RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Maryland >> Howard County >> The Willows >> Tidbits & TriviaIndex...

Outdoor Activities ...

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

When in The Willows, we use the following websites to find information relevant to The Willows 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 The Willows:
    • 39.251773, -76.853863
    • 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 The Willows
  • 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 Howard County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Howard County
    • Since The Willows is near Baltimore County and also Anne Arundel County, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Baltimore County
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Anne Arundel 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 The Willows

Communities Also Named The Willows ...

We found 24 communities that are also named The Willows.

There are two communities within Maryland that are also named The Willows.

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

  • Communities Located In Maryland ...
    • Calvert County
      • This The Willows is located in Calvert County and lies 46 miles [74 km]<1> to the south southeast of the The Willows that is located in Howard County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Calvert County community of The Willows.
    • Harford County
      • This The Willows is located in Harford County and lies 29 miles [46.7 km]<1> to the northeast of the The Willows that is located in Howard County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Harford County community of The Willows.
  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • California
      • Glenn County
      • This The Willows is located in Glenn County and lies 2,393 miles [3,851.2 km]<1> to the west northwest of the The Willows that is located in Howard County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Glenn County community of The Willows.
      • Marin 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 The Willows [Marin County].
      • San Diego County
      • This The Willows is located in San Diego County and lies 2,250 miles [3,621 km] to the west of the The Willows that is located in Howard County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the San Diego County community of The Willows.
      • San Mateo County
      • This The Willows is located in San Mateo County and lies 2,430 miles [3,910.7 km] to the west northwest of the The Willows that is located in Howard County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the San Mateo County community of The Willows.
      • Santa Cruz County
      • This The Willows is located in Santa Cruz County and lies 2,425 miles [3,902.7 km] to the west northwest of the The Willows that is located in Howard County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Santa Cruz County community of The Willows.
    • Delaware
      • Sussex County
      • This The Willows is located in Sussex County and lies 97 miles [156.1 km]<1> to the east southeast of the The Willows that is located in Howard County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Sussex County community of The Willows.
    • Florida
      • Hillsborough County
      • This The Willows is located in Hillsborough County and lies 838 miles [1,348.6 km]<1> to the south southwest of the The Willows that is located in Howard County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Hillsborough County community of The Willows.
    • Georgia
      • Clayton County
      • This The Willows is located in Clayton County and lies 575 miles [925.4 km]<1> to the southwest of the The Willows that is located in Howard County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Clayton County community of The Willows.
      • Douglas County
      • This The Willows is located in Douglas County and lies 578 miles [930.2 km] to the southwest of the The Willows that is located in Howard County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Douglas County community of The Willows.
    • Illinois
      • Cook County
      • This The Willows is located in Cook County and lies 607 miles [976.9 km]<1> to the west northwest of the The Willows that is located in Howard County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Cook County community of The Willows.
    • Massachusetts
      • Middlesex County
      • This The Willows is located in Middlesex County and lies 359 miles [577.8 km]<1> to the northeast of the The Willows that is located in Howard County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Middlesex County community of The Willows.
    • Mississippi
      • Claiborne County
      • This The Willows is located in Claiborne County and lies 930 miles [1,496.7 km]<1> to the west southwest of the The Willows that is located in Howard County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Claiborne County community of The Willows.
    • Montana
      • Dawson 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 Montana community of The Willows [Dawson County].
    • New Brunswick
      • This The Willows lies 795 miles [1,279.4 km]<1> to the northeast of the The Willows that is located in Howard County.
    • New Hampshire
      • Rockingham County
      • This The Willows is located in Rockingham County and lies 402 miles [647 km]<1> to the northeast of the The Willows that is located in Howard County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Rockingham County community of The Willows.
    • North Dakota
      • Griggs 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 North Dakota community of The Willows [Griggs County].
    • Ohio
      • Madison 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 The Willows [Madison County].
      • Summit County
      • This The Willows is located in Summit County and lies 270 miles [434.5 km]<1> to the west northwest of the The Willows that is located in Howard County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Summit County community of The Willows.
    • Oregon
      • Gilliam County
      • This The Willows is located in Gilliam County and lies 2,216 miles [3,566.3 km]<1> to the west northwest of the The Willows that is located in Howard County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Gilliam County community of The Willows.
    • Saskatchewan
      • This The Willows lies 1,584 miles [2,549.2 km]<1> to the northwest of the The Willows that is located in Howard County.
    • Virginia
      • Stafford County
      • This The Willows is located in Stafford County and lies 69 miles [111 km]<1> to the south southwest of the The Willows that is located in Howard County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Stafford County community of The Willows.
    • Washington
      • King County
      • This The Willows is located in King County and lies 2,308 miles [3,714.4 km]<1> to the west northwest of the The Willows that is located in Howard County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the King County community of The Willows.

Curious and Interesting Names Near The Willows ...

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.

  • Bonnie Brae
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Bonnie Brae is located in Howard County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bonnie Brae
  • Cedar Woods
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Cedar Woods is located in Howard County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Woods
  • Chapelview
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Chapelview is located in Howard County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chapelview
  • Farside
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Farside is located in Howard County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Farside
  • Fox Hill
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Fox Hill is located in Howard County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fox Hill
  • Gray
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Gray is located in Howard County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gray
  • Gray Rock
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Gray Rock is located in Howard County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gray Rock
  • Gray Rock Farms
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Gray Rock Farms is located in Howard County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gray Rock Farms
  • Grays Level
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Grays Level is located in Baltimore County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grays Level
  • Harpers Choice
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Harpers Choice is located in Howard County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harpers Choice
  • Hilltop
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Hilltop is located in Howard County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hilltop
  • Hobbits Glen
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Hobbits Glen is located in Howard County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hobbits Glen
  • Continue List   (19 more) ...
    • Howard Heights
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Howard Heights is located in Howard County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Howard Heights
    • Jonestown
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Jonestown is located in Howard County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jonestown
    • Locust Park
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Locust Park is located in Howard County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Locust Park
    • Locust Ridge
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
      • Locust Ridge is located in Howard County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Locust Ridge
    • Long Reach
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Long Reach is located in Howard County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Long Reach
    • Longfellow
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Longfellow is located in Howard County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Longfellow
    • Maplewood
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
      • Maplewood is located in Howard County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maplewood
    • Phelps Luck
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Phelps Luck is located in Howard County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Phelps Luck
    • Pine Orchard
      (Less than 2 miles to the north)
      • Pine Orchard is located in Howard County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Orchard
    • Rockland
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Rockland is located in Howard County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockland
    • Running Brook
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
      • Running Brook is located in Howard County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Running Brook
    • Sky View
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
      • Sky View is located in Howard County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sky View
    • Thornbrook
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
      • Thornbrook is located in Howard County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thornbrook
    • Thunder Hill
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Thunder Hill is located in Howard County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Thunder Hill
    • Timber Point
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • Timber Point is located in Baltimore County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Timber Point
    • Timber Run
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
      • Timber Run is located in Howard County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Timber Run
    • Toll House
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Toll House is located in Howard County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Toll House
    • Vantage Point
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
      • Vantage Point is located in Howard County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vantage Point
    • Wheatfield Way
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
      • Wheatfield Way is located in Howard County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wheatfield Way

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

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

  • Ellicott City, which is the Seat of Howard County, lies just to the East Northeast.
  • Annapolis, which is the State Capital of Maryland, lies 27 miles [43.5 km]<1> to the southeast (SE). If you could walk a straight line from The Willows to Annapolis, with an average speed<4> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take just about two full days to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take just over a day.
  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 26 miles [41.8 km] to the south southwest (SSW). 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 5,875 miles [9,454.9 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<6>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,581 miles [10,591.1 km] and it lies to the east northeast (ENE).<7>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,457 miles [7,172.8 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<8>'

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- The Willows) 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 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 The Willows 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 The Willows, 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 The Willows 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 The Willows. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.2518, Longitude: -76.8539       In this case, the coordinates for The Willows have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<6>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 307.758 degrees.
<7>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 303.344 degrees.
<8>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 304.499 degrees.