we all know the names of all of the states. We know some famous people that came from each one of them. We talked already about the state’s signature dish, dessert, and even a pie.
But today lets learn some crazy fun and unbelievable facts about each one of the States of America.
Alabama
The only state whose official drink is an alcoholic beverage (Conecuh Ridge Alabama Fine Whiskey, originally distilled by legendary moonshiner Clyde May).
There’s a store in Alabama that sells unclaimed baggage.
Alaska
The state is known for fishing, mining, and oil, but its latest industry is peonies. Peony farms blossomed from zero in 2000 to more than 200 in 2014 and currently, they grow around 1.5 million stems a year. These are the most important photos taken in every state.
The produce is bigger than you. Thanks to the state’s summer sun (delivering sunlight as much as 20 hours a day), produce here can grow to be huge
The longest coastline in the U.S., 6,640 miles, greater than that of all other states combined
Arizona
The state that produces enough cotton each year to make two T-shirts for every American (that’s 599 million tees).
The native saguaro cactus is one of the things we most associate with Arizona, but they also take a really long time to grow, so laws have been put on the books prohibiting the removal of the spiny flora. Cutting them down, even on your own property, can result in a substantial fine or even jail time.
The bolo tie is the official state neckwear of Arizona.
Arkansas
The largest diamonds ever found in the United States came from this state, including an 8.52-carat Esperanza gem discovered in July 2015 with an estimated value of $1 million. The largest rock found in Arkansas Crater of Diamonds State Park (and in the U.S.) was the 40.23 carat Uncle Sam, discovered in 1924.
15 meteorites have been discovered in Arkansas.
At Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park, tourists can dig through fields maintained by the park and are allowed to keep any diamonds they discover. The park also offers a complimentary identification and registration of the gems.
California
If it were a country, it would have the eighth-largest economy in the world, beating out Italy, Russia, and India.
Burying the dead has been illegal in San Francisco since 1901. Because space was limited and real estate at a premium even back then, the city outlawed burials and moved all cemeteries to neighboring Colma, CA. Currently, the dead in that city outnumber the living by a ratio of 1,000 to 1.
Both the highest and lowest points in the contiguous United States can be found in California; the majestic peak of Mt. Whitney soars to almost 14,500 feet high and the Badwater Basin in Death Valley is 282 feet below sea level. Amazingly, the two are only about 88 miles apart as the crow flies.
Colorado
Although Congress intended the state to be a perfect rectangle, its surveyors wandered a bit off course. A tiny kink in the western border disqualified it from rectangle purity.
It’s the only state in U.S. history to turn down the Olympics. Usually, cities beg, borrow, and build a variety of venues to get one of the highest-profile events in the world to take place in their backyard. But in 1976, when the Olympic Committee awarded the Games to Denver, the city said, “thanks but no thanks.”
There has never been a US president or vice president born in Colorado.
Connecticut
The first phone book was published in New Haven in February 1878, containing just 50 names. Similarly, Connecticut’s Hartford Courant is the country’s oldest continuously published paper.
is illegal in Connecticut to sell pickles that do not bounce.
It’s the birthplace of the hamburger. In New Haven, the spot known as Louis’ Lunch served the first hamburger in 1900. According to legend, when a customer asked if the meat they ordered could be served to go, owner Louis Lassen popped the dining spot’s “ground steak trimmings” between a pair of bread slices, and the “hamburger sandwich” was born.
“Yankee Doodle,” the state song, is believed to have been penned in derision by the British about Connecticut volunteers in the French and Indian War.
Delaware
The state with the most generous laws regarding company ownership has been the model for Cayman Islands and other offshore tax havens. Here’s what the welcome sign from every state in America looks like.
Chickens outnumber people 200-to-1 in Delaware.
Bob Marley lived in Delaware from 1965 to 1977, working for the Dupont Company and at Newark’s Chrysler assembly plant as he saved money to start a record company and return to Jamaica (his song “Night Shift” is believed to refer to this period).
Florida
The remains of an 8,000-year-old human civilization were found buried in a peat bog here. The bodies were so well preserved that human brain tissue was found in a woman’s skull with her DNA still intact.
Florida is the Psychic Capital of the World: Cassadaga. This tiny town, about a half-hour from Orlando, is home to many mediums, psychics and healers. Shops selling crystals and tarot cards line streets named Spiritualist Street and Mediumship Way.
Florida’s Everglades National Park is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles coexist. You can tell the difference since the crocodile has lighter skin and a narrower snout, while the alligator rocks dark skin and a broader snout—but you might not want to get close enough to determine these differences for either.
Georgia
Coca-Cola’s logo might be recognized by 94% of the world’s population, but this famous soda was invented in Georgia by Dr. John Pemberton of Atlanta in 1886.
There were four other state capitals before Atlanta. They were : Savannah, Augusta, Louisville, and Milledgeville
There are 71 streets in Atlanta that have some variant of “Peachtree” in their name. Many people assume this is due to Georgia’s reputation as “The Peach State.” But some historians believe the word is actually a reference to a Creek Indian settlement near Atlanta, “Standing Pitch Tree.”
Hawaii
The only state covered entirely by its own time zone, Hawaii-Aleutian, also doesn’t observe daylight saving.
Hawaiians LOVE Spam! They have an entire food festival dedicated to Spam, it may not shock you to know that Hawaiians eat more of this canned meat product than any other state in America. How much do Hawaiians eat? About 7 million cans annually, according to the company.
The Hawaiian language, ʻŌlelo HawaiʻI, consists of just 13 letters (five vowels and eight consonants). It has four rules: all words end in a vowel, every consonant is followed by at least one vowel, and every syllable ends in a vowel. So, yeah, Hawaiians love vowels.
Idaho
Boise celebrates the New Year by dropping a 16-foot-tall steel-and-foam potato in the state capital. Every year, thousands of “spec-taters” gather to watch. Itching to travel? Check out the best-hidden gem in every state.
At 7,993 feet deep, the Snake River in Hells Canyon is the deepest river gorge in North America.
Idaho drinks more wine per person than any other state in the country.
Illinois
In 1887, engineers began to reverse the flow of the Chicago River to stop pollution from contaminating the city’s water supply. The reversal was complete in 1900.
Abraham Lincoln’s first public office was as postmaster of New Salem, where he served from May 7th, 1833 until May 30th, 1836, when the post office was relocated to Petersburg.
The name Illinois originates from an Algonquin Indian word with several translations, such as “warriors,” “tribe of superior men,” and “best people.”
Indiana
At 8 p.m. on March 31, 1880, Wabash became the first city in the world to be lit by electricity—via four “Brush lights,” invented by Clevelander Charles F. Brush. Here’s the best beach in every state.
It’s the world’s popcorn capital. Indiana produces more than 20 percent of the country’s popcorn supply, with almost half of all the state’s cropland used for corn. In 2014, the state’s farmers planted more than 91,000 acres of corn for popcorn.
Santa Claus, Indiana receives “tens of thousands of letters” to Santa every Christmas season, and up to 25,000 receive responses from the employees/elves at the Santa Claus Museum & Village.
Iowa
About 10,000 years ago, there were giant sloths in Iowa. These giant sloths grew to be up to 17 feet tall and weighed a whopping five tons. They can now be found on exhibit at the Museum of Natural History at the University of Iowa.
Iowa is home to a third of the nation’s hogs, with more than 22 million being raised at a time. Pigs outnumber the human population in Iowa about 7-to-1.
The ancient creatures were once abundant in this region, and areas like Mahaska County have turned up a number of the creature’s remnants, with a number of digs underway.
Kansas
Pizza Hut was actually born in Kansas. Two brothers opened the very first Pizza Hut in downtown Wichita in 1958 after borrowing $600 from their mother. They decided on “Pizza Hut” because the sign had room for only eight letters.
Helium was detected for the first time on Earth, in 1903, in Dexter’s Hugoton Gas Field, now the largest helium reserve in the nation.
Lebanon, Kansas is home to the Geographical Center of the United States.
Kentucky
Underground vaults at Fort Knox hold one of the largest stockpiles of gold in the country. Not many people have seen the stash, though—and some even question whether the 27.5-pound bars, worth $6 billion, truly exist.
There are more barrels of bourbon than people in Kentucky. There are approximately 6.7 million barrels of bourbon in the state compared to a population of around 4.4 million people.
Kentucky was originally a county of Virginia, established in 1776. But as the citizens of the western part of the state became frustrated that their state capital was so far off, in the city of Richmond, they petitioned for statehood, becoming America’s 15th state in 1792.
Louisiana
Louisiana is home to the longest continuous bridge over a body of water in the world. The Second Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is nearly 24 miles long and connects the towns of Metairie (just outside New Orleans) and Mandeville.
Louisiana is named after King Louis XIV of France.
The turducken was invented here. Louisiana chef Paul Prudhomme popularized the meat mega-dish in his 1987 cookbook. the idea of stuffing a chicken into a duck into a turkey. we have Louisiana to thank.
Maine
Maine has more than 4,600 islands, only a few of which are inhabited.
Most of horror writer Stephen King’s books are set in Maine. A native Mainer, King has set novels like Pet Sematary, It, and Salem’s Lot in small Maine towns. He wrote his first novel, Carrie, while working as a teacher in Bangor, Maine.
Until 2003, Strong, Maine, was known as the “Toothpick Capital of the World.” At one point, 95 percent of all wooden toothpicks produced in the U.S. were made in Strong.
Maryland
The, judges in the Maryland Court of Appeals wear red or scarlet. The fashion choice derives from a connection to English Common Law.
The Maryland Gazette founded in 1727 is the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States.
Maryland gets its name from Queen Henrietta Maria of England. Her husband, George Calvert created the colony.
Massachusetts
Webster Lake in Massachusetts has another name: Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg. The name dates from when it was a gathering place for the local Nipmuck tribe, and it generally means “Fishing Place at the Boundary.”
Snoring, “unless all bedroom windows are closed and securely locked,” is prohibited in this state by an old law still technically on the books.
There’s long been a rumor going around that claims Fig Newton cookies were named after Sir Isaac Newton. It’s not true, however. Fig Newtons are named after the town of Newton, Massachusetts.
Michigan
Michigan is the only two-part state in the country. It is made up of two peninsulas — the Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula — with the Straits of Mackinac separating the two.
The nineteen chandeliers in the Capitol in Lansing are one of a kind and designed especially for the building by Tiffany’s of New York. Weighing between eight and nine hundred pounds apiece they are composed of copper, iron, and pewter.
One of the weirdest laws in Michigan is a law declaring that a woman is not allowed to cut her own hair unless her husband tells her that she is allowed.
Minnesota
Minnesota is home to many inventions that you probably use. This includes scotch tape, pop-up toasters, water skis, in-the-ear hearing aids, and grocery bags with handles.
It’s home to an actual “tri-flowing” river. This state’s waters flow in three different directions: south to the Gulf of Mexico, north to the Hudson Bay in Canada, and east towards the Atlantic Ocean.
Minnesota has the largest number of Lutherans in the country.
Mississippi
This state has more churches per capita than any other state in the union. That makes sense since the citizens of Mississippi also go to church the most. 63% of residents say they attend weekly or almost every week.
Biloxi is the birthplace of root beer. Edward Adolf Barq, Sr. invented the iconic soda, which he bottled and sold in 1871.
A group of slaves who lived in Mississippi and were freed by their master in 1834 returned to Africa and created the present-day state of Liberia.
Missouri
Missouri is home to the deadliest tornado in U.S. history—the Tri-State tornado of March 18, 1925, which killed 695 people and injured 2,027
One of Missouri’s many state nicknames is the Cave State. It’s home to more than 6,300 recorded caves. There are three show caves open for public tours in the state park system
Missouri’s St. Louis Arch is the country’s tallest monument. According to the National Park Service, the Gateway Arch is 630 feet tall.
Montana
The temperature in Loma once climbed from -54 degrees F to 49 degrees within 24 hours—the largest one-day hike ever recorded.
The name Montana originated from the Spanish term “montaña”. Although it translates to “mountain” or “mountainous region”, Montana only has an average elevation of 3,400 feet. It is the lowest of all the Rocky Mountain states.
The Montana Yogo Sapphire is the only North American gem to be included in the Crown Jewels of England.
Nebraska
Malcolm X (one of the greatest and most influential African Americans in history) was born in Omaha, Nebraska in May, 1925.
The Reuben Sandwich Originated There. Swiss cheese, corned beef, Russian dressing and sauerkraut. Reuben Kulakofsky, a grocer from Lithuania who lived in Omaha, reportedly invented the sandwich sometime between 1920 and 1935.
Kool Aid was Invented here. Edwin Perkins developed the Kool Aid juice drink in 1927. He converted his ‘Fruit Smack’ syrup into powdered Kool Aid
Nevada
Nevada is the greatest gold-producing state in the United States—Goldstrike mine has reserves of over 8.1 million ounces, with annual yields of close to 950,000 ounces.
It’s the national capital of nuclear testing. This state may be the nuclear capital of the country, with 928 nuclear tests conducted at the Nevada Test Site between 1951 and 1992 (just over 60 miles from Las Vegas).
The Hoover Dam is one of Nevada’s most famous tourist attractions. To this day it is the largest single public works project in U.S. history. It contains over 3.25 million cubic yards of concrete
New Hampshire
The state is nicknamed “The Granite State” because granite from the state was supplied for building structures mainly in Boston and Washington D.C., and many other small towns.
It’s home to (possibly!) the oldest man-made construction in America. A 4,000-year-old complex known as America’s Stonehenge serves as an astronomical calendar and includes inscriptions in Ogham, Phoenician, and Iberian Punic Script
In 1776, New Hampshire became the first colony to create a constitution and declare its independence from Great Britain.
New Jersey
New Jersey has the most diners in the world and is often referred to as the “Diner Capital of the World.”
The Atlantic City boardwalk isn’t only the longest in the world (at six miles), but it’s also the oldest, having been constructed in 1870.
The Holland Tunnel, which connects New York with New Jersey and plunges to depths of up to 93 feet below the Hudson River, was opened in 1927 and became the world’s first mechanically ventilated underwater tunnel!
New Mexico
According to New Mexico state law, “idiots” are not allowed to vote. The statute doesn’t give a clear definition of who fits that description.
The capital is sky high. This state’s capital, Santa Fe, is the highest capital in the country—sitting at 7,000 square feet above sea level (the highest city in the world belongs to Colorado, whose Leadville is 10,200 feet in altitude).
Albuquerque has more than 300 local hot air balloons, making it the hot air balloon capital of America with more than any other city.
New York
Twice a year, the setting sun aligns perfectly with the Manhattan street grid, illuminating the borough’s east-west streets with an orange glow.
More than 800 languages are spoken in New York City, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world. …
You’re 10 times more likely to be bitten by a New Yorker than a shark.
North Carolina
The Biltmore Estate, in Asheville, is the largest privately-owned home in the country, with more than four acres of floor space and 250 rooms (including 35 bedrooms and 43 bathrooms)
North Carolina produces the most sweet potatoes out of all the 50 states.
North Carolina is home to a bald cypress tree that is “at least 2,624 years old,” according to Smithsonian Magazine.
North Dakota
Is a home to some of the harshest winters and hottest summers, in 1936, locals saw temperature records on both ends at -60°F in February and 121°F in July.
One of the quirkiest sports in North Dakota is lawn mower racing. By the time mowers are customized, they can reach speeds of 60 mph, compared to the 5 mph they might do in the backyard.
North Dakota produces enough beef to make 2 billion hamburgers each year, and enough wheat to make bread for 108 million buns.
Ohio
The state takes its name from the Ohio River. Ohio originated from the Iroquois word ohi-yo’, which means “great river.” Ohio has over 40,000 miles of waterways.
W.F. Semple of Mount Vernon patented chewing gum in 1869.
Ohio’s state flag is not a rectangle like other flags—it’s a pennant design, and it’s the only state flag in the United States with that design.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma has an official state meal which includes barbecued pork, chicken fried steak, sausages and gravy, fried okra, grits and squash.
Greenwood is a historic freedom colony in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As one of the most prominent concentrations of African-American businesses in the United States during the early 20th century, it was popularly known as America’s “Black Wall Street”.
Oklahoma has produced more astronauts than any other state.
Oregon
At 329 feet the Coast Douglas-Fir in Oregon is considered the tallest tree in the state.
Pirates’ Treasure. There is a legend that has been passed on over decades that lays credence to hidden bounty in the Neahkahnie Mountains in Oregon.
Oregon is the only state to have an official state nut, the hazelnut. Oregon produces 99 % of the U.S.’s commercial crop of hazelnuts!
Pennsylvania
This state’s name is spelled Pennsylvania on the Liberty Bell. The Constitution uses one n in one section and two n’s in another.
The first department store in the U.S. was located in Philadelphia. It was called Wanamaker’s.
Pennsylvania has the highest Amish population in the world.
Rhode Island
Erected in 1676, Nine Men’s Misery monument in Cumberland, which honors the colonists lost during King Philip’s War, is the oldest known monument to veterans in the country.
The White Horse Tavern in Newport is the oldest operating restaurant in the United States and the 10th oldest in the world.
Rhode Island holds the title as the smallest state in the US
South Carolina
The Angel Oak Tree, located near Charleston, is estimated to be one of the oldest living things in the country. It produces a shadow that covers about 17,000 square feet.
It’s home to an insane amount of monkeys. This state’s Morgan Island is also often referred to as Monkey Island, considering it houses 4,000 rhesus monkeys, which are bred on this land mass in order to serve for medical testing
Summerville is the birthplace of sweet tea. They have a ‘Sweet Tea Trail’ that guides you through all things sweet tea and southern hospitality.
South Dakota
The USS South Dakota (a.k.a. Battleship X) was one of the most decorated battleships in U.S. history, seeing action in every major naval battle during World War II from 1942-1945.
South Dakota is known by the nickname “The Mount Rushmore State”, after its most famous attraction, the carvings of four presidents’ faces on Mount Rushmore.
South Dakota has some old laws that will leave you scratching your head in wonder. For instance, it’s against the law for horses to go into fountains unless they’re wearing pants.
Tennessee
Of all Southern states, Tennessee provided the most soldiers to the Union. Actually, Tennessee provided more soldiers to the Union than all Confederate states combined. Around 31,000 Tennesseans joined the federal forces, according to the state encyclopedia.
Elvis Presley’s (the “King of Rock and Roll”) house, Graceland, Tennessee is the second most visited house museum in the U.S. after the White House.
Tennessee aquarium is home to the largest freshwater aquarium in the entire world, with over 7,000 animals housed in the entire complex.
Texas
The phrase “Don’t mess with Texas” originated in 1985 as the slogan for a campaign meant to combat littering. It has gone on to be a very famous line within the state and even appears on the crest of the USS Texas submarine.
Dr Pepper was invented in Texas in 1885.The recipe is a secret and is kept in two halves in safety deposit boxes located in two different Dallas banks.
The largest known bat colony in North America is located in Texas. Located in Bracken Cave, the largest known North American bat colony has over 20 million bats,
Utah
The Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry holds the highest concentration of Jurassic-era remains ever found. More than 12,000 dinosaur bones (and one egg!) have been excavated since the 1920s.
It’s home to lots of big fans of Jell-O. That jiggly dessert voted “most likely to remain uneaten” at any holiday gathering? Well, don’t speak ill of it in Utah. In fact, Salt Lake City buys more Jell-O per capita than any other place in the United States.
Loftus International, a family-run novelty company in Salt Lake City, sells between 10,000 and 20,000 rubber chickens each year.
Vermont
Vermont’s capital, Montpelier, is the smallest capital in the country by population, with only about 8,000 residents. Even more shocking is that it is the only capital city in the U.S. that does not have a McDonald’s
Vermont produced a record 1.9 million gallons of maple syrup in 2019, more than double any other state.
The state is home to the world’s largest underground quarry of marble.
Virginia
Virginia is home to the largest office building in the world – the Pentagon. The Pentagon serves as the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense including all three military services—Army, Navy, and Air Force.
“Virginia Is For Lovers” is one of the most well-known tourism campaigns ever. It was created by David N. Martin and George Woltz of Martin and Woltz Inc. in 1968.
8 Presidents Have Been Born On Virginian Soil. More presidents have been born in Virginia than in any other state: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, William Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, Woodrow Wilson.
Washington
The world’s largest building by volume—Boeing’s final assembly factory in Everett—spans 98.3 acres and 472 million cubic feet. Seventy-five football fields could fit inside. At least Washington isn’t on the list of states with the most dangerous drivers.
Washington produces six out of every 10 apples consumed in the US.
This state has more glaciers than the other 47 continuous states combined. Of course, its 449 square kilometers of glaciers are not so impressive when put beside Alaska’s 90,000 square kilometers,
West Virginia
West Virginia is the third most forested state. In fact, the Monongahela National Forest covers nearly a million acres of land and spans across 10 counties.
West Virginia is the only state in the Union to have acquired its sovereignty by the proclamation of the President of the United States.
Located in the Appalachian region, West Virginia has some of the most rugged lands in the country. The state’s rolling mountains, hills, and valleys earned it the nickname of The Mountain State,
Wisconsin
Sheboygan (a.k.a. the Malibu of the Midwest) has the best freshwater waves in the country. Hundreds of surfers swarm to the annual Corona Dairyland Surf Classic on Labor Day weekend.
The largest wooly mammoth ever excavated was found in Kenosha, and a replica can be viewed at the Milwaukee Public Museum.
A common nickname for Wisconsin is “The Badger State”. Not only does the animal thrive there, but early miners in the state dug holes in the ground to live in, just like badgers do.
Wyoming
There are only two sets of escalators in the entire state.
Two of the world’s biggest coal mines are in Wyoming. The Black Thunder coal mine and North Antelope Rochelle are two of the world’s biggest coal mines. Coal is a huge business in the Equality State. Approximately, 40% of the United States’ coal supply comes from this state.
About 94% of Wyomingites use the English language as the primary spoken language. It is followed by Spanish, German, French, Russian, Tagalog, Algonquian, and Greek. While the most dominant religions are Protestants (50%), followed by Catholics, Mormons, and Jewish.
