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

Outdoor Activities ...

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

When in Whittier, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Whittier 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 Whittier:
    • 39.455657, -77.452486
    • 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 Whittier
  • 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 Frederick County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Frederick County
    • Since Whittier is near Washington County and also Montgomery County, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Washington County
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Montgomery 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 Whittier

Communities Also Named Whittier ...

We found nine communities that are also named Whittier.

Within Maryland, the name Whittier is unique.

Beyond Maryland, we know of nine communities that are located in the United States.

  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • Alaska
      • This Whittier lies 3,278 miles [5,275.4 km]<1> to the northwest of the Whittier that is located in Frederick County.
    • California
      • Los Angeles County
      • This Whittier is located in Los Angeles County and lies 2,258 miles [3,633.9 km]<1> to the west of the Whittier that is located in Frederick County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Los Angeles County community of Whittier.
    • Florida
      • Osceola County
      • This Whittier is located in Osceola County and lies 825 miles [1,327.7 km]<1> to the south southwest of the Whittier that is located in Frederick County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Osceola County community of Whittier.
    • Iowa
      • Linn County
      • This Whittier is located in Linn County and lies 753 miles [1,211.8 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Whittier that is located in Frederick County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Linn County community of Whittier.
    • Nebraska
      • Lincoln 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 Nebraska community of Whittier [Lincoln County].
    • New Hampshire
      • Carroll County
      • This Whittier is located in Carroll County and lies 439 miles [706.5 km]<1> to the northeast of the Whittier that is located in Frederick County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Carroll County community of Whittier.
    • North Carolina
      • Jackson County
      • This Whittier is located in Jackson County and lies 426 miles [685.6 km]<1> to the southwest of the Whittier that is located in Frederick County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Jackson County community of Whittier.
    • Oklahoma
      • Tulsa 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 Oklahoma community of Whittier [Tulsa County].
    • Washington
      • Kittitas County
      • This Whittier is located in Kittitas County and lies 2,235 miles [3,596.9 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Whittier that is located in Frederick County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Kittitas County community of Whittier.

Curious and Interesting Names Near Whittier ...

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.

  • Arrowhead
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Arrowhead is located in Frederick County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arrowhead
  • Charlesville
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Charlesville is located in Frederick County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Charlesville
  • Cherry Hill
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Cherry Hill is located in Frederick County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cherry Hill
  • Christophers Crossing
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Christophers Crossing is located in Frederick County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Christophers Crossing
  • Clover Hill
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Clover Hill is located in Frederick County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clover Hill
  • Cloverdale
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Cloverdale is located in Frederick County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cloverdale
  • Cloverview
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Cloverview is located in Frederick County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cloverview
  • Deer Ridge
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Deer Ridge is located in Frederick County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deer Ridge
  • Golf View
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Golf View is located in Frederick County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Golf View
  • Grove Hill
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Grove Hill is located in Frederick County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grove Hill
  • Harmony Grove
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Harmony Grove is located in Frederick County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harmony Grove
  • Hilltop Woods
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Hilltop Woods is located in Frederick County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hilltop Woods
  • Continue List   (16 more) ...
    • Howards Retreat
      (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
      • Howards Retreat is located in Frederick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Howards Retreat
    • Indian Springs
      (Less than 2 miles to the north)
      • Indian Springs is located in Frederick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indian Springs
    • Irongate
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
      • Irongate is located in Frederick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Irongate
    • Meadowcrest
      (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
      • Meadowcrest is located in Frederick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadowcrest
    • Mountain View
      (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
      • Mountain View is located in Frederick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mountain View
    • Rocky Springs
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
      • Rocky Springs is located in Frederick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rocky Springs
    • Rosedale
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Rosedale is located in Frederick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosedale
    • Round Hill
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Round Hill is located in Frederick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Round Hill
    • Shookstown
      (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
      • Shookstown is located in Frederick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shookstown
    • Spring Valley
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Spring Valley is located in Frederick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Valley
    • Taskers Chance
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
      • Taskers Chance is located in Frederick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Taskers Chance
    • Winpenny Tell
      (Less than 2 miles to the north)
      • Winpenny Tell is located in Frederick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winpenny Tell
    • Winter Run
      (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
      • Winter Run is located in Frederick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Winter Run
    • Woodlawn Village
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
      • Woodlawn Village is located in Frederick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodlawn Village
    • Workmans Mill
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
      • Workmans Mill is located in Frederick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Workmans Mill
    • Yellow Springs
      (Less than 2 miles to the north)
      • Yellow Springs is located in Frederick County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yellow Springs

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

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

  • Frederick, which is the Seat of Frederick County, lies just to the Southeast.
  • Annapolis, which is the State Capital of Maryland, lies 61 miles [98.2 km]<1> to the east southeast (ESE). If you could walk a straight line from Whittier to Annapolis, with an average speed<3> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take most of three days to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take about three full days.
  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 44 miles [70.8 km] to the south southeast (SSE). 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 about three full days.
  • The shortest distance<4> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 5,891 miles [9,480.6 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<5>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,600 miles [10,621.7 km] and it lies to the east northeast (ENE).<6>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,476 miles [7,203.4 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>'

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 from Point A (ie- Whittier) 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 Whittier 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 Whittier 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 Whittier. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.4557, Longitude: -77.4525       In this case, the coordinates for Whittier have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<5>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 308.10 degrees.
<6>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 303.764 degrees.
<7>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 304.675 degrees.