RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Mississippi >> Marion County >> Morgantown >> Tidbits & TriviaIndex...

Outdoor Activities ...

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

When in Morgantown, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Morgantown 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 Morgantown:
    • 31.312398, -89.915915
    • 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 Morgantown
  • 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 Marion County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Marion County
    • Since Morgantown is near Jefferson Davis County and also Lawrence County, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Jefferson Davis County
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Lawrence 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 Morgantown

Communities Also Named Morgantown ...

We found nineteen communities that are also named Morgantown.

There are two communities within Mississippi that are also named Morgantown.

Beyond Mississippi, we know of seventeen communities that are located in the United States.

  • Communities Located In Mississippi ...
    • Adams County
      • This Morgantown is located in Adams County and lies 86 miles [138.4 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Morgantown that is located in Marion County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Adams County community of Morgantown.
    • Oktibbeha County
      • This Morgantown is located in Oktibbeha County and lies 147 miles [236.6 km]<1> to the north northeast of the Morgantown that is located in Marion County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Oktibbeha County community of Morgantown.
  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • Arizona
      • La Paz County
      • This Morgantown is located in La Paz County and lies 1,434 miles [2,307.8 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Morgantown that is located in Marion County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the La Paz County community of Morgantown.
    • Florida
      • Charlotte County
      • This Morgantown is located in Charlotte County and lies 563 miles [906.1 km]<1> to the east southeast of the Morgantown that is located in Marion County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Charlotte County community of Morgantown.
    • Indiana
      • Morgan County
      • This Morgantown is located in Morgan County and lies 593 miles [954.3 km]<1> to the north northeast of the Morgantown that is located in Marion County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Morgan County community of Morgantown.
    • Kentucky
      • Butler County
      • This Morgantown is located in Butler County and lies 447 miles [719.4 km]<1> to the north northeast of the Morgantown that is located in Marion County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Butler County community of Morgantown.
    • Maryland
      • Allegany 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 Maryland community of Morgantown [Allegany County].
      • Charles County
      • This Morgantown is located in Charles County and lies 878 miles [1,413 km]<1> to the northeast of the Morgantown that is located in Marion County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Charles County community of Morgantown.
    • Nevada
      • Clark 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 Nevada community of Morgantown [Clark County].
    • North Carolina
      • Alamance County
      • This Morgantown is located in Alamance County and lies 687 miles [1,105.6 km]<1> to the east northeast of the Morgantown that is located in Marion County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Alamance County community of Morgantown.
    • Ohio
      • Clinton County
      • This community is historic<3> and although located in Clinton County, we don't know where within the county.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Clinton County community of Morgantown.
      • Highland County
      • This community is historic and although located in Highland County, we don't know where within the county.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Highland County community of Morgantown.
      • Jackson County
      • This community is historic and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Ohio community of Morgantown [Jackson County].
      • Mahoning County
      • This Morgantown is located in Mahoning County and lies 843 miles [1,356.7 km]<1> to the northeast of the Morgantown that is located in Marion County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Mahoning County community of Morgantown.
      • Pike County
      • This Morgantown is located in Pike County and lies 659 miles [1,060.6 km] to the north northeast of the Morgantown that is located in Marion County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Pike County community of Morgantown.
    • Pennsylvania
      • Berks County
      • This Morgantown is located in Berks County and lies 993 miles [1,598.1 km]<1> to the northeast of the Morgantown that is located in Marion County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Berks County community of Morgantown.
    • Tennessee
      • Rhea County
      • This Morgantown is located in Rhea County and lies 403 miles [648.6 km]<1> to the northeast of the Morgantown that is located in Marion County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Rhea County community of Morgantown.
    • Virginia
      • Fauquier County
      • This Morgantown is located in Fauquier County and lies 854 miles [1,374.4 km]<1> to the northeast of the Morgantown that is located in Marion County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Fauquier County community of Morgantown.
    • West Virginia
      • Monongalia County
      • This Morgantown is located in Monongalia County and lies 801 miles [1,289.1 km]<1> to the northeast of the Morgantown that is located in Marion County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Monongalia County community of Morgantown.

Curious and Interesting Names Near Morgantown ...

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.

  • China Grove
    (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
    • China Grove is located in Walthall County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for China Grove
  • Emmanuel
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Emmanuel is located in Marion County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Emmanuel
  • Expose
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
    • Expose is located in Marion County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Expose
  • Good Hope
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Good Hope is located in Marion County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Good Hope
  • Harmony
    (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Harmony is located in Marion County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harmony
  • Holly Springs
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Holly Springs is located in Marion County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holly Springs
  • Jamestown
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Jamestown is located in Marion County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jamestown
  • Lightville ‑ Historic
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Lightville is located in Marion County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lightville
  • Lovelace
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Lovelace is located in Marion County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lovelace
  • Society Hill
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Society Hill is located in Jefferson Davis County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Society Hill
  • Story ‑ Historic
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
    • Story is located in Jefferson Davis County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Story

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

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

  • Columbia, which is the Seat of Marion County, lies just to the Southeast.
  • Jackson, which is the State Capital of Mississippi, lies 70 miles [112.7 km]<1> to the north northwest (NNW). If you could drive a straight line from Morgantown to Jackson, with an average speed<4>of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, it would take less than two hours to make the trip. A comfortable walk of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour would take three full days. 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 894 miles [1,438.8 km] to the northeast (NE). Driving would take most of two days, a buggy would take 35 days and walking would take 51 days.
  • The shortest distance<5> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 6,787 miles [10,922.6 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<6>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 7,497 miles [12,065.3 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 5,373 miles [8,647 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 obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Morgantown) 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 Morgantown 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 Morgantown, 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 Morgantown 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 Morgantown. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 31.3124, Longitude: -89.9159       In this case, the coordinates for Morgantown have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<6>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 315.377 degrees.
<7>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 310.959 degrees.
<8>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 311.95 degrees.