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

Outdoor Activities ...

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

When in Rankin, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Rankin and the surrounding area.

  • 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 Rankin:
    • 32.286535, -89.907024
    • 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 Rankin
  • 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 Rankin County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Rankin County
    • Since Rankin is near Scott County and also Hinds County, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Scott County
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Hinds 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 Rankin

Communities Also Named Rankin ...

We found 25 communities that are also named Rankin.

Within Mississippi, the name Rankin is unique.

Beyond Mississippi, we know of 25 communities that are located in the United States and Canada. Of these 25 communities, 24 are located in the United States and two are in Canada.

  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • Arizona
      • Pima County
      • This Rankin is located in Pima County and lies 1,220 miles [1,963.4 km]<1> to the west of the Rankin that is located in Rankin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Pima County community of Rankin.
    • Arkansas
      • Little River County
      • This community is historic<2> and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Arkansas community of Rankin [Little River County].
      • Perry 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 Arkansas community of Rankin [Perry County].
    • California
      • Mendocino County
      • This community is historic<2> and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the California community of Rankin [Mendocino County].
    • Illinois
      • Saint Clair County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<3> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Illinois community of Rankin [Saint Clair County].
      • Vermilion County
      • This Rankin is located in Vermilion County and lies 575 miles [925.4 km]<1> to the north of the Rankin that is located in Rankin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Vermilion County community of Rankin.
    • Kentucky
      • Clark County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<3> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Kentucky community of Rankin [Clark County].
      • Henderson County
      • This Rankin is located in Henderson County and lies 401 miles [645.3 km]<1> to the north northeast of the Rankin that is located in Rankin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Henderson County community of Rankin.
      • Wayne County
      • This Rankin is located in Wayne County and lies 430 miles [692 km] to the northeast of the Rankin that is located in Rankin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Wayne County community of Rankin.
    • Michigan
      • Genesee County
      • This Rankin is located in Genesee County and lies 806 miles [1,297.1 km]<1> to the north northeast of the Rankin that is located in Rankin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Genesee County community of Rankin.
      • Oceana County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<3> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Michigan community of Rankin [Oceana County].
    • Missouri
      • Andrew County
      • This Rankin is located in Andrew County and lies 605 miles [973.7 km]<1> to the north northwest of the Rankin that is located in Rankin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Andrew County community of Rankin.
    • North Carolina
      • Guilford County
      • This Rankin is located in Guilford County and lies 636 miles [1,023.5 km]<1> to the east northeast of the Rankin that is located in Rankin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Guilford County community of Rankin.
      • Mecklenburg County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<3> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the North Carolina community of Rankin [Mecklenburg County].
      • Pender County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the North Carolina community of Rankin [Pender County].
    • Oklahoma
      • Roger Mills County
      • This Rankin is located in Roger Mills County and lies 617 miles [993 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Rankin that is located in Rankin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Roger Mills County community of Rankin.
    • Ontario
      • This Rankin lies 1,139 miles [1,833 km]<1> to the north northeast of the Rankin that is located in Rankin County.
    • Pennsylvania
      • Allegheny County
      • This Rankin is located in Allegheny County and lies 790 miles [1,271.4 km]<1> to the northeast of the Rankin that is located in Rankin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Allegheny County community of Rankin.
    • Tennessee
      • Cocke County
      • This Rankin is located in Cocke County and lies 462 miles [743.5 km]<1> to the northeast of the Rankin that is located in Rankin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Cocke County community of Rankin.
      • Maury County
      • This Rankin is located in Maury County and lies 281 miles [452.2 km] to the northeast of the Rankin that is located in Rankin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Maury County community of Rankin.
    • Texas
      • Ellis County
      • This Rankin is located in Ellis County and lies 397 miles [638.9 km]<1> to the west of the Rankin that is located in Rankin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Ellis County community of Rankin.
      • Hidalgo County
      • This Rankin is located in Hidalgo County and lies 641 miles [1,031.6 km] to the southwest of the Rankin that is located in Rankin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Hidalgo County community of Rankin.
      • Upton County
      • This Rankin is located in Upton County and lies 709 miles [1,141 km] to the west of the Rankin that is located in Rankin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Upton County community of Rankin.
    • Washington
      • Lewis County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<3> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Washington community of Rankin [Lewis County].
    • Wisconsin
      • Kewaunee County
      • This Rankin is located in Kewaunee County and lies 859 miles [1,382.4 km]<1> to the north of the Rankin that is located in Rankin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Kewaunee County community of Rankin.

Curious and Interesting Names Near Rankin ...

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 Point
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Arrowhead Point is located in Rankin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Arrowhead Point
  • Cross Roads
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Cross Roads is located in Rankin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cross Roads
  • Crossgates
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Crossgates is located in Rankin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crossgates
  • Fink Bine ‑ Historic
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
    • Fink Bine is located in Rankin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fink Bine
  • Forest Point
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Forest Point is located in Rankin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest Point
  • Greenfield
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Greenfield is located in Rankin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenfield
  • Grove Park
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Grove Park is located in Rankin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grove Park
  • Harbourview
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
    • Harbourview is located in Rankin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Harbourview
  • Hunters Woods
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the west)
    • Hunters Woods is located in Rankin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hunters Woods
  • Millrun
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Millrun is located in Rankin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Millrun
  • Paradise Point
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
    • Paradise Point is located in Rankin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paradise Point
  • Rock Hill
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Rock Hill is located in Rankin County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock Hill
  • Continue List   (7 more) ...
    • Shady Dell ‑ Historic
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the south)
      • Shady Dell is located in Rankin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shady Dell
    • Summerwood
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
      • Summerwood is located in Rankin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summerwood
    • Sunrise Point
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Sunrise Point is located in Rankin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunrise Point
    • Terrapin Hill
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
      • Terrapin Hill is located in Rankin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Terrapin Hill
    • Turtle Creek
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Turtle Creek is located in Rankin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turtle Creek
    • Value
      (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
      • Value is located in Rankin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Value
    • Waterwood
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
      • Waterwood is located in Rankin County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waterwood

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

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

  • Brandon, which is the Seat of Rankin County, lies just to the West.
  • Jackson, which is the State Capital of Mississippi, lies 15 miles [24.1 km]<1> to the west (W). If you could walk a straight line from Rankin to Jackson, 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.
  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 853 miles [1,372.8 km] to the northeast (NE). Driving, with an average speed of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, would take just about two full days, a buggy would take 34 days and walking would take 49 days.
  • The shortest distance<5> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 6,739 miles [10,845.4 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<6>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 7,452 miles [11,992.8 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 5,328 miles [8,574.6 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- Rankin) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<2>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 Rankin, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<3>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 Rankin 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.
<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 Rankin 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 Rankin. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 32.2865, Longitude: -89.9070       In this case, the coordinates for Rankin have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<6>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 315.468 degrees.
<7>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 311.195 degrees.
<8>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 311.785 degrees.