Wonderful pristine natural landscapes, cacti, oil fields, cowboys and endless prairies. Big cities like Dallas or Houston, cowboy cities like Amarillo and the world-famous Stetson hat that even adorns the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Texas, all of this is Texas, the 28th state of the USA. Texas is a state of superlatives, where everything is a little bigger than anywhere else, regardless of whether it is about the vehicles or the portion sizes in the restaurants. Texas has more counties than any other state in the United States, and even the Texas Capitol is taller than Washington’s.
- Allcitycodes: Lists of all area codes of Alaska. Also includes state overview and counties by area code in Alaska.
It would take months to years to fully explore the second largest state in the United States after Alaska by area. Reason enough to return to the Lone Star State in the American Mid-South.
Texas in numbers, data and facts
- Area: 695,621 km²
- Population: 28,304,596 (2017)
- Member of the United States since: December 29, 1845
- Time zone: UTC-6 Central, UTC-7 (Mountain)
- Highest point: Guadalupe Peak (2667 meters)
- Lowest point: Gulf of Mexico: 0 meters
- Average height: 520 meters
- Capital: Austin
- State motto: Friendship
Geographical location and extent
Texas is located in the mid-south of the United States and borders Mexico to the south. About half of the border between the two states is there. Other neighboring states are New Mexico in the west, Louisiana in the east, Arkansas in the northeast and Oklahoma in the North. The Lone Star State offers its visitors an incredible variety. You often get the impression that you are still in your own country within the USA, even if Texas has been part of the Union since 1845. Huge mountains and plains, the plains, citrus groves and deep canyons, the endless prairie in the north and the 1000 kilometer long Gulf coast with its beautiful beaches in the south are just a few of the diverse and appealing regions that can be discovered in Texas.
Weather and Climate in Texas
Texas is divided into three climatic zones. While the west is characterized by a dry, continental climate, which develops into a healthy mountain climate in the plateaus on the Rio Grande, a maritime climate prevails in the east on the coast to the Gulf of Mexico. Due to the high humidity it is often quite humid there and on the coast, but also in Central Texas and in the Rio Grande Valley the temperatures are often felt higher than in reality. The highest temperatures can be expected in July and August.
In the south the climate is subtropical with mild winters. In the north, however, the winters are often severe. There are often sudden, violent snowstorms and high amounts of precipitation. In general, Texas is a state where you can expect abrupt changes in the weather and where you should always take the weather forecasts and warnings seriously. This applies in particular to the tornado warnings, which can be expected from August to October in particular.
The best times of year to visit Texas are spring and fall. In the south and south-east of the Gulf of Mexico, pleasant temperatures with water temperatures above 20 degrees can also be expected in winter.
Population of Texas
Texas is the second most populous state in the United States after California. The 2010 US Census had 25,145,561 residents, made up of 45.3% whites, 37.6% Hispanics and Latinos, 11.8% African-Americans, 3.8% Asians, 0.7% Indians, 0, 1% Hawaiians and residents of other Pacific Islands. Minorities made up the largest part of the population with 50.2% in 2010, which makes Texas a majority minority state. The Lone Star State’s population is one of the fastest growing in the United States, with an average age of 34.3 years.
The proximity to Mexican culture can be clearly felt in Texas. A lot of Spanish is spoken, many signs are bilingual and there are numerous Spanish radio and television channels. German culture is also upheld in many traditional associations in Texas. After all, 9.6 percent of the population are of German descent, which makes the residents with German roots the second largest group after the Mexicans. Especially in the southeast and in the center of Texas, many whites live with German ancestors. In addition, many people whose ancestors were immigrants from Ireland, Great Britain and France also live in the Lone Star State. African Americans are mostly found in parts of the state that had many cotton plantations before the Civil War. Also in Dallas and Houston is home to many African Americans.
The main religion in Texas is Roman Catholic. There are also many Baptists and Methodists and other Protestant denominations, especially in the east, north and central Texas, where many descendants of Irish and British live.
The 10 Biggest Cities of Texas
- Houston (2,099,451)
- San Antonio (1,327,407)
- Dallas (1,197,816)
- Austin (790,390)
- Fort Worth (741,206)
- El Paso (649,121)
- Arlington (365,438)
- Corpus Christi (305.215)
- Plano (259,841)
- Laredo (176,576)
Figures from the 2010 US Census.
