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Outdoor Activities ...

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

When in Nelson, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Nelson 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 Nelson:
    • 46.816884, -111.809153
    • 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.
    • The Heavens-Above Website, centered on Nelson
  • 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:
    • Waymark.com

Communities Also Named Nelson ...

We found 52 communities that share the name Nelson.

There is one other community in Montana which is also named Nelson.

Beyond Montana, we know of another 51 communities that are located throughout in the United States and Canada. Of these 51 communities, 49 are located in the United States and three are in Canada.

  • Communities Located In Montana ...
    • Fergus County
      • This community is historic<1> and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Montana community of Nelson [Fergus County].
  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • Alabama
      • Chambers County
      • This Nelson is located in Chambers County and lies 1,695 miles [2,727.8 km]<2> to the east southeast of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Chambers County community of Nelson.
      • Mobile County
      • This Nelson is located in Mobile County and lies 1,693 miles [2,724.6 km] to the southeast of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Mobile County community of Nelson.
      • Shelby County
      • This Nelson is located in Shelby County and lies 1,619 miles [2,605.5 km] to the east southeast of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Shelby County community of Nelson.
    • Arizona
      • Pima County
      • This Nelson is located in Pima County and lies 993 miles [1,598.1 km]<2> to the south of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Pima County community of Nelson.
      • Yavapai County
      • This Nelson is located in Yavapai County and lies 784 miles [1,261.7 km] to the south of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Yavapai County community of Nelson.
    • Arkansas
      • Drew 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 Arkansas community of Nelson [Drew County].
    • British Columbia
      • This Nelson lies 312 miles [502.1 km]<2> to the northwest of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
    • California
      • Butte County
      • This Nelson is located in Butte County and lies 708 miles [1,139.4 km]<2> to the southwest of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Butte County community of Nelson.
    • Colorado
      • Morgan County
      • This Nelson is located in Morgan County and lies 609 miles [980.1 km]<2> to the southeast of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Morgan County community of Nelson.
    • Georgia
      • Cherokee County
      • This Nelson is located in Cherokee County and lies 1,662 miles [2,674.7 km]<2> to the east southeast of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Cherokee County community of Nelson.
    • Idaho
      • Clearwater 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 Idaho community of Nelson [Clearwater County].
      • Oneida County
      • This community is historic<1> and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Idaho community of Nelson [Oneida County].
      • Shoshone 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 Idaho community of Nelson [Shoshone County].
    • Illinois
      • Iroquois 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 Nelson [Iroquois County].
      • Lee County
      • This Nelson is located in Lee County and lies 1,146 miles [1,844.3 km]<2> to the east of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Lee County community of Nelson.
    • Indiana
      • Vigo 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 Indiana community of Nelson [Vigo County].
    • Iowa
      • Guthrie 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 Iowa community of Nelson [Guthrie County].
    • Kansas
      • Cloud 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 Kansas community of Nelson [Cloud County].
      • Crawford 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 Kansas community of Nelson [Crawford County].
    • 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 Nelson [Clark County].
      • Muhlenberg County
      • This Nelson is located in Muhlenberg County and lies 1,419 miles [2,283.7 km]<2> to the east southeast of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Muhlenberg County community of Nelson.
      • Wolfe County
      • This Nelson is located in Wolfe County and lies 1,565 miles [2,518.6 km] to the east southeast of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Wolfe County community of Nelson.
    • Louisiana
      • Bienville Parish
      • 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 Louisiana community of Nelson [Bienville Parish].
    • Manitoba
      • This community is historic<1> and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Manitoba community of Nelson.
    • Maryland
      • Charles County
      • This Nelson is located in Charles County and lies 1,835 miles [2,953.1 km]<2> to the east of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Charles County community of Nelson.
      • Somerset County
      • This Nelson is located in Somerset County and lies 1,913 miles [3,078.7 km] to the east of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Somerset County community of Nelson.
    • Michigan
      • Cheboygan 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 Nelson [Cheboygan County].
      • Saginaw County
      • This Nelson is located in Saginaw County and lies 1,358 miles [2,185.5 km]<2> to the east of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Saginaw County community of Nelson.
    • Minnesota
      • Douglas County
      • This Nelson is located in Douglas County and lies 789 miles [1,269.8 km]<2> to the east of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Douglas County community of Nelson.
    • Missouri
      • Saline County
      • This Nelson is located in Saline County and lies 1,088 miles [1,751 km]<2> to the east southeast of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Saline County community of Nelson.
    • Nebraska
      • Nuckolls County
      • This Nelson is located in Nuckolls County and lies 824 miles [1,326.1 km]<2> to the east southeast of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Nuckolls County community of Nelson.
    • Nevada
      • Clark County
      • This Nelson is located in Clark County and lies 782 miles [1,258.5 km]<2> to the south southwest of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Clark County community of Nelson.
    • New Hampshire
      • Cheshire County
      • This Nelson is located in Cheshire County and lies 1,937 miles [3,117.3 km]<2> to the east of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Cheshire County community of Nelson.
    • New York
      • Madison County
      • This Nelson is located in Madison County and lies 1,767 miles [2,843.7 km]<2> to the east of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Madison County community of Nelson.
      • Steuben 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 New York community of Nelson [Steuben County].
    • North Carolina
      • Durham County
      • This Nelson is located in Durham County and lies 1,850 miles [2,977.3 km]<2> to the east southeast of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Durham County community of Nelson.
    • Ohio
      • Morgan 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 Ohio community of Nelson [Morgan County].
      • Portage County
      • This Nelson is located in Portage County and lies 1,561 miles [2,512.2 km]<2> to the east of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Portage County community of Nelson.
    • Oklahoma
      • Choctaw County
      • This Nelson is located in Choctaw County and lies 1,213 miles [1,952.1 km]<2> to the southeast of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Choctaw County community of Nelson.
    • Ontario
      • This Nelson lies 1,565 miles [2,518.6 km]<2> to the east of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
    • Oregon
      • Baker County
      • This Nelson is located in Baker County and lies 312 miles [502.1 km]<2> to the west southwest of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Baker County community of Nelson.
    • Pennsylvania
      • Tioga County
      • This Nelson is located in Tioga County and lies 1,723 miles [2,772.9 km]<2> to the east of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Tioga County community of Nelson.
    • South Carolina
      • Fairfield 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 South Carolina community of Nelson [Fairfield County].
    • Texas
      • Ellis County
      • This Nelson is located in Ellis County and lies 1,274 miles [2,050.3 km]<2> to the southeast of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Ellis County community of Nelson.
    • Utah
      • Davis County
      • This Nelson is located in Davis County and lies 410 miles [659.8 km]<2> to the south of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Davis County community of Nelson.
    • Virginia
      • Mecklenburg County
      • This Nelson is located in Mecklenburg County and lies 1,830 miles [2,945.1 km]<2> to the east of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Mecklenburg County community of Nelson.
      • York 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 Virginia community of Nelson [York County].
    • Washington
      • Kittitas County
      • This Nelson is located in Kittitas County and lies 435 miles [700.1 km]<2> to the west of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Kittitas County community of Nelson.
      • Skamania 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 Nelson [Skamania County].
    • West Virginia
      • Boone County
      • This Nelson is located in Boone County and lies 1,639 miles [2,637.7 km]<2> to the east of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Boone County community of Nelson.
    • Wisconsin
      • Buffalo County
      • This Nelson is located in Buffalo County and lies 967 miles [1,556.2 km]<2> to the east of the Nelson that is located in Lewis and Clark County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Buffalo County community of Nelson.

Curious and Interesting Names Near Nelson ...

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.

  • Cavetown
    (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cavetown
    • Cavetown is located in Lewis and Clark County
  • Four Range
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Four Range have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Four Range
    • Four Range is located in Lewis and Clark County
  • Gearing
    (16 miles [25.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gearing have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gearing
    • Gearing is located in Lewis and Clark County
  • Helena
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Helena
    • Helena is located in Lewis and Clark County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 33,737 people
    • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Helena <5>
  • Iron
    (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Iron have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Iron
    • Iron is located in Lewis and Clark County
  • Louisville
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Louisville have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Louisville
    • Louisville is located in Jefferson County
  • Seven Mile ‑ Historic
    (18 miles [29 km] to the southwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Seven Mile have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seven Mile
    • Seven Mile is located in Lewis and Clark County
  • Silver City
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Silver City have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver City
    • Silver City is located in Lewis and Clark County
  • Vista
    (9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Vista have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Vista
    • Vista is located in Lewis and Clark County
  • Wolf Creek
    (17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)

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

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

  • Helena, which is the Seat of Lewis and Clark County, lies 18 miles [29 km]<2> to the south southwest. If you could walk a straight line from Nelson to Helena, with an average speed<6> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take just over a day to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take five to six hours.
  • Helena, which is the State Capital of Montana, lies 18 miles [29 km] to the south southwest (SSW). The buggy would take five to six hours and walking would take just over a day.
  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 1,826 miles [2,938.7 km] to the east (E). Driving, with an average speed of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, would take most of three days, a buggy would take 72 days and walking would take 104 days.
  • The shortest distance<7> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 6,627 miles [10,665.1 km] and it lies to the north northeast (NNE).<8>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 7,396 miles [11,902.7 km] and it lies to the north northeast (NNE).<9>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 5,416 miles [8,716.2 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<10>

Unfortunately, we don't know of a website for Nelson. If you can help, please contact us through our Feedback Page.

The official website for Lewis and Clark County: www.co.lewis-clark.mt.us/

The official website for State of Montana: https://mt.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>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 Nelson, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<2>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Nelson) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Nelson. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 46.8169, Longitude: -111.8092       In this case, the coordinates for Nelson have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 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 Nelson 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>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<5>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<6>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.
<7>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 Nelson to the Middle East to be East and South, the Great Circle Route actually lies to the North and East.
<8>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 332.292 degrees.
<9>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 332.436 degrees.
<10>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 321.109 degrees.









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 21 Apr 2025