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 |
| 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.
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)
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)
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 January 30, 2023.
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