RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> Commonwealth of Pennsylvania >> Adams County >> Barlow >> Tidbits & TriviaIndex...

Outdoor Activities ...

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

When in Barlow, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Barlow 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 Barlow:
    • 39.755375, -77.229985
    • 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 Barlow
  • 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 Adams County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Adams County
    • Since Barlow is near Carroll County and also Frederick County, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Carroll County
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Frederick 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 Barlow

Communities Also Named Barlow ...

We found sixteen communities that are also named Barlow.

Within Pennsylvania, the name Barlow is unique.

Beyond Pennsylvania, we know of sixteen communities that are located in the United States and Canada. Of these sixteen communities, fourteen are located in the United States and two are in Canada.

  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • Alabama
      • Washington County
      • This Barlow is located in Washington County and lies 839 miles [1,350.2 km]<1> to the southwest of the Barlow that is located in Adams County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Washington County community of Barlow.
    • British Columbia
      • This Barlow lies 2,291 miles [3,687 km]<1> to the northwest of the Barlow that is located in Adams County.
    • California
      • Sonoma County
      • This Barlow is located in Sonoma County and lies 2,420 miles [3,894.6 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Barlow that is located in Adams County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Sonoma County community of Barlow.
    • Idaho
      • Jefferson County
      • This Barlow is located in Jefferson County and lies 1,799 miles [2,895.2 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Barlow that is located in Adams County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Jefferson County community of Barlow.
    • Kansas
      • Norton 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 Kansas community of Barlow [Norton County].
    • Kentucky
      • Ballard County
      • This Barlow is located in Ballard County and lies 665 miles [1,070.2 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Barlow that is located in Adams County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Ballard County community of Barlow.
    • Mississippi
      • Copiah County
      • This Barlow is located in Copiah County and lies 928 miles [1,493.5 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Barlow that is located in Adams County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Copiah County community of Barlow.
    • Missouri
      • Wayne 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 Missouri community of Barlow [Wayne County].
    • New Jersey
      • Camden 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 Jersey community of Barlow [Camden County].
    • North Dakota
      • Foster County
      • This Barlow is located in Foster County and lies 1,214 miles [1,953.7 km]<1> to the northwest of the Barlow that is located in Adams County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Foster County community of Barlow.
    • Ohio
      • Washington County
      • This Barlow is located in Washington County and lies 237 miles [381.4 km]<1> to the west of the Barlow that is located in Adams County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Washington County community of Barlow.
    • Oregon
      • Clackamas County
      • This Barlow is located in Clackamas County and lies 2,315 miles [3,725.6 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Barlow that is located in Adams County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Clackamas County community of Barlow.
    • Texas
      • Cooke 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 Texas community of Barlow [Cooke County].
    • Utah
      • Davis County
      • This Barlow is located in Davis County and lies 1,813 miles [2,917.7 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Barlow that is located in Adams County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Davis County community of Barlow.
    • West Virginia
      • Kanawha 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 West Virginia community of Barlow [Kanawha County].
    • Yukon
      • This Barlow lies 2,910 miles [4,683.2 km]<1> to the northwest of the Barlow that is located in Adams County.

Curious and Interesting Names Near Barlow ...

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.

  • Black Horse Tavern
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
    • Black Horse Tavern is located in Adams County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Black Horse Tavern
  • Bullock
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the south)
    • Bullock is located in Frederick County (MD)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bullock
  • Fairplay
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the west)
    • Fairplay is located in Adams County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fairplay
  • Fourpoints
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Fourpoints is located in Frederick County (MD)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fourpoints
  • Glass
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Glass is located in Frederick County (MD)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glass
  • Greenmount
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Greenmount is located in Adams County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenmount
  • Hammer Hall
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northwest)
    • Hammer Hall is located in Adams County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hammer Hall
  • Kingsdale
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Kingsdale is located in Adams County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kingsdale
  • Lake Heritage
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Lake Heritage is located in Adams County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Heritage
  • Longville
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Longville is located in Carroll County (MD)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Longville
  • Mairs Mill
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Mairs Mill is located in Carroll County (MD)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mairs Mill
  • Oak Grove
    (6 miles [9.7 km] to the east)
    • Oak Grove is located in Adams County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Grove
  • Continue List   (6 more) ...
    • Piney Creek ‑ Historic
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the southeast)
      • Piney Creek is located in Carroll County (MD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Piney Creek
    • Rising Sun
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Rising Sun is located in Carroll County (MD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rising Sun
    • Round Top
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
      • Round Top is located in Adams County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Round Top
    • Silo Hill
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
      • Silo Hill is located in Frederick County (MD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silo Hill
    • Two Taverns
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Two Taverns is located in Adams County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Two Taverns
    • Walnut Grove
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Walnut Grove is located in Carroll County (MD)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Walnut Grove

How Far From Barlow to ...

We spend a lot of time looking through Gazetteers, Almanacs & Directories that were published in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Many of the Gazetteers include the distance from a community such as Barlow to various places of note, such as the White House.

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

  • Gettysburg, which is the Seat of Adams County, lies just to the North.
  • Harrisburg, which is the State Capital of Pennsylvania, lies 40 miles [64.4 km]<1> to the north northeast (NNE). If you could walk a straight line from Barlow to Harrisburg, with an average speed<4> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take over two days to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take just about two full days.
  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 60 miles [96.6 km] to the south (S). Driving, with an average speed of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, would take less than an hour, a buggy would take about three full days and walking would take most of three days.
  • The shortest distance<5> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 5,869 miles [9,445.2 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<6>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,578 miles [10,586.3 km] and it lies to the east northeast (ENE).<7>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,454 miles [7,168 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<8>'

Footnotes ...

<1>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 drawn from Point A (ie- Barlow) 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 Barlow 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 Barlow, 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 Barlow 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 Barlow. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 39.7554, Longitude: -77.2300       In this case, the coordinates for Barlow have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<6>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 307.947 degrees.
<7>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 303.637 degrees.
<8>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 304.463 degrees.