Fun Facts About Texas
Texas, also known as the “Lone Star State”, is one of the 50 states of the US, and it is located in the South Central region of the country.
Texas is one of the most popular states of the United States with a lot of rich history and historical events to support, it is also one of the largest economies in the US and also around the world. It is a state that is well known for its political stance, gun culture as well as independence movement. There are lots of facts about Texas that makes the state one of the most incredible states in the USA.
In fact, the history of the united states would be incomplete with the story of the state of Texas include in it. These stories, information, important details and history about Texas is what we aim to achieve with this compilation of Texas facts list. These interesting facts about Texas would go a long way to introduce the state of Texas to those who have either never been there or do not know much about the state. These Texas facts would also be relevant to some Texans that are trying to learn something new about their lovely state.
Without any further ado, let’s dive into the list of Texas fun facts for everyone.
Fun Facts About Texas
Here are some of the best fun facts about Texas that you need to know. These will include general facts that one should know as well as historical facts and random facts that you’d find interesting.
- Why is it called the Lone Star State?
For about 10 years from the 1830s to 1840s, Texas used to be an independent country called the Republic of Texas after its fight for independence from Mexico. This is why it is called the Lone Star State to remember those events.
- It is the 28th state
Texas became the 28th state of the United States after being admitted to the union on the 29th of December, 1845.
- It is the 2nd largest state
With a total area of 268,596 miles, Texas is the second largest state in the whole of the United States, only behind Alaska.
- Texas’ neighboring states
Texas is bordered by New Mexico to the west, Louisiana to the east, Oklahoma to the north, Arkansas to the northeast, and four Mexican states to the south and southwest.
- It has the longest border with Mexico
Mexico is one of the countries that border the United States, and Texas is the US state that shares the longest border with Mexico as there is a 1241-mile-long border between them.
- It is the largest state in the Contiguous United States
Despite not being the largest of all 50 U.S. states, Texas is the largest state of all the lower 48 states (AKA the Contiguous United States).
- Its meaning is quite wholesome
The name “Texas” is derived from “táysha” which is a word in the Caddo language meaning “friends”.
- Texas is really big
If the United Kingdom, Greece, and Italy were combined, Texas would still be larger than them all.
- It’d be the 39th-largest country
If Texas were to be an independent country, it would be the 39th largest country in the world.
- Texas has its power grid
Texas is the only state in the Contiguous US to have its power grid. The power grid was made during the Second World War so that all factories producing war supplies in Texas were self-sustainable.
- It has the 2nd highest population
Of all the 50 states in the United States, Texas is the 2nd most populous as there are about 29.9 million people residing in the state.
- Guns are quite common
This should not be a surprise to anyone who reads a lot about the state. Texas has more than 1 million registered firearms making it the US state with the most guns.
- It wasn’t always conservative
Texas is now known to be a conservative state but in the past, it was once used to be a liberal state.
- It has two national parks
Despite its large size, there are only two national parks located in the state of Texas: Big Bend National Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
- It has the fastest road in the US
Texas also has the fastest road in the whole of the United States as a section of Texas State Highway 130 has a speed limit of 85 mph (137 km/hr).
- It has a lot of roads
Being a very large state, this should not come across as surprising. There are about 79,000 miles of roads crisscrossing the state. If you love road trips, Texas should be one of the states you have to visit.
- Texas has the largest state capitol building
The Texas State Capitol building in its capital, Austin, is the largest state capitol building in the United States. When it was constructed, it was one of the largest buildings in the whole world.
- It played a major part in space exploration
Texas is one of the states that has played a major role in space exploration as it is home to NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (a training center for many astronauts) and Space Center Houston (a fine museum). The popular phrase “Houston, we have a problem” is from a radio communication between Apollo 13 and a control center in Houston, Texas. This makes “Houston” to be the first word said from the Moon.
- Texas has the 2nd largest economy in the US
Texas has the second largest economy of all states in the US after California with a GDP of more than $2 trillion, 8.6% of the total US GDP.
- It’d have the 10th-largest economy
If Texas were to be a country, it would have the 10th largest economy of all countries in the world.
- Texas has had quite some flags fly over it
Over the course of its existence, Texas has had the flags of six different nations fly over it and has had eight changes of government. The six nations are Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States, and the United States.
- It is home to some popular tech companies
The state of Texas is home to some of the big technology companies that we know like Dell and Compaq computers. The central part of Texas is often referred to as the Silicon Valley of the South.
- It has one UNESCO World Heritage Site
Texas is home to the San Antonio Missions which hosts the popular Alamo mission, and it is the only UNESCO World Heritage Site located throughout the state.
- Texas hosts some of the big sports teams
Texas is home to some popular sports teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Houston Rockets, Houston Comets, Dallas Stars, etc.
- It is home to the helium capital of the world
Amarillo, a city in Texas, is considered to be the helium capital of the world as it has the largest helium supply in the world.
- It is a major wool producer
Of all 50 states in the United States, Texas produces the most wool.
- It suffered the worst natural disaster in the US history
In 1900, Galveston, Texas suffered the worst natural disaster in United States history as it was hit by a hurricane that caused over 8000 deaths.
- It has only one natural lake
Throughout the state of Texas, there is only one natural lake, and it is Caddo Lake which covers 125,400 acres of land.
- It is a major producer of cotton
Texas is the largest producer of cotton in the United States as, over the past few years, the state has contributed close to 40 percent of cotton produced in the country.
- It is a top producer of wine
Of all 50 states in the US, Texas comes 5th in the list of top wine producers as the state has 352 wineries, with an annual output of 4,280,400 gallons.
- Texas hosts the world’s largest rose garden
If you’re a florist, you’d surely love this. Do you know that the Tyler Municipal Rose Garden in Texas is the world’s largest rose garden? Well, now you know. The garden is 22-acre large and it has over 38,000 rose bushes with 500 different varieties of roses.
- It has the most farmlands in the US
Being one of the largest states in the United States, it should not be a surprise that Texas also has the most farmlands in the whole country.
- It is a leading producer of wind power
Texas is the leading producer of wind energy in the US, it generates more than 92 Terawatt-hours of electricity during a year. This is more than the next three top states combined.
- It is home to two former presidents
Texas is home to former presidents of the United States: Lyndon Johnson and Dwight Eisenhower, as they were both born in the state.
- It is the live music capital of the world
If you love music, then make sure to visit Austin anytime you go to Texas as it is said to be the live music capital of the world, with it having the most live music venues per capita in the US. The city also hosts some popular music festivals like South by Southwest and Austin City Limits.
- Tex-Mex originated in Texas
Tex-Mex is a special type of American cuisine that usually combined traditional Mexican and Spanish cuisines. It originated from the culinary creations of the Tejano people of Texas.
- Texas is home to the largest convenience store in the world
If you’re going on a road trip across Texas and need lots of fuel or snacks, then make sure to visit the Buc-ee’s convenience store in New Braunfels, Texas. It is the largest convenience store in the world as it spans a massive 66,335 square feet.
- It has the 2nd largest canyon in the US
Palo Duro Canyon in Texas is the second-largest canyon in the United States. It is about 120 miles in length and about 6 miles in width.
- It is the largest producer of oil
Of all 50 states in the United States, Texas is the largest producer of oil as in 2021, the state produced a total of 1.7 billion barrels.
- Texas has the best BBQ
Over the years, a lot of people have recognized Texas BBQ as one of the best anyone can get in the United States.
- Dr. Pepper was invented in Texas
Dr. Pepper, one of the world’s most popular drinks, had its early years in the state of Texas as it was invented in Waco in 1885. It took about 9 more years (in 1904) before sales began across the whole country. And now, the recipe for the drink is split into two and each half is stored at 2 different banks in Dallas.
- It has the world’s largest bat colony
Bracken Cave in Texas hosts the largest bat colony in the world as the cave is home to more than 15 million Mexican free-tailed bats.
- Texas hosts the biggest state fair
The Texas State Fair is the biggest in the United States and it has been held nearly every year for over a century. The state fair features the largest Ferris wheel in North America. It takes place every fall in Dallas and lasts for about 24 days.
- “What’s up, Doc?” originated in Texas
The popular Bugs Bunny phrase, “What’s up, Doc?” is said to have originated from the state of Texas as the animator of the series said he heard it frequently while growing up in Texas.
- Some celebrities born in Texas
Some of the top celebrities born in Texas are Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, Janis Joplin, Jamie Foxx, Beyonce, Owen Wilson, Kelly Clarkson, Matthew McConaughey, etc. Also, two former US presidents, Dwight Eisenhower, and Lyndon B. Johnson were born in Texas.
- Texas has some weird laws
If you’re planning on visiting Texas soon, then you need to be aware of some of the crazy laws in the country.
First, it is illegal to milk someone else’s cow, there is a penalty of up to $10 if you do that.
Second, if you plan on stealing (which you should not), a law says that written or verbal notice must be given 24 hours before you commit the crime.
Lastly, in Galveston, there is a penalty of up to $500 for sitting on the sidewalk which is such an innocent act but then you’re allowed to kill bigfoot if you see it.
- It is prone to storms
Every year, Texas is said to suffer from 132 tornadoes on average. This is the highest amount of tornadoes any state in the US suffers per year.
- A sad day
On the 22nd of November, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. As of today, the spot where the assassin shot from is called the Sixth Floor Museum.
- Texas has the oldest houses in the US
Close to Austin, Texas, the remains of a house dating to about 14,000 years ago were found. This makes the house to be the oldest in all of the US.
- A town in Texas once renamed itself to get freebies
The town of DISH in Denton County, Texas was once called Clark but in 2005, Dish Network offered the town a deal to change its name to DISH, and in doing so, all the people in the small town would get free basic television service for 10 years and also a free DVR.
- It has the biggest ranch in the US
Texas has the biggest ranch in the US, it is called the King Ranch and it is located in the southeastern part of the state. It spans 825,000 acres.
Those are the fun facts about Texas we were able to put together in this compilation. If there are any more interesting Texas facts you know were not featured, do include them in the comments. In the next section we would be answering some popularly and frequently asked questions about Texas.
FAQs About Texas Facts
What is Texas known for?
Texas is known for many things, some of the things Texas is known for are;
- Cowboys
- The Lone Star state.
- Crude oil.
- Texas BBQ.
- The Alamo
- Largest US state on the mainland.
Texas is known for what?
Texas is known for many things, some of the things Texas is known for are;
- Cowboys
- The Lone Star state.
- Crude oil.
- Texas BBQ.
- The Alamo
- Largest US state on the mainland.
What region is Texas in the united states?
Texas is in the south central region of the United States. It is also the largest state in the south central region of the United States.
What are 5 interesting facts about Texas?
5 interesting facts about Texas are;
- Texas used to be an independent country.
- Texas is the largest state on the mainland.
- It is known as the lone star state.
- It is the second largest economy in the USA.
- It is home to the Alamo.
What is the hottest month in Texas?
The hottest month in Texas is the month of August. In August, temperature goes up to as high as 120 degrees in the state of Texas.
