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

Outdoor Activities ...

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

When in Willow Springs, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Willow 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 Willow Springs:
    • 38.839835, -77.404709
    • 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 Willow 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 Fairfax County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Fairfax County
    • Since Willow Springs is near Prince William County and also Fairfax City, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Prince William County
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Fairfax 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 Willow Springs

Communities Also Named Willow Springs ...

We found 29 communities that are also named Willow Springs.

There is one other community in Virginia that is also named Willow Springs.

Beyond Virginia, we know of 28 communities that are located in the United States.

  • Communities Located In Virginia ...
    • Russell County
      • This Willow Springs is located in Russell County and lies 299 miles [481.2 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Willow Springs that is located in Fairfax County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Russell County community of Willow Springs.
  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • Alabama
      • Elmore County
      • This Willow Springs is located in Elmore County and lies 660 miles [1,062.2 km]<1> to the southwest of the Willow Springs that is located in Fairfax County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Elmore County community of Willow Springs.
    • Arizona
      • Coconino County
      • This Willow Springs is located in Coconino County and lies 1,859 miles [2,991.8 km]<1> to the west of the Willow Springs that is located in Fairfax County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Coconino County community of Willow Springs.
    • California
      • Kern County
      • This community is historic<2> and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the California community of Willow Springs [Kern County].
      • Lassen County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<3> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the California community of Willow Springs [Lassen County].
      • Mono County
      • This Willow Springs is located in Mono County and lies 2,238 miles [3,601.7 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Willow Springs that is located in Fairfax County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Mono County community of Willow Springs.
      • Tuolumne County
      • This Willow Springs is located in Tuolumne County and lies 2,297 miles [3,696.7 km] to the west northwest of the Willow Springs that is located in Fairfax County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Tuolumne County community of Willow Springs.
    • Colorado
      • Jefferson County
      • This Willow Springs is located in Jefferson County and lies 1,480 miles [2,381.8 km]<1> to the west of the Willow Springs that is located in Fairfax County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Jefferson County community of Willow Springs.
    • Illinois
      • Cook County
      • This Willow Springs is located in Cook County and lies 586 miles [943.1 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Willow Springs that is located in Fairfax County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Cook County community of Willow Springs.
    • Kansas
      • Douglas County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<3> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Kansas community of Willow Springs [Douglas County].
      • Franklin County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Kansas community of Willow Springs [Franklin County].
      • Mitchell County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Kansas community of Willow Springs [Mitchell County].
    • Missouri
      • Howell County
      • This Willow Springs is located in Howell County and lies 802 miles [1,290.7 km]<1> to the west of the Willow Springs that is located in Fairfax County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Howell County community of Willow Springs.
    • Nebraska
      • Garfield County
      • This community is historic<2> and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Nebraska community of Willow Springs [Garfield County].
    • Nevada
      • Nye County
      • This community is historic<2> and although located in Nye County, we don't know where within the county.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Nye County community of Willow Springs.
    • New Mexico
      • Union County
      • This community is historic<2> and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the New Mexico community of Willow Springs [Union County].
    • North Carolina
      • Johnston County
      • This Willow Springs is located in Johnston County and lies 235 miles [378.2 km]<1> to the south southwest of the Willow Springs that is located in Fairfax County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Johnston County community of Willow Springs.
      • Wake County
      • This Willow Springs is located in Wake County and lies 235 miles [378.2 km] to the south southwest of the Willow Springs that is located in Fairfax County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Wake County community of Willow Springs.
    • Oklahoma
      • Oklahoma County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<3> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Oklahoma community of Willow Springs [Oklahoma County].
    • Pennsylvania
      • Columbia County
      • This Willow Springs is located in Columbia County and lies 162 miles [260.7 km]<1> to the north northeast of the Willow Springs that is located in Fairfax County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Columbia County community of Willow Springs.
      • Westmoreland County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<3> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Pennsylvania community of Willow Springs [Westmoreland County].
    • Tennessee
      • Hamblen County
      • This Willow Springs is located in Hamblen County and lies 375 miles [603.5 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Willow Springs that is located in Fairfax County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Hamblen County community of Willow Springs.
    • Texas
      • Fayette County
      • This Willow Springs is located in Fayette County and lies 1,249 miles [2,010.1 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Willow Springs that is located in Fairfax County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Fayette County community of Willow Springs.
      • Gregg County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<3> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Texas community of Willow Springs [Gregg County].
      • Rains County
      • This Willow Springs is located in Rains County and lies 1,105 miles [1,778.3 km] to the west southwest of the Willow Springs that is located in Fairfax County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Rains County community of Willow Springs.
      • San Jacinto County
      • This Willow Springs is located in San Jacinto County and lies 1,154 miles [1,857.2 km] to the west southwest of the Willow Springs that is located in Fairfax County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the San Jacinto County community of Willow Springs.
    • West Virginia
      • Ohio County
      • This community is historic<2> and we have very little information. For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the West Virginia community of Willow Springs [Ohio County].
    • Wisconsin
      • Waukesha County
      • This Willow Springs is located in Waukesha County and lies 634 miles [1,020.3 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Willow Springs that is located in Fairfax County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Waukesha County community of Willow Springs.
    • Wyoming
      • Crook County
      • This Willow Springs is located in Crook County and lies 1,424 miles [2,291.7 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Willow Springs that is located in Fairfax County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Crook County community of Willow Springs.

Curious and Interesting Names Near Willow 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.

  • Crystal Springs
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Crystal Springs is located in Fairfax County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crystal Springs
  • Joyce Heights
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Joyce Heights is located in Fairfax City
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Joyce Heights
  • Lee-Hi Village
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Lee-Hi Village is located in Fairfax County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lee-Hi Village
  • Lees Corner
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Lees Corner is located in Fairfax County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lees Corner
  • Lewis Park
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
    • Lewis Park is located in Fairfax County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lewis Park
  • Lincoln Park
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Lincoln Park is located in Fairfax County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lincoln Park
  • London Towne
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
    • London Towne is located in Fairfax County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for London Towne
  • Navy
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the north)
    • Navy is located in Fairfax County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Navy
  • Orchard Bridge
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
    • Orchard Bridge is located in Fairfax County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Orchard Bridge
  • Continue List   (6 more) ...
    • Random Hills
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the east)
      • Random Hills is located in Fairfax County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Random Hills
    • Station Hills
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southeast)
      • Station Hills is located in Fairfax County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Station Hills
    • Uniontown
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southwest)
      • Uniontown is located in Fairfax County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Uniontown
    • Yorkshire
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southwest)
      • Yorkshire is located in Prince William County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yorkshire
    • Yorkshire Park
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Yorkshire Park is located in Prince William County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yorkshire Park
    • Yorkshire Village
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Yorkshire Village is located in Prince William County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Yorkshire Village

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

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

  • Richmond, which is the State Capital of Virginia, lies 89 miles [143.2 km]<1> to the south (S). If you could drive a straight line from Willow Springs to Richmond, with an average speed<4>of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, it would take less than two hours to make the trip. A comfortable walk of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour would take 5 days. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take most of three days.
  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 20 miles [32.2 km] to the east (E). The buggy would take most of a day and walking would take just over a day.
  • The shortest distance<5> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 5,915 miles [9,519.3 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<6>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,621 miles [10,655.5 km] and it lies to the east northeast (ENE).<7>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,498 miles [7,238.8 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- Willow Springs) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<2>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 Willow Springs, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.
<3>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 Willow 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.
<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 Willow 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 Willow Springs. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 38.8398, Longitude: -77.4047       In this case, the coordinates for Willow Springs have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<6>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 308.11 degrees.
<7>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 303.681 degrees.
<8>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 304.891 degrees.