Texas: State Flag, Bird and Facts
The northern mockingbird is the state bird of Texas, the bluebonnet is its state flower, and the pecan is its state tree.
- Capital
- Austin
- Nickname
- The Lone Star State
- State bird
- Northern mockingbird
- State flower
- Bluebonnet
- State tree
- Pecan
- Admitted
- December 29, 1845
- Population
- 29,145,505 (2020 census)
- Motto
- Friendship
- Region
- South
- Area
- 696,241 km² (268,820 sq mi)
- Highest point
- Guadalupe Peak (8,751 ft)
- Borders
- Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma
About Texas
Texas ranks second among the states in both area and population, with over 31.7 million people estimated in 2025. It shares a border with Mexico along the Rio Grande, touches Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico, and has a long Gulf of Mexico coast. Austin is the capital. Spain claimed it first, the French briefly settled, and it became part of Mexico in 1821.
Rising tension with the Mexican government led to the Texas Revolution and the Battle of the Alamo, and Texas became an independent republic in 1836. It joined the United States in 1845 as the 28th state. The Lone Star Flag once flew over that republic, which makes it one of only two state flags that served a country, along with Hawaii's. Its single star gave the state its nickname.
Did you know?
- Guadalupe Peak is the highest point in Texas at 8,751 feet.
- A 2001 survey of flag experts ranked the Texas flag second, behind only New Mexico.
- The lone star design first flew in 1819 during the Long Expedition.
Questions about Texas
Why is Texas called the Lone Star State?
The name comes from the single star on the flag of the Republic of Texas in 1836.
When did Texas become a state?
Texas was admitted as the 28th state on December 29, 1845.
Sources
- Wikidata Q1439, checked October 8, 2026
- Wikipedia: Texas, checked October 8, 2026
- Wikipedia: Flag of Texas, checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.