boone County and lies 738 miles [1,187.7 km]<1> to the west of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Boone County community of Northfield.
    • Iowa
      • Des Moines County
      • This Northfield is located in Des Moines County and lies 964 miles [1,551.4 km]<1> to the west of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Des Moines County community of Northfield.
    • Kansas
      • Cheyenne County
      • This community is historic<2> and although located in Cheyenne County, we don't know where within the county.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Cheyenne County community of Northfield.
      • Sherman County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<3> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Kansas community of Northfield [Sherman County].
      • Sumner 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 Kansas community of Northfield [Sumner County].
    • Kentucky
      • Jefferson County
      • This Northfield is located in Jefferson County and lies 755 miles [1,215.1 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Jefferson County community of Northfield.
      • Pulaski County
      • This Northfield is located in Pulaski County and lies 749 miles [1,205.4 km] to the west southwest of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Pulaski County community of Northfield.
    • Maine
      • Washington County
      • This Northfield is located in Washington County and lies 284 miles [457.1 km]<1> to the east northeast of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Washington County community of Northfield.
    • Michigan
      • Monroe County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<3> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Michigan community of Northfield [Monroe County].
      • Washtenaw County
      • This Northfield is located in Washtenaw County and lies 573 miles [922.2 km]<1> to the west of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Washtenaw County community of Northfield.
    • Minnesota
      • Rice County
      • This Northfield is located in Rice County and lies 1,040 miles [1,673.7 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Rice County community of Northfield.
    • New Hampshire
      • Merrimack County
      • This Northfield is located in Merrimack County and lies 66 miles [106.2 km]<1> to the northeast of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Merrimack County community of Northfield.
    • New Jersey
      • Atlantic County
      • This Northfield is located in Atlantic County and lies 254 miles [408.8 km]<1> to the south southwest of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Atlantic County community of Northfield.
      • Essex County
      • This Northfield is located in Essex County and lies 164 miles [263.9 km] to the southwest of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Essex County community of Northfield.
    • New York
      • Delaware County
      • This Northfield is located in Delaware County and lies 142 miles [228.5 km]<1> to the west of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Delaware County community of Northfield.
    • Nova Scotia
      • This Northfield lies 469 miles [754.8 km]<1> to the east northeast of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
    • Ohio
      • Summit County
      • This Northfield is located in Summit County and lies 474 miles [762.8 km]<1> to the west of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Summit County community of Northfield.
    • Ontario
      • This Northfield lies 406 miles [653.4 km]<1> to the west of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
    • Quebec
      • This Northfield lies 291 miles [468.3 km]<1> to the northwest of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
    • Texas
      • Harris County
      • This Northfield is located in Harris County and lies 1,561 miles [2,512.2 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Harris County community of Northfield.
      • Motley County
      • This Northfield is located in Motley County and lies 1,618 miles [2,603.9 km] to the west of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Motley County community of Northfield.
    • Vermont
      • Washington County
      • This Northfield is located in Washington County and lies 101 miles [162.5 km]<1> to the north of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Washington County community of Northfield.
    • Virginia
      • Henrico County
      • This Northfield is located in Henrico County and lies 436 miles [701.7 km]<1> to the southwest of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Henrico County community of Northfield.
      • Roanoke City
      • This Northfield is located in Roanoke City and lies 542 miles [872.3 km] to the southwest of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Roanoke City community of Northfield.
    • Wisconsin
      • Jackson County
      • This Northfield is located in Jackson County and lies 938 miles [1,509.6 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Northfield that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Jackson County community of Northfield.

Curious and Interesting Names Near Northfield ...

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.

  • Cold Spring
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cold Spring have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cold Spring
    • Cold Spring is located in Franklin County
  • Dole Junction
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dole Junction have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dole Junction
    • Dole Junction is located in Cheshire County (NH)
  • Factory Village ‑ Historic
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Factory Village have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Factory Village
    • Factory Village is located in Franklin County
  • Gill
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gill have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gill
    • Gill is located in Franklin County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 1,473 people
  • Gill Station
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gill Station have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gill Station
    • Gill Station is located in Franklin County
  • Mayo Corners
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mayo Corners
    • Mayo Corners is located in Franklin County
  • Satans Kingdom
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Satans Kingdom have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Satans Kingdom
    • Satans Kingdom is located in Franklin County
  • Scotland
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Scotland have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scotland
    • Scotland is located in Cheshire County (NH)
  • Sky Farm
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sky Farm have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sky Farm
    • Sky Farm is located in Franklin County

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

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

  • Greenfield, which is the Seat of Franklin County, lies 10 miles [16.1 km]<1> to the southwest. If you could walk a straight line from Northfield to Greenfield, with an average speed<5> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take four to five hours to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take a little over three hours.
  • Boston, which is the State Capital of Massachusetts, lies 74 miles [119.1 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 most of three days and walking would take 5 days.
  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 355 miles [571.3 km] to the southwest (SW). Driving would take five to six hours, a buggy would take 14 days and walking would take 21 days.
  • The shortest distance<6> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 5,549 miles [8,930.2 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,260 miles [10,074.5 km] and it lies to the east northeast (ENE).<8>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,136 miles [6,656.2 km] and it lies to the east northeast (ENE).<9>

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Northfield. 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 '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- Northfield) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Northfield. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 42.6959, Longitude: -72.4529       In this case, the coordinates for Northfield have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<2>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 Northfield, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<3>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 Rock Creek to see Pete ... Rock 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 Northfield 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.
<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 Northfield 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 304.767 degrees.
<8>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 300.517 degrees.
<9>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 301.034 degrees.









 

Copyright 2024
All Rights Reserved

Thank you for visiting our website.

In closing, please keep in mind that we can not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of the information on this website, so use with care. We encourage you to double-check the information that is critical to you.

If you've found an error or have additional information that you would like to share, please don't hesitate to write: Click here to contact us.

This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024