RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Virginia >> Albemarle County >> Berkeley >> Tidbits & TriviaIndex...

Outdoor Activities ...

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

When in Berkeley, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Berkeley 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 Berkeley:
    • 38.079026, -78.486401
    • 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 Berkeley
  • 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 Albemarle County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Albemarle County
    • Since Berkeley is near Charlottesville City and also Chesterfield County, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Charlottesville City
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Chesterfield 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 Berkeley

Communities Also Named Berkeley ...

We found sixteen communities that are also named Berkeley.

There is one other community in Virginia that is also named Berkeley.

Beyond Virginia, we know of fifteen communities that are located in the United States and Canada. Of these fifteen communities, fifteen are located in the United States and one is in Canada.

  • Communities Located In Virginia ...
    • Charles City County
      • This Berkeley is located in Charles City County and lies 88 miles [141.6 km]<1> to the southeast of the Berkeley that is located in Albemarle County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Charles City County community of Berkeley.
  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • California
      • Alameda County
      • This Berkeley is located in Alameda County and lies 2,361 miles [3,799.7 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Berkeley that is located in Albemarle County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Alameda County community of Berkeley.
    • Colorado
      • Arapahoe 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 Colorado community of Berkeley [Arapahoe County].
    • Florida
      • Hernando County
      • This Berkeley is located in Hernando County and lies 702 miles [1,129.8 km]<1> to the south southwest of the Berkeley that is located in Albemarle County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Hernando County community of Berkeley.
    • Georgia
      • Madison 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 Georgia community of Berkeley [Madison County].
    • Illinois
      • Cook County
      • This Berkeley is located in Cook County and lies 563 miles [906.1 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Berkeley that is located in Albemarle County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Cook County community of Berkeley.
    • Indiana
      • Boone 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 Indiana community of Berkeley [Boone County].
    • Missouri
      • Saint Louis County
      • This Berkeley is located in Saint Louis County and lies 642 miles [1,033.2 km]<1> to the west of the Berkeley that is located in Albemarle County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Saint Louis County community of Berkeley.
    • New Jersey
      • Ocean 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 Berkeley [Ocean County].
    • North Carolina
      • Nash County
      • This Berkeley is located in Nash County and lies 150 miles [241.4 km]<1> to the south southeast of the Berkeley that is located in Albemarle County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Nash County community of Berkeley.
      • Wayne 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 North Carolina community of Berkeley [Wayne County].
    • Ontario
      • This Berkeley lies 450 miles [724.2 km]<1> to the north northwest of the Berkeley that is located in Albemarle County.
    • Rhode Island
      • Providence County
      • This Berkeley is located in Providence County and lies 458 miles [737.1 km]<1> to the northeast of the Berkeley that is located in Albemarle County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Providence County community of Berkeley.
    • South Carolina
      • Berkeley 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 South Carolina community of Berkeley [Berkeley County].
    • Washington
      • Pierce County
      • This Berkeley is located in Pierce County and lies 2,281 miles [3,670.9 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Berkeley that is located in Albemarle County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Pierce County community of Berkeley.
    • West Virginia
      • Berkeley County
      • This Berkeley is located in Berkeley County and lies 102 miles [164.2 km]<1> to the north northeast of the Berkeley that is located in Albemarle County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Berkeley County community of Berkeley.

Curious and Interesting Names Near Berkeley ...

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.

  • Barracks
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Barracks is located in Albemarle County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barracks
  • Branchland
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Branchland is located in Albemarle County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Branchland
  • Chapel Hills
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Chapel Hills is located in Albemarle County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Chapel Hills
  • Clover Hill
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Clover Hill is located in Albemarle County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Clover Hill
  • Fieldbrook
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Fieldbrook is located in Albemarle County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fieldbrook
  • Four Seasons
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Four Seasons is located in Albemarle County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Four Seasons
  • Greenfields
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Greenfields is located in Albemarle County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenfields
  • Hydraulic
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Hydraulic is located in Albemarle County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hydraulic
  • Ivy Farms
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Ivy Farms is located in Albemarle County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ivy Farms
  • Ivy Ridge
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Ivy Ridge is located in Albemarle County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ivy Ridge
  • Little Clover Hill
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Little Clover Hill is located in Albemarle County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Clover Hill
  • Locust Grove
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Locust Grove is located in Charlottesville City
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Locust Grove
  • Continue List   (9 more) ...
    • Pen Park
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Pen Park is located in Albemarle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pen Park
    • Queen Charlotte
      (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
      • Queen Charlotte is located in Albemarle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Queen Charlotte
    • Raintree
      (Less than 2 miles to the east)
      • Raintree is located in Albemarle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Raintree
    • Riverrun
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Riverrun is located in Albemarle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Riverrun
    • Rockbrook
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Rockbrook is located in Albemarle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockbrook
    • Squire Hill
      (Less than 2 miles to the east)
      • Squire Hill is located in Albemarle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Squire Hill
    • Village Square
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Village Square is located in Albemarle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Village Square
    • Wildwood
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Wildwood is located in Albemarle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wildwood
    • Willow Heights
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Willow Heights is located in Albemarle County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willow Heights

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

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

  • Charlottesville, which is the Seat of Albemarle County, lies just to the South.
  • Richmond, which is the State Capital of Virginia, lies 68 miles [109.4 km]<1> to the east southeast (ESE). If you could walk a straight line from Berkeley to Richmond, with an average speed<3> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take three full days to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take about three full days.
  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 96 miles [154.5 km] to the northeast (NE). Driving, with an average speed of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, would take less than two hours, a buggy would take three full days and walking would take 6 days.
  • The shortest distance<4> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 5,994 miles [9,646.4 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<5>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,699 miles [10,781 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<6>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,576 miles [7,364.4 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>'

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 from Point A (ie- Berkeley) 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 Berkeley 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>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 Berkeley 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 Berkeley. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 38.0790, Longitude: -78.4864       In this case, the coordinates for Berkeley have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<5>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 308.787 degrees.
<6>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 304.336 degrees.
<7>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 305.623 degrees.