Texas is a vast state. No one will argue with that. It’s probably the first state anyone can identify while looking at the map of the United States – it’s so big that it’s hard to miss.
Factually speaking, Texas is the second-largest state in the United States (the first one is Alaska), with an area of 268,597 square miles or 171,902,080 acres. This state is 60% larger than California, the third largest state.
Why is Texas a lot bigger than most states? Back then, New Union states were created by subdividing territories. When it joined the Union, Texas was already a large independent state and wasn’t divided up. At one point, Texas even covered some parts of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Texas.
The Vastness of Texas
Texas isn’t just big; it’s mind-bogglingly huge. Covering 268,596 square miles, it’s the second-largest state in the US, trailing only Alaska. When you drive from Texhoma to Brownsville, you’ll cover 805 miles—longer than a trip from New York City to Chicago. Texas’s sheer size encompasses diverse landscapes, from the rolling plains of the Panhandle to the dense forests of East Texas, offering an array of experiences unlike any other state.
There’s a whole lot of Texas sitting between Orange and El Paso, and anyone who has taken a long trip through the Lone Star State could tell you. To give you an idea of how big Texas is, check out these fascinating facts:
1. 15 of the smallest states in the US can fit within Texas.
Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky, South Carolina, Maine, Vermont, Maryland, West Virginia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Hawaii, Delaware, and Rhode Island – put them all together, and they can all fit inside Texas!
2. Every state, except Alaska, can fit in the size of Texas.
California can fit into Texas about 1.6 times. Rhode Island – the smallest state – can fit into the Lone Star State about 221 times.
3. Texas could be the 40th largest country, if ever.
If Texas was its own country, it would be the 40th largest out of the 193 countries in the world. Texas is even bigger than any European country.
4. You could start a road trip at one end of Texas and still be in Texas after 12 hours of driving!
The drive from the north to south of Texas is 805 miles, which would take 13 hours. You would start in Texhoma, a town that sits on the border of Oklahoma and Texas, then all the way down to Brownsville, the southernmost city located at the tip of the state. When you drive this long in Europe, you could cross multiple countries already!
From east to west, the drive across Texas is about 773 miles, and it takes around 11 hours and 15 minutes to drive, plus an additional hour or two for stops. Starting from El Paso, you would drive east on I-10 to I-20, which is about 160 miles. Then, you would take I-20 through Odessa to Waskom, one of the farthest east cities before the Texas-Louisiana border.
5. All the people in the world can fit in Texas.
The world population of about 8 billion can fit in the entire state of Texas, assuming it has the same population density as New York City of 27,000 per square mile. However, it’s one thing to fit, but it’s an entirely different thing to thrive in this kind of space. What we’re saying is that it is possible that, at one point, everybody can stand inside the Texas borders.
6. 10 European countries can fit inside Texas.
Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Belgium, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Macedonia, and Hungary would all fit inside Texas. That’s 10 European countries fitting inside the Lone Star State.
7. England is too small compared to Texas.
England is less than one-fifth the size of Texas in land area. The country’s capital and most populous city, London, is smaller than the land area of Houston.
8. France can still fit inside Texas.
France is about the same size as Texas, but the state is still larger. You can comfortably stuff Switzerland inside it like an accessory. Paris has a land area of 40.7 miles, which is about the same size as Galveston.
9. Texas is larger than some Asian countries.
Even in the East, Texas can still outrank some countries when it comes to size. Iraq can fit inside Texas about 1.5 times. A large part of Vietnam fits snugly along the stretch from Texarkana to Corpus Christi. Texas is also twice as big as the island nation of Japan.
10. El Paso is too far from other parts of Texas.
Austin, Texas is closer to New Orleans than it is to El Paso. San Diego, California, is closer to El Paso than Houston is. Houston to New York City is roughly about a 1,416-mile drive – it’s like driving from Houston to El Paso and back.
11. Driving from New York to Washington, DC. It is almost as long as Dallas to Houston.
The distance between New York and Washington, D.C., is about 228 miles, or equivalent to a four-hour drive. Meanwhile, the distance from Dallas to Houston is about 230 miles or a little over four hours of driving.
12. Texas spans two time zones.
Just like the huge country of Australia, Texas spans two time zones. Most of the state observes Central Time, while three countries in the West region – El Paso, Hudspeth, and some parts of Culberson County – follow Mountain Time.
13. How many football fields can fit inside Texas?
Football fields are ginormous, but still, you need over 25 million of them to be as huge as Texas.
14. How about its coastline?
The coastline of Texas along the Gulf of Mexico is longer than the entire coastline of Peru.
Conclusion
So, how big is Texas really? It’s so vast that you could drive all day and still be within its borders, encounter diverse landscapes that feel like different worlds, and fit several European countries inside it with room to spare.
From its rolling plains to its bustling cities, Texas truly embodies the saying, “Everything’s bigger in Texas.” If you’re ever in Texas, try to hit the road within its borders and experience the grandeur of Texas for yourself!