Texas Trivia
I sometimes take it for granted that everyone knows the things about Texas that I do.
I am a native Texan and I have grown up all my life learning and hearing about all the things that make Texans proud. We spend entire school years teaching Texas history to our children. As much time is devoted to Texas history as there is to World History.
If you've never been to Texas, then I personally invite you to visit. There is something for everyone. Of course, you may have to drive a bit to see it all. We only have 70,000 miles of Texas highways. Bring your gas card and make sure your car air conditioner works well.
In the links below you'll find a link to my top 10 list of fun things to see in Texas.
Y'all come see us, ya hear?
Texas Fun Facts according to Caddylak Graffix:
- Population: 20.9 million
- Area: 261,914 square miles
- Highest Point: Guadeloupe Peak at 8,751 feet
- Lowest Point: Gulf of Mexico at sea level
- State Time Zone: Central Standard Time (Except far West Texas and it is Mountain Time!)
- State Capital: Austin
- Nickname: Lone Star State
- State Motto: Friendship (1930)
- State Sport: Rodeo (1997) The first rodeo in history took place in 1881 in Pecos, Texas
- State Song: Texas Our Texas (1929)
- State Bird: Mockingbird (1927)
- State Flower: Bluebonnet (1901)
- State Plant: Prickly Pear Cactus
- State Tree: Pecan (1919)
- State Insect: Monarch Butterfly (1995)
- State Dish: Chili (1977)
- State Large Mammal: Texas Longhorn (1995)
- State Small Mammal: Armadillo (1995)
- State Flying Mammal: Mexican Freetail Bat (1995)
- State Reptile: Horned Toad Lizard
- State Vegetable: Sweet Onion
- State Fruit: Red Grapefruit (1993)
- State Stone: Petrified Palmwood (1969)
- 28th state to enter the Union: December 29, 1845
- State Gem: Texas Blue Topaz (1969)
- State Fair: The largest State Fair is the Texas State Fair located in Big "D"
- Deepest Hole: The deepest hole ever made in the world is in Texas. It is as deep as 20 empire state buildings but only 3 inches wide.
- Tallest Statue: The world's tallest statue of an American hero, Sam Houston. The 67-ft. tall (plus 10-ft. base) statue is named "A Tribute to Courage." Sam Houston, celebrated political architect of Texas, towers in concrete above Interstate 45, with walking cane and snappy duds of a 19th century.
Fun Texas Trivia
- Dr Pepper was invented in Waco, Texas in 1885. The only place in the world where they make Dr Pepper according to its original formula is in Dublin, Texas. There is no period after the ‘dr' in Dr Pepper.
- Austin writer John Morthland was the first person in America to interview the Rolling Stones when they came to American in 1964 on their maiden US tour. He was a high school junior in San Bernardino, California writing for his school's paper.
- Snicker's candy bars are made in Waco, Texas at the M&M Mars plant. This location makes 75% of the world's Snicker bars.
- Texas has the largest state capitol building of all the states. It is constructed of pink granite. It opened May 16, 1888. The dome of the building stands seven feet higher than that of the nation's Capitol in Washington, D.C.
- Will Rogers' father and uncle were boyhood friends of Sam Houston. Will Roger's aunt (half sister to his father) was Sam Houston's Indian wife.
- The DFW airport has the largest parking lot in the world.
- According to newspaper accounts, the first powered airplane was flown in Texas nearly forty years before the Wright Brothers version in 1903. Inventor-pilot Jacob Brodbeck powered the plane with coil springs and reached treetop heights before crashing into a henhouse killing several chickens and scaring many children in 1865
- Texas is the only state to have the flags of 6 different nations fly over it. They are: Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Confederate States, and the United States.
- More wool comes from the state of Texas than any other state in the United States. Edwards Plateau in west central Texas is the top sheep growing area in the country.
- Texas is the only state to enter the United States by treaty instead of territorial annexation.
- The state was an independent nation from 1836 to 1845.
- Texas boasts the nation's largest herd of whitetail deer.
- A coastal live oak located near Fulton is the oldest tree in the state. The tree has an estimated age of more than 1,500 years.
- Texas comes from the Indian word "tejas" meaning friends or allies.
- The worst natural disaster in United States history was caused by a hurricane that hit Galveston in 1900. Over 8000 deaths were recorded.
- Texas possesses three of the top ten most populous cities in the United States. These towns are Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio.
- El Paso is closer to Needles, California than it is to Dallas.
- Texas includes 267,339 square miles, or 7.4% of the nation's total area.
- More species of bats live in Texas than in any other part of the United States.
- Laredo is the world's largest inland port.
- The Tyler Municipal Rose Garden is the world's largest rose garden. It contains 38,000 rose bushes representing 500 varieties of roses set in a 22-acre garden.
- The world's first rodeo was held in Pecos on July 4, 1883.
- The Flagship Hotel on Seawall Boulevard in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built entirely over the water.
- Native American Tribes: The Apache, Bidai, Coahuilteco, Carrizo, Caddo, Comanche, Jumano, Suma, Piro, Pueblos, Krankawa, Kiowa, Kitsai, Tawakoni, Tonkawa, and Wichita. Tribes moved into Texas after European arrived were the Alabama, Cherokee, Coushatta, Kickapoo and Tigua Pueblo.
Links and Resources
- Texas Firsts, Facts and Trivia - SHG Resources
Scan a listing of Texas Firsts, Facts and Trivia. Also includes links to biographies of famous people of Texas and other city and state resources. - Texas Fast Facts and Trivia
Texas fast facts and trivia in no particular order! Submitted by readers. - Legends of America - A Travel Site for the Nostalgic and Historic Minded
Other Texas Related Hubs by KCC Big Country
Comments
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Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your comment, Native Texan! You can take the guy/gal out of Texas, but you can't take the Texas out of the guy/gal. We're a proud bunch, aren't we? :)
Enjoyed the sight. Native Texan now living in Tulsa. I miss home and occassionally look for things to remind me of home. Read about the cow's, I call the women here "hefer" I tell them it is meant in the kindest way,and it is a Texas term of endearment, and it is. Thanks for the memories. I have been across the state from one side to the other and I must say, we have a little of everything the rest of the U.S. has. Texas has a mountain range, beaches, ocean, lakes, forest and desert, and lots of wide open spaces. Texas is like a whole other country. I am proud to be a Texan and I let all know it here in Tulsa, OK. I have my den decked out with Texas and a Texas flag that was flown over the state capitol on my birthday. Yeah, I'm proud. Thanks for allowing me to comment.
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Let me be the first to welcome you, if you decide to relocate here, AIDY! Then I can add you to my "Texas-Based Writers on HubPages" hub! Thanks for stopping by and I'm glad I gave you one more reason to consider Texas as home away from home.
Another reason to give the State of Texas another look. I was considering Texas as a career move, this is my last year of college and Texas has much to offer in my line of work. I am already fielding demands from a few places, and Texas is one of them =]. Not sure, but will keep you posted.
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They probably ALL caught it and just didn't tell me! Your hubs are safe! LOL
Can't believe no one caught that?! I'm sure you are going to hunt down my hubs and find my errors next. tehehe
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LOL...Mayhmong...it was invented.....my bad! That's one of those things spellcheck doesn't catch, only your friends do! Thanks for pointing that out! There is so much more to Texas! I could go on and on (and probably will! LOL).......
Thanks for stopping by and helping me out on my oopsie!
Dr. Pepper was invented or invited? Not sure on that part. You pretty much nailed all the best parts of Texas.
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Thanks Pachuca! Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by.
That is some pretty cool stuff....I knew about the Dr Pepper story..but not much else that you had listed....cool!
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How cool, James! Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping by!
Great Hub KCC! I learned a lot about Tejas here. I have always admired Texas and Texans. I am a fan of your Governor, too, whom I met a few years ago.
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I need to travel out west, kari. Someday!
Peggy, you're right!
Thank you both for stopping by and commenting!
Texas is big alright! There is so much to see and enjoy. We love it......especially the friendly people. And the cows are cute! LOL
All I know of Texas is west. Thanks for the wonderful look at the rest of the state! Texas is so big that what you see out west is not the same as the east in any sense!
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LOL....do not, Christoph! He looks cool at night. He's all lit up. You can't see him for as far away as you'd think though because of the trees and how they've kind of carved out a place for him. He is cool though.
43 percent of Texans believe the statue of Sam Houston is 'life sized."
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Yeeeee haaawww... me toooo!
I've seen it there, and dang it sticks in yer head! I kin twang with the best of 'em!
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C'mon over BP! You'd love it!
Darn would love to go to good ole Texas :)
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If you notice, I have that snippet of the song in my profile where it asks where you're from. I remember playing tour guide to some Yankee friends of ours back almost 7 years ago now and I broke into that song. Everyone loves that song. But you have to sing it with a twang to really get the laughs. LOL
Definitely holler at me when you get to Plano, Candie!
I came by to sing.. "The stars at night, are big and bright!...." (clap clap clap). Everytime I visit that song stays in my head for hours! When I get to Plano I shall send you a note!
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Oh cool, Candie! I'm a couple of hours away tops! Yeah, the backside of a cow is not where you want to be standing.
Iphigenia, come on over! My UK husband talks about his perception of Texas as a 60s kid as well. He didn't realize how flat the prairie is. He calls it 'featureless'. We're also further from the coast than he's ever been. Everywhere in the UK, you're within an hour (maybe a tad longer in some spots) from the coast. I'm at least 6 hours from the coast.
OK - another place on my list of places to visit. As a child in 1960's UK we gleaned from 'cowboy movies' that Texas has the biggest of everything - inclduing cowboy hats !
My bestest friend lives in Plano, and I plan to be a-visitin' there sometime in the near future. Someone afraid of cows? Pashaw! Only fear their back ends.. whewy!
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Willie does indeed, alekhouse. I don't live far from where he grew up.
What about Willy Nelson? Doesn't he live in Austin?
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Afraid of cows and guns, Elena? Guns I understand, we're all afraid of them. Cows? Cows are so cute. Even though there are a lot of cattle here, we could manage to keep them away from you, so c'mon on over!
Ethel, same for you, c'mon over!
Thanks ladies for stopping by and letting me share a bit about Texas with you!
That's some monument. I have never been to the US so thanks for the virtual visit to Texas
"The state was an independent nation from 1836 to 1845." I thought it was still and independent... something???
Laugh, I'm just messing around, KCC, this is a cool-i-o article, makes me wanna visit, been "close" enough twice already, but I always feared crossing into it on account of guns and cows. I'm afraid of both, you know.
:-P I'm just messing, really :-) Kudos to you for your knowledge of your home state!
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Very true FelineP! We do like doing things bigger in Texas!
Cris, El Paso is definitely on the border of Mexico and New Mexico. It's the furtherest western point of Texas. Many miles from me. There is lots to love about Texas!
Wow! You must really love your state - and I'm loving it already. LOL I have friends in El Paso - is it really near the border? Anyway, how hot is hot - i mean weatherwise?
Sounds like Texas is synonymous with a lot of superlatives...predominantly largest! :)
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Hey MM! Jerry Jeff Walker fan, eh?
I liked the list of all the state things like flowers, large mammal, small mammal, gem, etc. I would like to add state singer: Jerry Jeff Walker. Oh yeah!
Are you ready to join the dark forces of the universe John?
Yeah, goldentoad is here! To speak of the devil!
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Speak of the devil....LOL
Hey hey hey......
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LOL...that I believe! The little stinker done jumped up and got himself 10,000 pageviews....he's got to be excited over that!
I know, I'm just messin. If it was john's hub, I would have put it behind guam and puerto rico.
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LOL @ GT.......sorry GT, this is KCC's hub, not Johnb's! I'd expect that kind of talk on one of his hubs! LOL I know you wuv me!
Texas is also the 50th state in nicest places to visit in the United States.
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You can't miss it, LM if you travel south on I-45. He's huge as you can see by how tall my husband is in front of him.
Oh the nightmare that is DFW. But I guess it's not as bad as Lovefield.
Interesting stuff, KCC. I've never seen the Sam Houston statue before!
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Yeah, I didn't realize DFW had the largest parking lot in the world either. Dublin Dr Pepper is awesome!
Yeah, I already knew most of it, but some stuff like the biggest parking lot I didn't know about. There is so really cool stuff here though. Dublin Dr Pepper is AMAZING!!!!!
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Thanks for stopping by John....you probably didn't learn anything from this hub...LOL
Great hub! I really hope Texas secedes so we dont have to live under this idiot obama. Awesome job!
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I'm in the middle of all your relatives, fortunerep! LOL Texas weather is all I know.
I have relatives in Texas! Houston, Dallas and Amarillo. I love the weather there such a change from North Carolina.
dori
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Not too far, Candie, why?
How close to Plano are you?
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We're definitely BIG, Gypsy Willow! I have lived here all of my life and there is so much I've never seen. Glad you enjoyed it.
Enjoyed learning about Texas, all I knew was that it is big! thanks
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Yes, Candie....Wacoans quite often can be seen with a Dr Pepper in one hand and a snickers in the other! LMAO
Thanks for stopping by!
So would it be fair to say Waco is junk food capitol of the world? Did you ever see PeeWee's Big Adventure? "There's no basement in the Alamo!" LOL.. Great factoids K!! Thanks and "YEE HAW!" *waiving cowgirl hat!*
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