Our Genealogy Helper
Introduction ...
We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:
- That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
- We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
- On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.
By learning about Altoona (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.
As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Altoona. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.
Neighboring Counties ...
When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.
For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northeast corner of their home county. During their lives, most hospitals were in the next county to the east. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.
So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived: their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the east contained birth and death records; the county to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.
If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.
Altoona is located in Blair County.
To see how the shape of Pennsylvania's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Blair County: Bedford, Cambria, Centre & Huntingdon.
Below are the counties that are near Altoona. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Altoona:
- Blair County (The home county of Altoona)
- The following are listed by their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
- Canan
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Canan. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canan
- Canan is located in Blair County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Canan
- From Altoona to Canan
- Highland Fling
(5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
- Frankstown
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Frankstown. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frankstown
- Frankstown is located in Blair County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Frankstown
- From Altoona to Frankstown
- Bellwood
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bellwood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellwood
- Bellwood is located in Blair County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,751 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bellwood <3>
- Duncansville
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Duncansville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duncansville
- Duncansville is located in Blair County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,148 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Duncansville <3>
- Hollidaysburg
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Flowing Spring
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Culp
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Culp. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Culp
- Culp is located in Blair County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Culp
- From Altoona to Culp
- Newry
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
- Franklin Forge
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Springfield Junction
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the east)
- Royer
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the southeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Royer. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Royer
- Royer is located in Blair County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Royer
- From Altoona to Royer
- Bedford County
- The following are listed by their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
- King
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for King. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for King
- King is located in Bedford County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to King
- From Altoona to King
- Maria
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the south)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Maria. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Maria
- Maria is located in Bedford County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Maria
- From Altoona to Maria
- Pavia
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the southwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Pavia. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pavia
- Pavia is located in Bedford County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Pavia
- From Altoona to Pavia
- Waterside
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the south)
- New Enterprise
(23 miles [37 km] to the south)
- Loysburg
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Osterburg
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Woodbury
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Woodbury have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodbury
- Woodbury is located in Bedford County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 265 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Woodbury <3>
- Riddlesburg
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Salemville
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the south)
- Marble City
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Marble City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marble City
- Marble City is located in Bedford County
- Yellow Creek
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the south)
- Cambria County
- The following are listed by their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
- Buckhorn
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Gallitzin
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gallitzin have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gallitzin
- Gallitzin is located in Cambria County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,514 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Gallitzin <3>
- Dysart
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the northwest)
- Amsbry
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Ashville
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Tunnelhill
(8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tunnelhill have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tunnelhill
- Tunnelhill is located in Cambria County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 327 people
- Dean
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Dean. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dean
- Dean is located in Cambria County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Dean
- From Altoona to Dean
- Spindley City
(9 miles [14.5 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Spindley City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spindley City
- Spindley City is located in Cambria County
- Summit
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the southwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Summit. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summit
- Summit is located in Cambria County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Summit
- From Altoona to Summit
- Cresson
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Sankertown
(10 miles [16.1 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sankertown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sankertown
- Sankertown is located in Cambria County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 606 people
- Chest Springs
(11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
- Centre County
- The following are listed by their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
- Sandy Ridge
(22 miles [35.4 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sandy Ridge have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sandy Ridge
- Sandy Ridge is located in Centre County
- New Town
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for New Town have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for New Town
- New Town is located in Centre County
- Marengo
(24 miles [38.6 km] to the northeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Marengo. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marengo
- Marengo is located in Centre County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Marengo
- From Altoona to Marengo
- Musser
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Musser. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Musser
- Musser is located in Centre County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Musser
- From Altoona to Musser
- Glass City
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Glass City have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glass City
- Glass City is located in Centre County
- Port Matilda
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Port Matilda have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Port Matilda
- Port Matilda is located in Centre County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 582 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Port Matilda <3>
- Ramblewood
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ramblewood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ramblewood
- Ramblewood is located in Centre County
- South Philipsburg
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Philipsburg have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Philipsburg
- South Philipsburg is located in Centre County
- Stormstown
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stormstown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stormstown
- Stormstown is located in Centre County
- North Philipsburg
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Philipsburg have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Philipsburg
- North Philipsburg is located in Centre County
- Philipsburg
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Philipsburg have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Philipsburg
- Philipsburg is located in Centre County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 2,678 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Philipsburg <3>
- Fairbrook
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fairbrook have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairbrook
- Fairbrook is located in Centre County
- Clearfield County
- The following are listed by their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
- Utahville
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the north)
- Ginter
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the north)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ginter. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ginter
- Ginter is located in Clearfield County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Ginter
- From Altoona to Ginter
- Coalport
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- Lyleville
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northwest)
- Hegarty Crossroads
(18 miles [29 km] to the north)
- Blain City
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Blain City. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Blain City
- Blain City is located in Clearfield County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Blain City
- From Altoona to Blain City
- Rosebud
(18 miles [29 km] to the northwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rosebud. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rosebud
- Rosebud is located in Clearfield County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Rosebud
- From Altoona to Rosebud
- Ramey
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the north)
- Irvona
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northwest)
- Glen Hope
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Houtzdale
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Houtzdale have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Houtzdale
- Houtzdale is located in Clearfield County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 739 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Houtzdale <3>
- McPherron
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the northwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for McPherron. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for McPherron
- McPherron is located in Clearfield County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to McPherron
- From Altoona to McPherron
- Huntingdon County
- The following are listed by their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
- Water Street
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the east)
- Birmingham
(13 miles [20.9 km] to the northeast)
- Marklesburg
(14 miles [22.5 km] to the southeast)
- Alexandria
(15 miles [24.1 km] to the east)
- Entriken
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- Hesston
(16 miles [25.7 km] to the southeast)
- McConnellstown
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the east)
- Huntingdon Furnace
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Pennington
(17 miles [27.4 km] to the northeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Pennington. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pennington
- Pennington is located in Huntingdon County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Pennington
- From Altoona to Pennington
- Petersburg
(18 miles [29 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Petersburg have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Petersburg
- Petersburg is located in Huntingdon County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 460 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Petersburg <3>
- Seven Stars
(19 miles [30.6 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Seven Stars have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Seven Stars
- Seven Stars is located in Huntingdon County
- Huntingdon
(20 miles [32.2 km] to the east)
- Indiana County
- The following are listed by their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
- Alverda
(25 miles [40.2 km] to the west)
- Uniontown
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Uniontown have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Uniontown
- Uniontown is located in Indiana County
- Grisemore
(26 miles [41.8 km] to the west)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Grisemore. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grisemore
- Grisemore is located in Indiana County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Grisemore
- From Altoona to Grisemore
- Cherry Tree
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cherry Tree have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cherry Tree
- Cherry Tree is located in Indiana County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 334 people
- Rexis
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the west)
- Heilwood
(28 miles [45.1 km] to the west)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Heilwood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heilwood
- Heilwood is located in Indiana County
- Cookport
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest)
- Nolo
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Pine Flats
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Pine Flats. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pine Flats
- Pine Flats is located in Indiana County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Pine Flats
- From Altoona to Pine Flats
- Wehrum
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
- Glen Campbell
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Glen Campbell have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glen Campbell
- Glen Campbell is located in Indiana County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 226 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Glen Campbell <3>
- Hillsdale
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the northwest)
- Mifflin County
- The following are listed by their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
- Kistler
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kistler have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kistler
- Kistler is located in Mifflin County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 315 people
- Allensville
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Atkinson Mills
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Newton Hamilton
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Newton Hamilton have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Newton Hamilton
- Newton Hamilton is located in Mifflin County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 198 people
- Somerset County
- The following are listed by their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
- Ogletown
(27 miles [43.5 km] to the southwest)
- Windber
(29 miles [46.7 km] to the southwest)
- Paint
(30 miles [48.3 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Paint have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Paint
- Paint is located in Somerset County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 930 people
For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Altoona, see our County-by-County Page for Altoona.
Cemeteries Near Altoona ...
Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Altoona.
This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.
If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).
If not found below, our Cemetery List for Altoona covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.
The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
- St. Johns Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- St. Marys Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- Oak Ridge Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Oak Ridge Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Oak Ridge Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Fairview Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Fairview Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Fairview Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Calvary Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Calvary Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Calvary Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Rose Hill Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the east)
- Greenwood Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Greenwood Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Greenwood Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Agudath Achim Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Agudath Achim Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Agudath Achim Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- St. Mary Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- St.s Peter & Paul Russian Orthodox Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- St.s Peter & Paul Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the St.s Peter & Paul Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the St.s Peter & Paul Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- St.s Peter & Paul RC Cemetery
(Less than 2 miles to the west)
- Continue List (318 more) ...
- Hutchinson Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
- Grandview Cemetery
(2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
- Blacks Cemetery
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for the Blacks Cemetery
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for the Blacks Cemetery have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
Nearby Communities in 1895 ...
We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<5>
The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Altoona had a population of 30,337 people in 1895 with a post office and railroad service. In 2020, Altoona had a population of 42,989 people.
These communities are listed based on their distance from Altoona, with the one closest to Altoona listed first.
- Allegheny Furnace
(Less than 2 miles to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Allegheny Furnace have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Allegheny Furnace
- Allegheny Furnace is located in Blair County
- Juniata
(Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Juniata have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Juniata
- Juniata is located in Blair County
- Eldorado
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Eldorado have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eldorado
- Eldorado is located in Blair County
- Canan
(3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Canan. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canan
- Canan is located in Blair County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Canan
- From Altoona to Canan
- Wopsononock
(4 miles [6.4 km] to the northwest)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Wopsononock have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wopsononock
- Wopsononock is located in Blair County
- Stiffler
(5 miles [8 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stiffler have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stiffler
- Stiffler is located in Blair County
- Frankstown
(5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
- Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Frankstown. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<1>
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Frankstown
- Frankstown is located in Blair County
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Frankstown
- From Altoona to Frankstown
- Duncansville
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Duncansville have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Duncansville
- Duncansville is located in Blair County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,148 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Duncansville <3>
- Hollidaysburg
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Loop
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Loop have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Loop
- Loop is located in Blair County
- Bellwood
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bellwood have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bellwood
- Bellwood is located in Blair County
- Population from the 2020 Census: 1,751 people
- Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Bellwood <3>
- Roots
(6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Roots have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Roots
- Roots is located in Blair County
- Continue List (15 more) ...
- Reese
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Reese have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reese
- Reese is located in Blair County
- Flowing Spring
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
- Canoe Creek
(7 miles [11.3 km] to the east)
- Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Canoe Creek have been provided by the GNIS.<2> The coordinates still need to be verified.
- Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Canoe Creek
- Canoe Creek is located in Blair County
We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Altoona. See our List of 1890's Communities around Altoona.
Newspapers Published in the Vicinity of Altoona ...
An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).
To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.
Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 72 newspapers that have been published in the area around Altoona.
We have organized these newspapers into two lists:
- A Local Newspaper List - focusing on the papers published in the immediate area of Altoona. There are actually two parts to this list - papers printed in the immediate area of Altoona and those printed in the larger area surrounding Altoona.
- An Extended Newspaper List - a longer list, sorted by paper name and containing those papers published within 14 miles [22.5 km]<6> of Altoona.
Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...
When we do our genealogical research, we first visit the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.
To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Altoona:
- Websites specific to Pennsylvania
- Pages specific to Blair County
- Genealogy information for nearby counties
- Bedford County
- Cambria County
- Centre County
- Clearfield County
- Huntingdon County
- Indiana County
- Mifflin County
- Somerset County
- Cemetery Information and Directories for Pennsylvania
Off-the-Road Links ...
The official website for Altoona: www.altoonapa.gov/
The official website for Commonwealth of Pennsylvania: https://www.pa.gov/
Footnotes ...
<1> | An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace. |
<2> | 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. |
<3> | While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program. |
<4> | The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com. |
<5> | 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 Altoona, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy. |
<6> | Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Altoona) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Altoona. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 40.5170, Longitude: -78.3964 |