RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Maryland >> Saint Mary's County >> California >> Tidbits & TriviaIndex...

Outdoor Activities ...

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

When in California, we use the following websites to find information relevant to California 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 California:
    • 38.300403, -76.507454
    • 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 California
  • 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 Saint Mary's County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Saint Mary's County
    • Since California is near Calvert County and also Westmoreland County, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Calvert County
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Westmoreland 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 California

Communities Also Named California ...

We found twenty communities that are also named California.

There is one other community in Maryland that is also named California.

Beyond Maryland, we know of nineteen communities that are located in the United States and Canada. Of these nineteen communities, nineteen are located in the United States and two are in Canada.

  • Communities Located In Maryland ...
    • Wicomico County
      • This California is located in Wicomico County and lies 48 miles [77.2 km]<1> to the east of the California that is located in Saint Mary's County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Wicomico County community of California.
  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • Georgia
      • Paulding County
      • This California is located in Paulding County and lies 549 miles [883.5 km]<1> to the west southwest of the California that is located in Saint Mary's County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Paulding County community of California.
    • Iowa
      • Harrison 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 Iowa community of California [Harrison County].
    • Kansas
      • Coffey 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 California [Coffey County].
    • Kentucky
      • Campbell County
      • This California is located in Campbell County and lies 420 miles [675.9 km]<1> to the west of the California that is located in Saint Mary's County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Campbell County community of California.
    • Louisiana
      • Madison Parish
      • 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 Louisiana community of California [Madison Parish].
    • Maine
      • Aroostook County
      • This California is located in Aroostook County and lies 739 miles [1,189.3 km]<1> to the north northeast of the California that is located in Saint Mary's County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Aroostook County community of California.
    • Michigan
      • Branch County
      • This California is located in Branch County and lies 503 miles [809.5 km]<1> to the west northwest of the California that is located in Saint Mary's County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Branch County community of California.
    • Missouri
      • Moniteau County
      • This California is located in Moniteau County and lies 867 miles [1,395.3 km]<1> to the west of the California that is located in Saint Mary's County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Moniteau County community of California.
    • North Carolina
      • Dare County
      • This California is located in Dare County and lies 171 miles [275.2 km]<1> to the south southeast of the California that is located in Saint Mary's County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Dare County community of California.
      • Hertford County
      • This California is located in Hertford County and lies 136 miles [218.9 km] to the south of the California that is located in Saint Mary's County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Hertford County community of California.
      • Madison County
      • This California is located in Madison County and lies 371 miles [597.1 km] to the west southwest of the California that is located in Saint Mary's County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Madison County community of California.
      • Pitt County
      • This California is located in Pitt County and lies 193 miles [310.6 km] to the south southwest of the California that is located in Saint Mary's County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Pitt County community of California.
    • Ohio
      • Hamilton County
      • This California is located in Hamilton County and lies 429 miles [690.4 km]<1> to the west of the California that is located in Saint Mary's County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Hamilton County community of California.
    • Ontario
      • This California lies 477 miles [767.7 km]<1> to the north of the California that is located in Saint Mary's County.
    • Pennsylvania
      • Bucks County
      • This California is located in Bucks County and lies 162 miles [260.7 km]<1> to the north northeast of the California that is located in Saint Mary's County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Bucks County community of California.
      • Luzerne 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 Pennsylvania community of California [Luzerne County].
      • Montour County
      • This California is located in Montour County and lies 191 miles [307.4 km] to the north of the California that is located in Saint Mary's County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Montour County community of California.
      • Washington County
      • This California is located in Washington County and lies 218 miles [350.8 km] to the northwest of the California that is located in Saint Mary's County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Washington County community of California.
    • Virginia
      • Rockbridge County
      • This California is located in Rockbridge County and lies 169 miles [272 km]<1> to the west of the California that is located in Saint Mary's County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Rockbridge County community of California.

Curious and Interesting Names Near California ...

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.

  • Discovery
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Discovery is located in Saint Mary's County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Discovery
  • Friendly Pines
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Friendly Pines is located in Saint Mary's County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Friendly Pines
  • Greenview Knolls
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Greenview Knolls is located in Saint Mary's County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenview Knolls
  • Holly Haven
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Holly Haven is located in Saint Mary's County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holly Haven
  • Johnstown
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Johnstown is located in Calvert County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Johnstown
  • Laceys Venture
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Laceys Venture is located in Saint Mary's County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Laceys Venture
  • Maple Run
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Maple Run is located in Saint Mary's County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maple Run
  • Middle Earth
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Middle Earth is located in Saint Mary's County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middle Earth
  • Red Hill
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
    • Red Hill is located in Saint Mary's County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Red Hill
  • Scotch Point
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Scotch Point is located in Saint Mary's County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Scotch Point
  • Spring Valley
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Spring Valley is located in Saint Mary's County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Valley
  • Summerville ‑ Historic
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Summerville is located in Calvert County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summerville
  • Town Creek
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Town Creek is located in Saint Mary's County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Town Creek
  • Town Creek Farm
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Town Creek Farm is located in Saint Mary's County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Town Creek Farm

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

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

  • Leonardtown, which is the Seat of Saint Mary's County, lies just to the West.
  • Annapolis, which is the State Capital of Maryland, lies 46 miles [74 km]<1> to the north (N). If you could walk a straight line from California to Annapolis, with an average speed<3> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take about three full days to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take most of two days.
  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 50 miles [80.5 km] to the northwest (NW). Driving, with an average speed of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, would take less than an hour, a buggy would take most of two days and walking would take most of three days.
  • The shortest distance<4> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 5,900 miles [9,495.1 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<5>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,601 miles [10,623.3 km] and it lies to the east northeast (ENE).<6>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,479 miles [7,208.3 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>'

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- California) 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 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 California 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>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.
<4>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 California 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 California. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 38.3004, Longitude: -76.5075       In this case, the coordinates for California have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<5>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 307.617 degrees.
<6>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 303.037 degrees.
<7>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 304.724 degrees.