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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 Royal, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Royal and the surrounding area.

  • 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 Royal:
    • 37.856135, -81.055437
    • 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 Royal
  • 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 Royal ...

We found 24 communities that share the name Royal.

Within West Virginia, the name Royal is unique.

Beyond West Virginia, we know of another 24 communities that are located throughout in the United States and Canada. Of these 24 communities, 23 are located in the United States and one is in Canada.

  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • Alabama
      • Blount County
      • This Royal is located in Blount County and lies 401 miles [645.3 km]<1> to the southwest of the Royal that is located in Raleigh County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Blount County community of Royal.
    • Arkansas
      • Garland County
      • This Royal is located in Garland County and lies 716 miles [1,152.3 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Royal that is located in Raleigh County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Garland County community of Royal.
    • Florida
      • Sumter County
      • This Royal is located in Sumter County and lies 621 miles [999.4 km]<1> to the south of the Royal that is located in Raleigh County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Sumter County community of Royal.
    • Georgia
      • Bleckley County
      • This Royal is located in Bleckley County and lies 395 miles [635.7 km]<1> to the south southwest of the Royal that is located in Raleigh County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Bleckley County community of Royal.
    • Illinois
      • Champaign County
      • This Royal is located in Champaign County and lies 404 miles [650.2 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Royal that is located in Raleigh County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Champaign County community of Royal.
    • Iowa
      • Clay County
      • This Royal is located in Clay County and lies 828 miles [1,332.5 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Royal that is located in Raleigh County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Clay County community of Royal.
    • Kentucky
      • Grayson County
      • This Royal is located in Grayson County and lies 276 miles [444.2 km]<1> to the west of the Royal that is located in Raleigh County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Grayson County community of Royal.
    • Louisiana
      • Winn Parish
      • This Royal is located in Winn Parish and lies 760 miles [1,223.1 km]<1> to the west southwest of the Royal that is located in Raleigh County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Winn Parish community of Royal.
    • Mississippi
      • Smith 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 Mississippi community of Royal [Smith County].
    • Missouri
      • Phelps County
      • This Royal is located in Phelps County and lies 572 miles [920.5 km]<1> to the west of the Royal that is located in Raleigh County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Phelps County community of Royal.
    • Nebraska
      • Antelope County
      • This Royal is located in Antelope County and lies 951 miles [1,530.5 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Royal that is located in Raleigh County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Antelope County community of Royal.
    • North Carolina
      • Beaufort County
      • This Royal is located in Beaufort County and lies 296 miles [476.4 km]<1> to the southeast of the Royal that is located in Raleigh County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Beaufort County community of Royal.
      • Franklin County
      • This Royal is located in Franklin County and lies 195 miles [313.8 km] to the southeast of the Royal that is located in Raleigh County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Franklin County community of Royal.
    • Ohio
      • Clark County
      • This community is historic<3> and although located in Clark County, we don't know where within the county.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Clark County community of Royal.
      • Tuscarawas 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 Ohio community of Royal [Tuscarawas County].
      • Vinton County
      • This Royal is located in Vinton County and lies 129 miles [207.6 km]<1> to the northwest of the Royal that is located in Raleigh County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Vinton County community of Royal.
    • Ontario
      • This Royal lies 375 miles [603.5 km]<1> to the north northeast of the Royal that is located in Raleigh County.
    • Oregon
      • Lane County
      • This Royal is located in Lane County and lies 2,211 miles [3,558.3 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Royal that is located in Raleigh County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Lane County community of Royal.
    • Pennsylvania
      • Fayette 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 Pennsylvania community of Royal [Fayette County].
      • Susquehanna County
      • This Royal is located in Susquehanna County and lies 390 miles [627.6 km]<1> to the northeast of the Royal that is located in Raleigh County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Susquehanna County community of Royal.
    • Tennessee
      • Bedford 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 Tennessee community of Royal [Bedford County].
    • Texas
      • Potter 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 Texas community of Royal [Potter County].
    • Utah
      • Carbon 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 Utah community of Royal [Carbon County].
    • Washington
      • Grant 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 Washington community of Royal [Grant County].

Curious and Interesting Names Near Royal ...

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.

  • Alaska ‑ Historic
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Alaska have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Alaska
    • Alaska is located in Fayette County
  • Export ‑ Historic
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Export have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Export
    • Export is located in Fayette County
  • Grandview
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Grandview have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Grandview
    • Grandview is located in Raleigh County
  • Greenwood ‑ Historic
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Greenwood have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Greenwood
    • Greenwood is located in Fayette County
  • Hamlet ‑ Historic
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hamlet have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hamlet
    • Hamlet is located in Raleigh County
  • Hemlock
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Hemlock have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hemlock
    • Hemlock is located in Fayette County
  • Kathryn
    (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Kathryn have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Kathryn
    • Kathryn is located in Fayette County
  • Layland
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Layland have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Layland
    • Layland is located in Fayette County
  • Lee
    (5 miles [8 km] to the west)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lee have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lee
    • Lee is located in Fayette County
  • Continue List   (6 more) ...
    • Meadow Fork
      (5 miles [8 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Meadow Fork have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Meadow Fork
      • Meadow Fork is located in Fayette County
    • Piney View
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Piney View have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Piney View
      • Piney View is located in Raleigh County
    • Prince
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
    • Stonewall ‑ Historic
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Stonewall have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Stonewall
      • Stonewall is located in Raleigh County
    • Terry
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Terry
      • Terry is located in Raleigh County
    • Terry Junction
      (Less than 2 miles to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Terry Junction have been provided by the GNIS.<4> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Terry Junction
      • Terry Junction is located in Raleigh County

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

With a nod to our favorite Gazetteers and using the location of where the historic community of Royal once stood, the straight-line distance beginning in Royal and extending to:

  • Beckley, which is the Seat of Raleigh County, lies 9 miles [14.5 km]<1> to the southwest. If you could walk a straight line from Royal to Beckley, with an average speed<6> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take four to five hours to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take a little over three hours.
  • Charleston, which is the State Capital of West Virginia, lies 46 miles [74 km] to the northwest (NW). Driving, with an average speed of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, would take less than an hour, a buggy would take most of two days and walking would take about three full days.
  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 229 miles [368.5 km] to the east northeast (ENE). Driving would take nearly four hours, a buggy would take 9 days and walking would take 13 days.
  • The shortest distance<7> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 6,112 miles [9,836.3 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<8>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 6,822 miles [10,978.9 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<9>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 4,698 miles [7,560.7 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<10>

The official website for State of West Virginia: https://www.wv.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 from Point A (ie- Royal) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Royal. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 37.8561, Longitude: -81.0554       In this case, the coordinates for Royal 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 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 Royal 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 Royal, 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're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<6>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.
<7>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 Royal to the Middle East to be East and South, the Great Circle Route actually lies to the North and East.
<8>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 310.323 degrees.
<9>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 306.053 degrees.
<10>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 306.776 degrees.









 

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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024