55 Interesting Facts About Texas That You Should Know

Last updated on December 8th, 2022

45. King Ranch, located in Kingsville, is larger than the state of Rhode Island. As the home of 35,000 cattle and over 200 Quarter Horses, King Ranch is one of the largest ranches in the world today.[30]

46. Texas has three of the ten most populous cities in the United States – Houston, San Antonio and Dallas.

47. Texas has more farms and land in farms than any other state in the U.S.[31]

Tornado forming destruction over a populated landscape
Tornado forming destruction over a populated landscape with a home or house on the way. Severe storm weather clouds.

48. Texas has experienced the most number of tornadoes since 1950. On average, Texas experiences 120 tornadoes a year. A tornado can roar along as fast as 300 miles an hour. Kansas stands second on the list.[32,33]

49. The Texas Rangers is the oldest statewide law enforcement agency in the U.S. It was established in 1823.[21]

50. Armadillos are mammals that wear shells. Armadillo in Spanish means “little armored one”. The mammal has bony plates that cover the back, head, legs, and tail of most of these creatures. Out of the 20 varieties of armadillos, only one lives in the United States. The mammal can be found throughout Texas except in the Trans-Pecos. The shell on their bodies acts like armor and provides protection from predators.[34,35]

51. Bessie Coleman born in Atlanta, Texas, is the first woman of African-American descent and the first woman of Native-American descent to hold a pilot license. She was also the first black person to earn an international pilots license.

52. In the spring of 1978, the bone of a Columbian mammoth was identified by Paul Barron and Eddie Bufkin while they were searching for arrow heads and fossils near the Bosque River. With the help of volunteers, excavation started at the site. Until today, the fossil remains of 24 Columbian mammoths were discovered on the site. The fossils recovered from the site date back to some 65,000 years. The site is famously known as the Waco Mammoth Site. After more than 30 years of careful excavation to uncover the mysteries of the past, it was opened to the public in December 2009.[36]

53. Widely known as the Texas oil boom, the oil revolution started in Texas after the discovery of the Spindle Top Oil Field. On January 10, 1901, a geyser of oil exploded from a drilling site at Spindletop hill. Continuing for 9 days, the geyser spat more than 10,000 barrels a day and it reached more than 150 feet in the air. This is considered as the beginning of the oil industry in America and many of the top oil companies in the world including Exxon and Gulf Oil can trace their origin here.[37,38]

54. Before Texas was a part of the United States of America, it was fighting for freedom from Mexico. During the Battle of Alamo, the Texans fighting with the Mexican troops took shelter in the Alamo, a besieged fort. However, ultimately, the Mexican troops who outnumbered the Texans took control of the fort and killed all of the Texans. Henceforth “Remember the Alamo!” became a battle cry which was used by Americans in the Mexican War.[39,40]

55. The name Big Bend in “Big Bend National Park” comes from a large bend in the Rio Grande River along the park boundary. The Big Bend is one of the most remote national parks in the U.S. At least 450 species of birds inhabit the park—more than any other national park in the United States. Approximately, 400,000 people visit the park every year.[41,42]

Texas – quick facts and state symbols

State AbbreviationTX
State CapitalAustin
List Of U.S. States And Their Capital
Largest cityHouston
State SizeTotal (Land + Water): 268,581 sq miles; Land Only: 261,797 sq miles
Population
30,503,301 (Estimate July 1, 2023 from United States Census Bureau)
StatehoodDecember 29, 1845
State rank by population2nd
State rank by date of fomation28th
State rank by area2nd
Number of Counties254
Complete list of 50 states and number of counties in each
DemonymTexan, Texian, Tejano
Bordering StatesArkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma
ReligionChristian - 77%
Unaffiliated - 18%
Nothing in particular - 13%
Highest PointGuadalupe Peak
8,751 ft (2667.4 m)
Lowest pointGulf of Mexico
Sea level
Mean elevation1,700 feet above sea level
Length 790 miles (1,270 km)
Width773 miles (1,244 km)
National ParksBig Bend National Park
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
GovernorGreg Abbott (R)
Lieutenant GovernorDan Patrick (R)
Electoral Votes38
State MottoFriendship
State NicknameLone Star State
% Water2.5
Nobel Prize WinnersRobert Woodrow Wilson (Physics, 1978)
Bruce Merrifield (Chemistry, 1984)
E. Donnall Thomas (Physiology or Medicine, 1990)
Robert F. Curl Jr. (Chemistry, 1996)
Famous PeopleThurman Thomas (Football player),
Lyndon B. Johnson (36th President),
Greg Maddux (Pitcher. Inducted in 2014),
Sheryl Swoopes (Guard. Inducted in 2016),
Brian Leetch (Hockey player),
Robin Wright (Actress),
Beyonce (Singer)

State Folk DanceSquare dance
State Domino Game42
State Flower Song"Bluebonnets"
State Song"Texas, Our Texas"
State MusicWestern Swing
State Epic PoemLegend of Old Stone Ranch
State Rodeo Drill TeamGhostriders

State DinosaurPaluxysaurus jonesi

State Bluebonnet FestivalCappell Hill Bluebonnet Festival
State FishGuadalupe bass
State soilHouston Black

State FlowerBluebonnet
State BirdMockingbird
State Gemstone cutLone star cut
State Flying MammalMexican free-tailed bat
State Large MammalLonghorn
State Small MammalArmadillo
State TreePecan
State InsectMonarch butterfly
State GrassSideoats grama
State ReptileTexas horned lizard
State Tall ShipElissa
State AmphibianTexas toad
State FruitTexas red grapefruit
State Health NutPecan
VegetableSweet onion
State Bluebonnet CityEnnis
State CobblerPeach cobbler
State Cooking ImplementCast iron Dutch oven
State CrustaceanTexas Gulf shrimp
State DishChili
State dogBlue Lacy
State Fiber and FabricCotton
State FootwearCowboy boot
State HatCowboy hat
State HorseAmerican quarter horse
State Native PepperChiltepin
State Native ShrubTexas purple sage
State PiePecan pie
State PlantPrickly pear cactus
State PollinatorWestern honey bee
State Precious MetalSilver
State Sea TurtleKemp's ridley sea turtle
State ShellLightning whelk
State ShipUSS Texas
State ShrubCrape myrtle
State StonePetrified palm wood
State VehicleChuck wagon
State WaterlilyNymphaea Texas dawn
State tartanTexas Bluebonnet Tartan
Longitude93° 31′ W to 106° 39′ W
Latitude25° 50′ N to 36° 30′ N
Time ZoneCentral Time Zone, Mountain Time Zone
WebsiteTexas.gov
Area Codes210, 214, 254, 281, 325, 361, 409, 430, 432, 469, 512, 682, 713, 737, 806, 817, 830, 903, 915, 936, 940, 956, 972, 979
Last updatedDecember 21, 2023