Texas is known for:
- Hot weather
- Cowboy culture
- Ranching and cattle
- Oil production
- The Alamo
- NASA
Geography & Demographics
| State Abbreviation |
TX |
| State Capital |
Austin |
| State Size |
Total (Land + Water): 268,581 sq miles; Land Only: 261,797 sq miles |
| Number of Counties |
254 |
| Time Zones |
Central Time Zone, Mountain Time Zone |
| Bordering States |
Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma |
| Highest Point | Guadalupe Peak, 8,751 feet |
| Tallest Building | 600 Travis in Houston, 1,002 feet |
| Largest Stadium | Kyle Field in College Station, capacity 102,733 |
| National Parks | Big Bend National Park
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
|
| State Population (2020) | 29,145,505 |
| State Population Density | 111.3 people / square mile |
| Area Codes |
210, 214, 254, 281, 325, 361, 409, 430, 432, 469, 512, 682, 713, 726, 737, 806, 817, 830, 903, 915, 936, 940, 945, 956, 972, 979 |
| Top 5 Cities (2020 population) |
Houston (2,316,120)
San Antonio (1,567,118)
Dallas (1,343,266)
Austin (995,484)
Fort Worth (927,720)
|
Government & Legislature
State Symbols
| State 10K | Texas Round-Up 10K |
| State Air Force | Commemorative Air Force |
| State Amphibian | Texas toad |
| State Aquarium | Texas State Aquarium |
| State Bird |
Mockingbird |
| State Bison Herd | Texas state bison herd at Caprock Canyons State Park |
| State Bluebonnet City | Ennis |
| State Bluebonnet Festival | Cappell Hill Bluebonnet Festival |
| State Bluebonnet Trail | Ennis |
| State Bread | Pan de campo |
| State Cobbler | Peach cobbler |
| State Cooking Implement | Cast iron Dutch oven |
| State Crustacean | Texas Gulf shrimp |
| State Dinosaur | Paluxysaurus jonesi |
| State Dish | Chili |
| State Dog Breed | Blue lacy |
| State Domino Game | 42 |
| State Epic Poem | Legend of Old Stone Ranch |
| State Fiber and Fabric | Cotton |
| State Fish | Guadalupe bass |
| State Flower |
Bluebonnet |
| State Flower Song | "Bluebonnets" |
| State Flying Mammal | Mexican free-tailed bat |
| State Folk Dance | Square dance |
| State Footwear | Cowboy boot |
| State Fruit | Texas red grapefruit |
| State Gem | Texas blue topaz |
| State Gemstone Cut | Lone star cut |
| State Grass | Sideoats grama |
| State Hat | Cowboy hat |
| State Health Nut | Pecan |
| State Horse | American quarter horse |
| State Insect | Monarch butterfly |
| State Large Mammal | Longhorn |
| State Longhorn Herd | Foundation Herd of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department |
| State Maritime Museum | Texas Maritime Museum |
| State Motto |
Friendship |
| State Music | Western Swing |
| State Musical Instrument | Guitar |
| State Native Pepper | Chiltepin |
| State Native Shrub | Texas purple sage |
| Nickname |
Lone Star State |
| State Pastry | Sopaipilla and strudel |
| State Pepper | Jalapeno |
| State Pie | Pecan pie |
| State Plant | Prickly pear cactus |
| State Play | "The Lone Star", "Texas", "Beyond The Sundown", "Fandangle" |
| State Pollinator | Western honey bee |
| State Precious Metal | Silver |
| State Reptile | Texas horned lizard |
| State Rodeo Drill Team | Ghostriders |
| State Salt Water Fish | Red drum |
| State Sea Turtle | Kemp's ridley sea turtle |
| State Shell | Lightning whelk |
| State Ship | U.S.S. Texas |
| State Shrub | Crape myrtle |
| State Small Mammal | Armadillo |
| State Snack | Tortilla chips and salsa |
| State Song | "Texas, Our Texas" |
| State Sport | Rodeo |
| State Squash | Pumpkin |
| State Stone | Petrified palmwood |
| State Tall Ship | Elissa |
| State Tree |
Pecan |
| State Vegetable | Sweet onion |
| State Vehicle | Chuck wagon |
| State Waterlily | Nymphaea Texas dawn |
Sports Teams
Popular Tourist Attractions
- Big Bend National Park: National park in southwestern Texas.
- Cadillac Ranch: Public art installation and sculpture in Amarillo, Texas.
- Dallas World Aquarium: Aquarium in Dallas, Texas.
- Dallas Zoo: Zoo in Dallas, Texas.
- Fort Worth Zoo: Zoo in Fort Worth, Texas.
- Houston Museum of Natural Science: Science museum in Houston, Texas.
- Houston Zoo: Zoo in Houston, Texas.
- Johnson Space Center: NASA research institute in Houston, Texas.
- Kemah Boardwalk: Amusement park in Kemah, Texas.
- Klyde Warren Park: Park in downtown Dallas, Texas.
- Moody Gardens: Wildlife museum and aquarium in Galveston, Texas.
- Natural Bridge Caverns: Caverns in San Antonio, Texas.
- Palo Duro Canyon: Canyon system near Amarillo, Texas.
- Reunion Tower: Observation deck in Dallas, Texas.
- San Antonio Zoo: Zoo in San Antonio, Texas.
- SeaWorld San Antonio: Theme park in San Antonio, Texas.
- Six Flags Fiesta Texas: Theme park in San Antonio, Texas.
- Six Flags Over Texas: Theme park in Arlington, Texas.
- The Alamo: Museum in San Antonio, Texas.
UNESCO Heritage Sites
Festivals and Events
Top festivals and events in Texas. They are listed in approximate order of when they take place during the year.
Popular Iconic Texas Foods
Texas is famous for the following foods:
- Barbecue
- Chili
- Chicken Fried Steak
- Pecan Pie
- Kolaches
- Tex-Mex
- Blue Bell Ice Cream
- Breakfast Tacos
- Texas Toast
- Whataburger
Famous People Born In Texas
Nobel Prize Winners
United States Presidents
- Dwight D. Eisenhower (34th President)
- Lyndon B. Johnson (36th President)
Pro Football Hall Of Fame Members
- Sammy Baugh (Quarterback, Defensive Back, Punter. Inducted in 1963)
- Bulldog Turner (Center, Linebacker. Inducted in 1966)
- Bobby Layne (Quarterback, Kicker. Inducted in 1967)
- Y. A. Tittle (Quarterback. Inducted in 1971)
- Ollie Matson (Halfback. Inducted in 1972)
- Raymond Berry (Wide Receiver. Inducted in 1973)
- Tony Canadeo (Halfback. Inducted in 1974)
- Dick "Night Train" Lane (Cornerback. Inducted in 1974)
- Forrest Gregg (Offensive Tackle, Offensive Guard. Inducted in 1977)
- Lance Alworth (Wide Receiver. Inducted in 1978)
- Yale Lary (Safety, Punter, Returner. Inducted in 1979)
- Bob Lilly (Defensive Tackle. Inducted in 1980)
- Charley Taylor (Wide Receiver. Inducted in 1984)
- Ken Houston (Safety. Inducted in 1986)
- Doak Walker (Halfback, Kicker. Inducted in 1986)
- Joe Greene (Defensive Tackle. Inducted in 1987)
- Don Maynard (Wide Receiver. Inducted in 1987)
- Gene Upshaw (Guard. Inducted in 1987)
- Tom Landry (Coach. Inducted in 1990)
- Earl Campbell (Running Back. Inducted in 1991)
- Jimmy Johnson (Cornerback. Inducted in 1994)
- Mel Renfro (Cornerback, Safety. Inducted in 1996)
- Mike Haynes (Cornerback. Inducted in 1997)
- Mike Singletary (Linebacker. Inducted in 1998)
- Eric Dickerson (Running Back. Inducted in 1999)
- Thurman Thomas (Running Back. Inducted in 2007)
- Darrell Green (Cornerback. Inducted in 2008)
- Emmitt Thomas (Cornerback. Inducted in 2008)
- John Randle (Defensive Tackle. Inducted in 2010)
- Michael Strahan (Defensive End. Inducted in 2014)
- Tim Brown (Wide Receiver. Inducted in 2015)
- LaDainian Tomlinson (Running Back. Inducted in 2017)
- Bobby Dillon (Safety. Inducted in 2020)
- Jimmy Johnson (Head Coach. Inducted in 2020)
- Cliff Branch (Wide Receiver. Inducted in 2022)
- Zach Thomas (Linebacker. Inducted in 2023)
Baseball Hall Of Fame Players
- Tris Speaker (Center Fielder. Inducted in 1937)
- Rogers Hornsby (Second Baseman. Inducted in 1942)
- Ross Youngs (Right Fielder. Inducted in 1972)
- Ernie Banks (Shortstop. Inducted in 1977)
- Eddie Mathews (Third Baseman. Inducted in 1978)
- Frank Robinson (Right Fielder. Inducted in 1982)
- Joe Morgan (Second Baseman. Inducted in 1990)
- Bill Foster (Pitcher. Inducted in 1996)
- Willie Wells (Shortstop. Inducted in 1997)
- Nolan Ryan (Pitcher. Inducted in 1999)
- Joe Williams (Pitcher. Inducted in 1999)
- Hilton Smith (Pitcher. Inducted in 2001)
- Biz Mackey (Catcher. Inducted in 2006)
- Louis Santop (Catcher. Inducted in 2006)
- Andy Cooper (Pitcher. Inducted in 2006)
- Greg Maddux (Pitcher. Inducted in 2014)
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame Players
- Bill Sharman (Guard. Inducted in 1976)
- Slater Martin (Guard. Inducted in 1982)
- K.C. Jones (Guard. Inducted in 1989)
- Zelmo Beaty (Center. Inducted in 2016)
- Sheryl Swoopes (Guard. Inducted in 2016)
- Grant Hill (Forward. Inducted in 2018)
- Teresa Weatherspoon (Guard. Inducted in 2019)
- Chris Bosh (Forward. Inducted in 2021)
- Gary Blair (Coach. Inducted in 2023)
Hockey Hall Of Fame Members
- Brian Leetch (Defense. Inducted in 2009)
Famous Actors And Actresses
- Joan Crawford
- Jamie Foxx
- Woody Harrelson
- Matthew McConaughey
- Sissy Spacek
- Forest Whitaker
- Robin Wright
Famous Singers
- Erykah Badu
- Beyonce
- Buddy Holly
- Janis Joplin
- Meat Loaf
- Johnny Mathis
- Willie Nelson
- Roy Orbison
- Kenny Rogers
- Jessica Simpson
- George Strait
- Barry White
Texas Fun Facts
- The name Texas came from the Caddo Indian word tejas, meaning "friends" or "allies."
- Texas has highest highway speed limit in the United States. A stretch of toll road between Austin and San Antonio permits drivers to go 85 miles per hour.
- Texas produces more crude oil and natural gas than any other state in the United States.
- Bracken Cave in Comal County, Texas, is the summer home to the largest colony of bats in the world. An estimated 20 million Mexican free-tailed bats roost in the cave from March to October every year.
- Dr. Pepper was invented in Waco, Texas, by Charles Alderton in 1885.
- Astrodome was first multi-purpose domed stadium in the world. It was built in Houston and opened in 1965.
- The 567.31-foot San Jacinto Monument in Harris County, Texas, is world's tallest war memorial. The star at the top of the monument weighs 220 tons.
- The Tyler Rose Garden Center in Tyler, Texas, is the largest rose garden in the United States.
- Texas was an independent nation from 1836 to 1845.
- Texas is the only state with an official State Domino Game: 42.
- On December 7, 1982, the first person executed by lethal injection occurred in Texas.
This page was last updated on October 12, 2024.
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