RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Ohio >> Franklin County >> Columbus >> Tidbits & TriviaIndex...

Outdoor Activities ...

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

When in Columbus, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Columbus 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 Columbus:
    • 39.975123, -82.994814
    • 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 Columbus
  • 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 Franklin County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Franklin County
    • Since Columbus is near Licking County and also Fairfield County, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Licking County
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Fairfield 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 Columbus

Communities Also Named Columbus ...

We found 33 communities that are also named Columbus.

Within Ohio, the name Columbus is unique.

Beyond Ohio, we know of 33 communities that are located in the United States and Canada. Of these 33 communities, 32 are located in the United States and three are in Canada.

  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • Alabama
      • Jefferson County
      • This Columbus is located in Jefferson County and lies 476 miles [766 km]<1> to the south southwest of the Columbus that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Jefferson County community of Columbus.
    • Arkansas
      • Hempstead County
      • This Columbus is located in Hempstead County and lies 734 miles [1,181.3 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Columbus that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Hempstead County community of Columbus.
    • California
      • Kern 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 Columbus [Kern County].
    • Colorado
      • La Plata County
      • This Columbus is located in La Plata County and lies 1,336 miles [2,150.1 km]<1> to the west of the Columbus that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the La Plata County community of Columbus.
    • Florida
      • Suwannee County
      • This community is historic<3> and although located in Suwannee County, we don't know where within the county.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Suwannee County community of Columbus.
    • Georgia
      • Muscogee County
      • This Columbus is located in Muscogee County and lies 529 miles [851.3 km]<1> to the south southwest of the Columbus that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Muscogee County community of Columbus.
    • Illinois
      • Adams County
      • This Columbus is located in Adams County and lies 431 miles [693.6 km]<1> to the west of the Columbus that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Adams County community of Columbus.
      • Scott 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 Illinois community of Columbus [Scott County].
    • Indiana
      • Bartholomew County
      • This Columbus is located in Bartholomew County and lies 163 miles [262.3 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Columbus that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Bartholomew County community of Columbus.
    • Kansas
      • Cherokee County
      • This Columbus is located in Cherokee County and lies 667 miles [1,073.4 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Columbus that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Cherokee County community of Columbus.
      • Doniphan County
      • This community is historic<3> and although located in Doniphan County, we don't know where within the county.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Doniphan County community of Columbus.
    • Kentucky
      • Fayette County
      • This Columbus is located in Fayette County and lies 152 miles [244.6 km]<1> to the south southwest of the Columbus that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Fayette County community of Columbus.
      • Hickman County
      • This Columbus is located in Hickman County and lies 398 miles [640.5 km] to the west southwest of the Columbus that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Hickman County community of Columbus.
    • Louisiana
      • Sabine Parish
      • 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 Louisiana community of Columbus [Sabine Parish].
    • Michigan
      • Saint Clair County
      • This Columbus is located in Saint Clair County and lies 201 miles [323.5 km]<1> to the north of the Columbus that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Saint Clair County community of Columbus.
    • Minnesota
      • Anoka County
      • This Columbus is located in Anoka County and lies 628 miles [1,010.7 km]<1> to the northwest of the Columbus that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Anoka County community of Columbus.
    • Mississippi
      • Lowndes County
      • This Columbus is located in Lowndes County and lies 538 miles [865.8 km]<1> to the southwest of the Columbus that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Lowndes County community of Columbus.
    • Missouri
      • Johnson County
      • This Columbus is located in Johnson County and lies 585 miles [941.5 km]<1> to the west of the Columbus that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Johnson County community of Columbus.
    • Montana
      • Stillwater County
      • This Columbus is located in Stillwater County and lies 1,379 miles [2,219.3 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Columbus that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Stillwater County community of Columbus.
    • Nebraska
      • Platte County
      • This Columbus is located in Platte County and lies 757 miles [1,218.3 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Columbus that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Platte County community of Columbus.
    • Nevada
      • Esmeralda 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 Columbus [Esmeralda County].
    • New Jersey
      • Burlington County
      • This Columbus is located in Burlington County and lies 437 miles [703.3 km]<1> to the east of the Columbus that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Burlington County community of Columbus.
    • New Mexico
      • Luna County
      • This Columbus is located in Luna County and lies 1,482 miles [2,385 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Columbus that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Luna County community of Columbus.
      • Taos 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 New Mexico community of Columbus [Taos County].
    • New York
      • Chenango County
      • This Columbus is located in Chenango County and lies 437 miles [703.3 km]<1> to the east northeast of the Columbus that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Chenango County community of Columbus.
    • North Carolina
      • Polk County
      • This Columbus is located in Polk County and lies 329 miles [529.5 km]<1> to the south of the Columbus that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Polk County community of Columbus.
    • North Dakota
      • Burke County
      • This Columbus is located in Burke County and lies 1,148 miles [1,847.5 km]<1> to the northwest of the Columbus that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Burke County community of Columbus.
    • Ontario
      • 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 Ontario community of Columbus.
    • Pennsylvania
      • Warren County
      • This Columbus is located in Warren County and lies 223 miles [358.9 km]<1> to the northeast of the Columbus that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Warren County community of Columbus.
    • Tennessee
      • Polk 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 Tennessee community of Columbus [Polk County].
    • Texas
      • Colorado County
      • This Columbus is located in Colorado County and lies 1,043 miles [1,678.5 km]<1> to the southwest of the Columbus that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Colorado County community of Columbus.
    • Washington
      • Klickitat 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 Washington community of Columbus [Klickitat County].
    • Wisconsin
      • Columbia County
      • This Columbus is located in Columbia County and lies 388 miles [624.4 km]<1> to the northwest of the Columbus that is located in Franklin County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Columbia County community of Columbus.

Curious and Interesting Names Near Columbus ...

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.

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

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

  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 326 miles [524.6 km]<1> to the east southeast (ESE). If you could drive a straight line from Columbus to White House, with an average speed<4>of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, it would take five to six hours to make the trip. A comfortable walk of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour would take 19 days. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take 13 days.
  • The shortest distance<5> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 6,095 miles [9,809 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<6>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,818 miles [10,972.5 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,694 miles [7,554.3 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 drawn from Point A (ie- Columbus) 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 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 Columbus 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 Columbus, 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 Columbus 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 Columbus. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.9751, Longitude: -82.9948    
<6>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 311.468 degrees.
<7>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 307.673 degrees.
<8>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 306.944 degrees.