RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Maryland >> Montgomery County >> Damascus >> Tidbits & TriviaIndex...

Outdoor Activities ...

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

When in Damascus, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Damascus 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 Damascus:
    • 39.288446, -77.204430
    • 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 Damascus
  • 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 Montgomery County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Montgomery County
    • Since Damascus is near Howard County and also Frederick County, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Howard County
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Frederick 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 Damascus

Communities Also Named Damascus ...

We found 25 communities that are also named Damascus.

Within Maryland, the name Damascus is unique.

Beyond Maryland, we know of 24 communities that are located in the United States and Canada. Of these 24 communities, 22 are located in the United States and two are in Canada.

In addition to the above occurrences of Damascus, we know of another community located outside of the United States and Canada.

  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • Alabama
      • Coffee County
      • This Damascus is located in Coffee County and lies 739 miles [1,189.3 km]<1> to the southwest of the Damascus that is located in Montgomery County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Coffee County community of Damascus.
      • Cullman County
      • This Damascus is located in Cullman County and lies 648 miles [1,042.9 km] to the west southwest of the Damascus that is located in Montgomery County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Cullman County community of Damascus.
      • Escambia County
      • This Damascus is located in Escambia County and lies 780 miles [1,255.3 km] to the southwest of the Damascus that is located in Montgomery County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Escambia County community of Damascus.
    • Arkansas
      • Columbia County
      • This Damascus is located in Columbia County and lies 971 miles [1,562.7 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Damascus that is located in Montgomery County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Columbia County community of Damascus.
      • Van Buren County
      • This Damascus is located in Van Buren County and lies 876 miles [1,409.8 km] to the west southwest of the Damascus that is located in Montgomery County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Van Buren County community of Damascus.
    • California
      • Placer 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 California community of Damascus [Placer County].
    • Connecticut
      • New Haven 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 Connecticut community of Damascus [New Haven County].
    • Georgia
      • Early County
      • This Damascus is located in Early County and lies 694 miles [1,116.9 km]<1> to the southwest of the Damascus that is located in Montgomery County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Early County community of Damascus.
      • Gordon County
      • This Damascus is located in Gordon County and lies 537 miles [864.2 km] to the southwest of the Damascus that is located in Montgomery County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Gordon County community of Damascus.
    • Illinois
      • Stephenson County
      • This Damascus is located in Stephenson County and lies 686 miles [1,104 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Damascus that is located in Montgomery County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Stephenson County community of Damascus.
    • Maine
      • Penobscot County
      • This Damascus is located in Penobscot County and lies 564 miles [907.7 km]<1> to the northeast of the Damascus that is located in Montgomery County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Penobscot County community of Damascus.
    • Mississippi
      • Kemper County
      • This Damascus is located in Kemper County and lies 793 miles [1,276.2 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Damascus that is located in Montgomery County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Kemper County community of Damascus.
      • Scott County
      • This Damascus is located in Scott County and lies 823 miles [1,324.5 km] to the west southwest of the Damascus that is located in Montgomery County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Scott County community of Damascus.
    • Missouri
      • Saint Clair 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 Missouri community of Damascus [Saint Clair County].
    • New Brunswick
      • This Damascus lies 719 miles [1,157.1 km]<1> to the northeast of the Damascus that is located in Montgomery County.
    • New York
      • Broome County
      • This Damascus is located in Broome County and lies 208 miles [334.7 km]<1> to the north northeast of the Damascus that is located in Montgomery County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Broome County community of Damascus.
    • Ohio
      • Henry County
      • This community is historic<3> and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Ohio community of Damascus [Henry County].
      • Logan County
      • This community is historic and although located in Logan County, we don't know where within the county.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Logan County community of Damascus.
      • Mahoning County
      • This Damascus is located in Mahoning County and lies 227 miles [365.3 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Damascus that is located in Montgomery County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Mahoning County community of Damascus.
    • Ontario
      • This Damascus lies 361 miles [581 km]<1> to the north northwest of the Damascus that is located in Montgomery County.
    • Oregon
      • Clackamas County
      • This Damascus is located in Clackamas County and lies 2,315 miles [3,725.6 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Damascus that is located in Montgomery County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Clackamas County community of Damascus.
    • Pennsylvania
      • Wayne County
      • This Damascus is located in Wayne County and lies 200 miles [321.9 km]<1> to the north northeast of the Damascus that is located in Montgomery County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Wayne County community of Damascus.
    • Tennessee
      • Johnson County
      • This Damascus is located in Johnson County and lies 323 miles [519.8 km]<1> to the southwest of the Damascus that is located in Montgomery County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Johnson County community of Damascus.
    • Virginia
      • Washington County
      • This Damascus is located in Washington County and lies 309 miles [497.3 km]<1> to the southwest of the Damascus that is located in Montgomery County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Washington County community of Damascus.
  • Communities Beyond North America ...
    • Syria
      • - Dimashq
      • Distance: 5,847 miles [9,409.8 km]<1> to the northeast
      • Open a Google Map centered on Damascus

Curious and Interesting Names Near Damascus ...

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.

  • Bootjack
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Bootjack is located in Montgomery County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bootjack
  • Cedar Grove
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Cedar Grove is located in Montgomery County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Grove
  • Damascus Gardens
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Damascus Gardens is located in Montgomery County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Damascus Gardens
  • Damascus Hill
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Damascus Hill is located in Montgomery County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Damascus Hill
  • Diamond View
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Diamond View is located in Montgomery County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Diamond View
  • Friendship
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Friendship is located in Montgomery County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Friendship
  • Friendship Knolls
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Friendship Knolls is located in Montgomery County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Friendship Knolls
  • Greenhills
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Greenhills is located in Montgomery County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenhills
  • Harmony Hall
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Harmony Hall is located in Montgomery County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harmony Hall
  • Hickory Ridge
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Hickory Ridge is located in Montgomery County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hickory Ridge
  • Highview
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Highview is located in Montgomery County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Highview
  • Kings Valley
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Kings Valley is located in Montgomery County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kings Valley
  • Continue List   (6 more) ...
    • Lewisdale
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
      • Lewisdale is located in Montgomery County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lewisdale
    • Rattle Ridge
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
      • Rattle Ridge is located in Frederick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rattle Ridge
    • Sunnybrook Farms
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northwest)
      • Sunnybrook Farms is located in Frederick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunnybrook Farms
    • Sweepstakes
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
      • Sweepstakes is located in Montgomery County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sweepstakes
    • Wilderness Walk
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
      • Wilderness Walk is located in Montgomery County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wilderness Walk
    • Wolf Den Spring
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
      • Wolf Den Spring is located in Frederick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wolf Den Spring

How Far From Damascus to ...

We spend a lot of time looking through Gazetteers & Almanacs that were published in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Many of the Gazetteers include the distance from a community such as Damascus to various places of note, such as the White House.

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

  • Rockville, which is the Seat of Montgomery County, lies 14 miles [22.5 km]<1> to the south. If you could walk a straight line from Damascus to Rockville, with an average speed<4> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take most of a day to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take four to five hours.
  • Annapolis, which is the State Capital of Maryland, lies 43 miles [69.2 km] to the east southeast (ESE). Driving, with an average speed of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, would take less than an hour, a buggy would take just about two full days and walking would take about three full days.
  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 28 miles [45.1 km] to the south southeast (SSE). The buggy would take just over a day and walking would take just about two full days.
  • The shortest distance<5> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 5,888 miles [9,475.8 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<6>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,595 miles [10,613.6 km] and it lies to the east northeast (ENE).<7>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,471 miles [7,195.4 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<8>'

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 from Point A (ie- Damascus) 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 Damascus 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 Damascus, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<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 Damascus 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 Damascus. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.2884, Longitude: -77.2044    
<6>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 307.964 degrees.
<7>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 303.583 degrees.
<8>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 304.634 degrees.