RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Maryland >> Washington County >> Big Spring >> Tidbits & TriviaIndex...










Learn About
The Commemorative
Quarter for
Maryland

The Commemorative Quarter for Maryland





Outdoor Activities ...

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

When in Big Spring, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Big Spring 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 Big Spring:
    • 39.629263, -77.939443
    • 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 Big Spring
  • 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 Big Spring ...

We found 21 communities that share the name Big Spring.

There is one other community in Maryland which is also named Big Spring.

Beyond Maryland, we know of another twenty communities that are located throughout in the United States.

  • Communities Located In Maryland ...
    • Baltimore County
      • This Big Spring is located in Baltimore County and lies 64 miles [103 km]<1> to the east of the Big Spring that is located in Washington County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Baltimore County community of Big Spring.
  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • Alabama
      • Marshall County
      • This community is historic<2> and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Alabama community of Big Spring [Marshall County].
    • Georgia
      • Gordon County
      • This community is historic<2> and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Georgia community of Big Spring [Gordon County].
      • Hancock 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 Georgia community of Big Spring [Hancock County].
      • Walker 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 Georgia community of Big Spring [Walker County].
    • Iowa
      • Wayne County
      • This community is historic<2> and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Iowa community of Big Spring [Wayne County].
    • Kentucky
      • Meade County
      • This Big Spring is located in Meade County and lies 459 miles [738.7 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Big Spring that is located in Washington County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Meade County community of Big Spring.
    • Michigan
      • Ottawa 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 Big Spring [Ottawa County].
    • Minnesota
      • Fillmore County
      • This Big Spring is located in Fillmore County and lies 776 miles [1,248.9 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Big Spring that is located in Washington County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Fillmore County community of Big Spring.
    • Missouri
      • Montgomery County
      • This Big Spring is located in Montgomery County and lies 725 miles [1,166.8 km]<1> to the west of the Big Spring that is located in Washington County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Montgomery County community of Big Spring.
    • North Carolina
      • Jackson 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 North Carolina community of Big Spring [Jackson County].
    • Oklahoma
      • Hughes 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 Oklahoma community of Big Spring [Hughes County].
    • Pennsylvania
      • Centre County
      • This Big Spring is located in Centre County and lies 88 miles [141.6 km]<1> to the north of the Big Spring that is located in Washington County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Centre County community of Big Spring.
      • Cumberland County
      • This Big Spring is located in Cumberland County and lies 44 miles [70.8 km] to the northeast of the Big Spring that is located in Washington County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Cumberland County community of Big Spring.
      • Franklin 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 Pennsylvania community of Big Spring [Franklin County].
    • Tennessee
      • Carter County
      • This Big Spring is located in Carter County and lies 327 miles [526.3 km]<1> to the southwest of the Big Spring that is located in Washington County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Carter County community of Big Spring.
      • Meigs County
      • This Big Spring is located in Meigs County and lies 480 miles [772.5 km] to the southwest of the Big Spring that is located in Washington County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Meigs County community of Big Spring.
      • Wilson County
      • This community is historic<2> and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Tennessee community of Big Spring [Wilson County].
    • Texas
      • Howard County
      • This Big Spring is located in Howard County and lies 1,406 miles [2,262.7 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Big Spring that is located in Washington County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Howard County community of Big Spring.
    • Virginia
      • Page County
      • This Big Spring is located in Page County and lies 67 miles [107.8 km]<1> to the south southwest of the Big Spring that is located in Washington County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Page County community of Big Spring.
    • Wisconsin
      • Adams County
      • This Big Spring is located in Adams County and lies 664 miles [1,068.6 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Big Spring that is located in Washington County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Adams County community of Big Spring.

Curious and Interesting Names Near Big Spring ...

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.

  • Big Pool
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Big Pool have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Big Pool
    • Big Pool is located in Washington County
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Big Pool <5>
  • Clear Spring
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
  • Ernstville
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ernstville have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ernstville
    • Ernstville is located in Washington County
  • Four Locks
    (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Four Locks have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Four Locks
    • Four Locks is located in Washington County
  • Georgetown
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Georgetown have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Georgetown
    • Georgetown is located in Berkeley County (WV)
  • Green Spring Furnace
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Green Spring Furnace have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Spring Furnace
    • Green Spring Furnace is located in Washington County
  • Greenspring Hill
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Greenspring Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenspring Hill
    • Greenspring Hill is located in Washington County
  • Indian Springs
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Indian Springs have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indian Springs
    • Indian Springs is located in Washington County
  • Little Georgetown
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Georgetown
    • Little Georgetown is located in Berkeley County (WV)
  • Runners Ferry
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Runners Ferry have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Runners Ferry
    • Runners Ferry is located in Berkeley County (WV)
  • Shady Bower
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Shady Bower have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shady Bower
    • Shady Bower is located in Washington County
  • Spring Mills
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spring Mills have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Mills
    • Spring Mills is located in Berkeley County (WV)
  • Two Locks
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Two Locks have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Two Locks
    • Two Locks is located in Washington County

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

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

  • Hagerstown, which is the Seat of Washington County, lies 11 miles [17.7 km]<1> to the east. If you could walk a straight line from Big Spring to Hagerstown, with an average speed<6> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take five to six hours to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take nearly four hours.
  • Annapolis, which is the State Capital of Maryland, lies 89 miles [143.2 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 69 miles [111 km] to the southeast (SE). Driving would take less than two hours, a buggy would take about three full days and walking would take three full days.
  • The shortest distance<7> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 5,904 miles [9,501.6 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<8>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,614 miles [10,644.2 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<9>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,490 miles [7,226 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<10>

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Big Spring. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Washington County: www.washco-md.net/

The official website for State of Maryland: www.maryland.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Big Spring) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Big Spring. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.6293, Longitude: -77.9394       In this case, the coordinates for Big Spring 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 Big Spring, 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 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 Big Spring 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'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 Big Spring 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 308.381 degrees.
<9>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 304.11 degrees.
<10>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 304.818 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