RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
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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 Thornton, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Thornton 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 Thornton:
    • 41.794267, -71.478393
    • 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 Thornton
  • 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 Thornton ...

We found 28 communities that share the name Thornton.

Within Rhode Island, the name Thornton is unique.

Beyond Rhode Island, we know of another 28 communities that are located throughout in the United States and Canada. Of these 28 communities, 27 are located in the United States and one is in Canada.

  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • Alabama
      • Lauderdale County
      • This Thornton is located in Lauderdale County and lies 983 miles [1,582 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Thornton that is located in Providence County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Lauderdale County community of Thornton.
      • Tallapoosa County
      • This Thornton is located in Tallapoosa County and lies 1,002 miles [1,612.6 km] to the southwest of the Thornton that is located in Providence County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Tallapoosa County community of Thornton.
    • Arkansas
      • Calhoun County
      • This Thornton is located in Calhoun County and lies 1,268 miles [2,040.6 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Thornton that is located in Providence County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Calhoun County community of Thornton.
    • California
      • San Joaquin County
      • This Thornton is located in San Joaquin County and lies 2,615 miles [4,208.4 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Thornton that is located in Providence County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the San Joaquin County community of Thornton.
    • Colorado
      • Adams County
      • This Thornton is located in Adams County and lies 1,741 miles [2,801.9 km]<1> to the west of the Thornton that is located in Providence County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Adams County community of Thornton.
    • Idaho
      • Kootenai 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 Idaho community of Thornton [Kootenai County].
      • Madison County
      • This Thornton is located in Madison County and lies 2,030 miles [3,267 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Thornton that is located in Providence County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Madison County community of Thornton.
    • Illinois
      • Cook County
      • This Thornton is located in Cook County and lies 831 miles [1,337.4 km]<1> to the west of the Thornton that is located in Providence County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Cook County community of Thornton.
    • Indiana
      • Lawrence County
      • This Thornton is located in Lawrence County and lies 813 miles [1,308.4 km]<1> to the west of the Thornton that is located in Providence County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Lawrence County community of Thornton.
    • Iowa
      • Cerro Gordo County
      • This Thornton is located in Cerro Gordo County and lies 1,117 miles [1,797.6 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Thornton that is located in Providence County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Cerro Gordo County community of Thornton.
    • Kansas
      • Rawlins 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 Thornton [Rawlins County].
    • Kentucky
      • Letcher County
      • This Thornton is located in Letcher County and lies 680 miles [1,094.4 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Thornton that is located in Providence County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Letcher County community of Thornton.
    • Massachusetts
      • Suffolk 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 Massachusetts community of Thornton [Suffolk County].
    • Michigan
      • Saint Clair County
      • This Thornton is located in Saint Clair County and lies 573 miles [922.2 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Thornton that is located in Providence County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Saint Clair County community of Thornton.
    • Mississippi
      • Holmes County
      • This Thornton is located in Holmes County and lies 1,191 miles [1,916.7 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Thornton that is located in Providence County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Holmes County community of Thornton.
    • Missouri
      • Clay County
      • This Thornton is located in Clay County and lies 1,220 miles [1,963.4 km]<1> to the west of the Thornton that is located in Providence County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Clay County community of Thornton.
    • Nebraska
      • Polk County
      • This community is historic<3> and although located in Polk County, we don't know where within the county.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Polk County community of Thornton.
    • New Hampshire
      • Grafton County
      • This Thornton is located in Grafton County and lies 147 miles [236.6 km]<1> to the north of the Thornton that is located in Providence County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Grafton County community of Thornton.
    • New York
      • Chautauqua County
      • This Thornton is located in Chautauqua County and lies 395 miles [635.7 km]<1> to the west of the Thornton that is located in Providence County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Chautauqua County community of Thornton.
    • Ohio
      • Ross 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 Ohio community of Thornton [Ross County].
    • Ontario
      • This Thornton lies 449 miles [722.6 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Thornton that is located in Providence County.
    • Pennsylvania
      • Delaware County
      • This Thornton is located in Delaware County and lies 248 miles [399.1 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Thornton that is located in Providence County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Delaware County community of Thornton.
    • Tennessee
      • Knox County
      • This Thornton is located in Knox County and lies 793 miles [1,276.2 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Thornton that is located in Providence County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Knox County community of Thornton.
    • Texas
      • Limestone County
      • This Thornton is located in Limestone County and lies 1,556 miles [2,504.1 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Thornton that is located in Providence County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Limestone County community of Thornton.
    • Washington
      • Whitman County
      • This Thornton is located in Whitman County and lies 2,259 miles [3,635.5 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Thornton that is located in Providence County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Whitman County community of Thornton.
    • West Virginia
      • Taylor County
      • This Thornton is located in Taylor County and lies 474 miles [762.8 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Thornton that is located in Providence County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Taylor County community of Thornton.
    • Wisconsin
      • Shawano County
      • This Thornton is located in Shawano County and lies 887 miles [1,427.5 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Thornton that is located in Providence County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Shawano County community of Thornton.
    • Wyoming
      • Weston County
      • This Thornton is located in Weston County and lies 1,676 miles [2,697.3 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Thornton that is located in Providence County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Weston County community of Thornton.

Curious and Interesting Names Near Thornton ...

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.

  • Christian Hill
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Christian Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Christian Hill
    • Christian Hill is located in Providence County
  • Cork Hill ‑ Historic
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cork Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cork Hill
    • Cork Hill is located in Providence County
  • Dyerville
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Dyerville have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dyerville
    • Dyerville is located in Providence County
  • Federal Hill
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Federal Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Federal Hill
    • Federal Hill is located in Providence County
  • Foxes Hill
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Foxes Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Foxes Hill
    • Foxes Hill is located in Providence County
  • Fruit Hill
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Fruit Hill have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fruit Hill
    • Fruit Hill is located in Providence County
  • Garden City
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Garden City have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Garden City
    • Garden City is located in Providence County
  • Geneva
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Geneva have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Geneva
    • Geneva is located in Providence County
  • Hughesdale
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hughesdale have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hughesdale
    • Hughesdale is located in Providence County
  • Knightsville
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Knightsville have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Knightsville
    • Knightsville is located in Providence County
  • Lincoln Park
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lincoln Park have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lincoln Park
    • Lincoln Park is located in Kent County
  • Providence
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Providence
    • Providence is located in Providence County
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 179,270 people
  • Silver Hook
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Silver Hook have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Silver Hook
    • Silver Hook is located in Kent County

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

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

  • Providence, which is the Seat of Providence County, lies just to the East Northeast.
  • Providence, which is the State Capital of Rhode Island, lies just to the east northeast (ENE).
  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 354 miles [569.7 km]<1> to the west southwest (WSW). If you could drive a straight line from Thornton to White House, with an average speed<5>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 21 days. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take 14 days.
  • The shortest distance<6> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 5,543 miles [8,920.6 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,249 miles [10,056.8 km] and it lies to the east northeast (ENE).<8>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,125 miles [6,638.5 km] and it lies to the east northeast (ENE).<9>

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

The official website for State of Rhode Island: https://www.ri.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a '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- Thornton) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Thornton. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 41.7943, Longitude: -71.4784       In this case, the coordinates for Thornton have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<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 Rock Creek to see Pete ... Rock 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 Thornton 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 Thornton, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<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 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.
<6>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 Thornton to the Middle East to be East and South, the Great Circle Route actually lies to the North and East.
<7>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 304.308 degrees.
<8>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 299.85 degrees.
<9>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 301.044 degrees.









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024