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

Outdoor Activities ...

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

When in Idlewood, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Idlewood 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 Idlewood:
    • 37.287915, -79.895315
    • 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 Idlewood
  • 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 Idlewood

Communities Also Named Idlewood ...

We found eighteen communities that are also named Idlewood.

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

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

  • Communities Located In Virginia ...
    • Suffolk City
      • This Idlewood is located in Suffolk City and lies 182 miles [292.9 km]<1> to the east.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Suffolk City community of Idlewood.
  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • Alabama
      • Coffee County
      • This Idlewood is located in Coffee County and lies 531 miles [854.6 km]<1> to the southwest.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Coffee County community of Idlewood.
      • Tuscaloosa County
      • This Idlewood is located in Tuscaloosa County and lies 514 miles [827.2 km] to the west southwest.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Tuscaloosa County community of Idlewood.
    • Georgia
      • Bibb County
      • This Idlewood is located in Bibb County and lies 374 miles [601.9 km]<1> to the southwest.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Bibb County community of Idlewood.
      • Burke County
      • This Idlewood is located in Burke County and lies 317 miles [510.2 km] to the south southwest.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Burke County community of Idlewood.
      • Newton County
      • This Idlewood is located in Newton County and lies 349 miles [561.7 km] to the southwest.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Newton County community of Idlewood.
    • Illinois
      • Jefferson County
      • This Idlewood is located in Jefferson County and lies 497 miles [799.8 km]<1> to the west northwest.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Jefferson County community of Idlewood.
    • Louisiana
      • Orleans Parish
      • This Idlewood is located in Orleans Parish and lies 764 miles [1,229.5 km]<1> to the southwest.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Orleans Parish community of Idlewood.
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore City
      • This Idlewood is located in Baltimore City and lies 229 miles [368.5 km]<1> to the northeast.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Baltimore City community of Idlewood.
    • Massachusetts
      • Bristol County
      • This Idlewood is located in Bristol County and lies 561 miles [902.8 km]<1> to the northeast.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Bristol County community of Idlewood.
    • New York
      • Erie 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 York community of Idlewood [Erie County].
    • North Carolina
      • Scotland County
      • This Idlewood is located in Scotland County and lies 176 miles [283.2 km]<1> to the south.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Scotland County community of Idlewood.
    • Ohio
      • Hamilton County
      • This Idlewood is located in Hamilton County and lies 279 miles [449 km]<1> to the west northwest.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Hamilton County community of Idlewood.
    • Pennsylvania
      • Allegheny County
      • This Idlewood is located in Allegheny County and lies 217 miles [349.2 km]<1> to the north.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Allegheny County community of Idlewood.
      • Bucks County
      • This Idlewood is located in Bucks County and lies 332 miles [534.3 km] to the northeast.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Bucks County community of Idlewood.
    • South Carolina
      • Greenwood County
      • This Idlewood is located in Greenwood County and lies 246 miles [395.9 km]<1> to the south southwest.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Greenwood County community of Idlewood.
      • Sumter County
      • This Idlewood is located in Sumter County and lies 233 miles [375 km] to the south.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Sumter County community of Idlewood.
    • Tennessee
      • Williamson County
      • This Idlewood is located in Williamson County and lies 398 miles [640.5 km]<1> to the west.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Williamson County community of Idlewood.

Curious and Interesting Names Near Idlewood ...

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.

  • Bluestone
    (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Bluestone is located in Roanoke City
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bluestone
  • Cedar Bluff
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
    • Cedar Bluff is located in Roanoke City
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedar Bluff
  • Colonial Trail
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Colonial Trail is located in Roanoke County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Colonial Trail
  • Falling Creek
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Falling Creek is located in Roanoke County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Falling Creek
  • Foxfire
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Foxfire is located in Roanoke County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Foxfire
  • Hickory Woods
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Hickory Woods is located in Roanoke City
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hickory Woods
  • Huntridge
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Huntridge is located in Roanoke County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Huntridge
  • Jamestown Place
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Jamestown Place is located in Roanoke City
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jamestown Place
  • Liberty Land
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Liberty Land is located in Roanoke City
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Liberty Land
  • Lilly View
    (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Lilly View is located in Roanoke City
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lilly View
  • Lincoln Court
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • Lincoln Court is located in Roanoke City
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lincoln Court
  • Lynn Haven
    (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
    • Lynn Haven is located in Roanoke County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lynn Haven
  • Continue List   (10 more) ...
    • Meadowland
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
      • Meadowland is located in Roanoke City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadowland
    • Meadowview
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Meadowview is located in Roanoke City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadowview
    • Muse
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
      • Muse is located in Roanoke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Muse
    • River Edge
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • River Edge is located in Roanoke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for River Edge
    • Rockydale
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Rockydale is located in Roanoke City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rockydale
    • Shadeland
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
      • Shadeland is located in Roanoke City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shadeland
    • Sleepy Hollow
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Sleepy Hollow is located in Roanoke City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sleepy Hollow
    • Spring Grove
      (Less than 2 miles to the east)
      • Spring Grove is located in Roanoke County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Spring Grove
    • Springtree
      (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
      • Springtree is located in Roanoke City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Springtree
    • Sunrise Heights
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
      • Sunrise Heights is located in Roanoke City
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunrise Heights

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

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

  • Richmond, which is the State Capital of Virginia, lies 136 miles [218.9 km]<1> to the east (E). If you could drive a straight line from Idlewood 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 8 days. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take 6 days.
  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 191 miles [307.4 km] to the northeast (NE). 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 6,088 miles [9,797.7 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<5>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,793 miles [10,932.3 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<6>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,670 miles [7,515.6 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>'

Footnotes ...

<1>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Idlewood) 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 Idlewood 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 . 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 Idlewood 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 Idlewood. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 37.2879, Longitude: -79.8953       In this case, the coordinates for Idlewood have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<5>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 309.645 degrees.
<6>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 305.195 degrees.
<7>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 306.478 degrees.