23 of the Coolest Facts about Texas

Posted by: Frank Eakin |

Note: This article has been updated with current information for our readers

Texas is known for a lot of interesting things: barbeque, cowboys, oil, and hot weather. But Texas has a lot more to offer than just the few things that make it famous. This list of 23 cool facts about Texas will leave you excited to learn more about this great state.

Some Awesome Facts about Texas

1. Beaumont to El Paso: 742 miles
2. Beaumont to Chicago: 770 miles
3. El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas.
4. World’s first rodeo was in Pecos, July 4, 1883.
5. The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only American hotel built over water. Destroyed by Hurricane Ike in 2008.
6. The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman, the first full-time coach at Rice University.
7. Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America.
8. Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America‘s only remaining flock of whooping cranes.
9. Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978.
10. The worst natural disaster in U.S. history was in 1900, caused by a hurricane. Over 8,000 died in Galveston.
11. The first word spoken from the moon, July 20, 1969, was “HOUSTON.”.
12. King Ranch in South Texas is larger than Rhode Island.
13. Tropical Storm Claudette brought a U.S. rainfall record of 43’ in 24 hours in and around Alvin in July of 1979.
14. Texas is the only state to enter the U.S. by treaty instead of by annexation. This allows the Texas flag to fly at the same height as the U.S. flag, and Texas may divide into 5 states.
15. A Live Oak tree near Fulton is estimated to be 1500 years old.
16. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.
17. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period in Dr Pepper.
18. Texas has had six capital cities: Washington-on-the-Brazos, Harrisburg, Galveston, Velasco, West Columbia and Austin.
19. The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the U.S. which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington DC (by 7 feet).
20. The San Jacinto Monument is the tallest free-standing monument in the world.
21. The name “Texas” comes from the Hasini Indian word ‘tejas’ meaning friends. Tejas is not Spanish for Texas.
22. The state mascot is the armadillo. Armadillo always have four babies. They have one egg, which splits into four, and they either have four males or four females.
23. The first domed stadium in the U.S. was the Astrodome in Houston.

Let us know about any facts you find interesting about Texas.

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