RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Virginia >> Roanoke County >> Bennett Springs >> Tidbits & TriviaIndex...

Outdoor Activities ...

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

When in Bennett Springs, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Bennett Springs 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 Bennett Springs:
    • 37.370411, -80.037542
    • 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 Bennett Springs
  • 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 Roanoke County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Roanoke County
    • Since Bennett Springs is near Botetourt County and also Salem City, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Botetourt County
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Salem City
  • 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 Bennett Springs

Communities Also Named Bennett Springs ...

We found two communities that are also named Bennett Springs.

Within Virginia, the name Bennett Springs is unique.

Beyond Virginia, we know of two communities that are located in the United States.

  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • Kansas
      • Atchison County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<1> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Kansas community of Bennett Springs [Atchison County].
    • Missouri
      • Laclede County
      • This Bennett Springs is located in Laclede County and lies 701 miles [1,128.2 km]<2> to the west of the Bennett Springs that is located in Roanoke County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Laclede County community of Bennett Springs.

Curious and Interesting Names Near Bennett Springs ...

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.

  • Bowling Green
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Bowling Green is located in Roanoke City
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bowling Green
  • Captains Grove
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Captains Grove is located in Roanoke County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Captains Grove
  • Covehaven Court
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
    • Covehaven Court is located in Roanoke City
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Covehaven Court
  • Dale Court
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Dale Court is located in Salem City
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dale Court
  • Dawnwood Forest
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Dawnwood Forest is located in Roanoke City
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dawnwood Forest
  • Dropmore
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Dropmore is located in Salem City
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Dropmore
  • Eden Park
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Eden Park is located in Roanoke City
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eden Park
  • Edgelawn
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Edgelawn is located in Roanoke City
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edgelawn
  • Evans Hill
    (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Evans Hill is located in Salem City
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evans Hill
  • Forest Lawn
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
    • Forest Lawn is located in Salem City
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Forest Lawn
  • Glen Cove
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Glen Cove is located in Roanoke County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Glen Cove
  • Greenfield
    (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
    • Greenfield is located in Roanoke County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenfield
  • Continue List   (29 more) ...
    • Hanging Rock
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
      • Hanging Rock is located in Roanoke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hanging Rock
    • Hedgelawn Gardens
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Hedgelawn Gardens is located in Roanoke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hedgelawn Gardens
    • Hemlock Hills
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Hemlock Hills is located in Roanoke City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hemlock Hills
    • Hockman
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Hockman is located in Salem City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hockman
    • Honeysuckle Bluff
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
      • Honeysuckle Bluff is located in Salem City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Honeysuckle Bluff
    • Lake Spring
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Lake Spring is located in Salem City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Spring
    • Lake View
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
      • Lake View is located in Salem City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake View
    • Locust Grove Park
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
      • Locust Grove Park is located in Salem City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Locust Grove Park
    • Lone Oak
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Lone Oak is located in Roanoke City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lone Oak
    • Mason Cove
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
      • Mason Cove is located in Roanoke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mason Cove
    • Meadowview
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
      • Meadowview is located in Salem City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadowview
    • Medley
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Medley is located in Roanoke City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Medley
    • Mountain View
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Mountain View is located in Roanoke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mountain View
    • Plainview
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
      • Plainview is located in Roanoke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plainview
    • Rolling Woods
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Rolling Woods is located in Roanoke City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rolling Woods
    • Sherry Court
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • Sherry Court is located in Roanoke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sherry Court
    • Skyview
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
      • Skyview is located in Roanoke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Skyview
    • Spangler
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
      • Spangler is located in Salem City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spangler
    • Spring Garden
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
      • Spring Garden is located in Salem City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Garden
    • Spruce Hill
      (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
      • Spruce Hill is located in Roanoke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spruce Hill
    • Stonegate
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
      • Stonegate is located in Salem City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stonegate
    • Summit Hills
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Summit Hills is located in Roanoke City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Summit Hills
    • Sun Valley
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southeast)
      • Sun Valley is located in Roanoke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sun Valley
    • Sunnybrook
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
      • Sunnybrook is located in Roanoke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunnybrook
    • Tinker ‑ Historic
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
      • Tinker is located in Botetourt County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tinker
    • Tinker Knoll
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Tinker Knoll is located in Roanoke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tinker Knoll
    • Willow Green
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Willow Green is located in Roanoke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willow Green
    • Woodlawn
      (5 miles [8 km] to the southwest)
      • Woodlawn is located in Salem City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodlawn
    • Woodside Park
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the south)
      • Woodside Park is located in Salem City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Woodside Park

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

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

  • Richmond, which is the State Capital of Virginia, lies 143 miles [230.1 km]<2> to the east (E). If you could drive a straight line from Bennett Springs to Richmond, with an average speed<3>of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, it would take less than three hours to make the trip. A comfortable walk of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour would take 9 days. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take 6 days.
  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 194 miles [312.2 km] to the east northeast (ENE). Driving would take a little over three hours, a buggy would take 8 days and walking would take 11 days.
  • The shortest distance<4> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 6,090 miles [9,800.9 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<5>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,796 miles [10,937.1 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<6>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,673 miles [7,520.5 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>'

Footnotes ...

<1>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 Mile's to see Pete ... Mile's 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 Bennett Springs 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.
<2>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Bennett Springs) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<3>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.
<4>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 Bennett Springs 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 Bennett Springs. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 37.3704, Longitude: -80.0375       In this case, the coordinates for Bennett Springs have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<5>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 309.727 degrees.
<6>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 305.301 degrees.
<7>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 306.509 degrees.