\”Texas, despite being one of the most populous states in the U.S., has a relatively conservative stance on cannabis. Recreational cannabis is illegal, and possession of even small amounts can result in harsh penalties, including jail time. However, Texas has made some strides in cannabis reform in recent years. In 2015, the state passed the Compassionate Use Act, which allows patients with intractable epilepsy to access low-THC cannabis oil (containing less than 0.5% THC). The program has since been expanded to include patients with other qualifying conditions, such as multiple sclerosis and terminal cancer.
Despite these steps, Texas remains behind many other states when it comes to cannabis legalization. Efforts to decriminalize cannabis and create a broader medical cannabis program have gained support in recent years, particularly in urban areas like Austin, where voters decriminalized small amounts of cannabis in 2021. As public opinion continues to shift, advocates in Texas remain hopeful that broader reform is on the horizon.\”
Texas | |
|---|---|
| Nickname: The Lone Star State | |
| Motto: Friendship | |
| Anthem: "Texas, Our Texas" | |
 Location of Texas within the United States | |
| Country | United States |
| Before statehood | Republic of Texas |
| Admitted to the Union | December 29, 1845 (28th) |
| Capital | Austin |
| Largest city | Houston |
| Largest county or equivalent | Harris |
| Largest metro and urban areas | Dallas–Fort Worth |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Greg Abbott (R) |
| • Lieutenant Governor | Dan Patrick (R) |
| Legislature | Texas Legislature |
| • Upper house | Senate |
| • Lower house | House of Representatives |
| Judiciary | Supreme Court of Texas (Civil) Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (Criminal) |
| U.S. senators | John Cornyn (R) Ted Cruz (R) |
| U.S. House delegation | 24 Republicans 13 Democrats 1 vacant (list) |
| Area | |
• Total | 268,597 sq mi (695,662 km2) |
| • Land | 261,232 sq mi (676,587 km2) |
| • Water | 7,365 sq mi (19,075 km2) 2.7% |
| • Rank | 2nd |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 801 mi (1,289 km) |
| • Width | 773 mi (1,244 km) |
| Elevation | 1,710 ft (520 m) |
| Highest elevation | 8,751 ft (2,667.4 m) |
| Lowest elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| Population (est. 2025) | |
• Total |  31,709,821 |
| • Rank | 2nd |
| • Density | 111/sq mi (42.9/km2) |
| • Rank | 23rd |
| • Median household income |  $75,800 (2023) |
| • Income rank | 23rd |
| Demonym(s) | Texan Texian (archaic) Tejano (usually only used for Hispanics) |
| Language | |
| • Official language | None |
| • Spoken language | |
| Time zones | |
| Majority of state | UTC−06:00 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−05:00 (CDT) |
| El Paso, Hudspeth, and northwestern Culberson counties | UTC−07:00 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00 (MDT) |
| USPS abbreviation | TX |
| ISO 3166 code | US-TX |
| Traditional abbreviation | Tex. |
| Latitude | 25°50′ N to 36°30′ N |
| Longitude | 93°31′ W to 106°39′ W |
| Website | texas |
| List of state symbols | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
 | |
| Slogan | The Friendly State |
| Living insignia | |
| Bird | Northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) |
| Fish | Guadalupe bass (Micropterus treculii) |
| Flower | Bluebonnet (Lupinus spp., namely Texas bluebonnet, L. texensis) |
| Insect | Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) |
| Mammal | Texas longhorn, Mexican long-nosed armadillo (Dasypus mexicanus) |
| Mushroom | Texas star (Chorioactis geaster) |
| Reptile | Texas horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) |
| Tree | Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) |
| Inanimate insignia | |
| Food | Chili |
| Game | Texas 42 dominoes |
| Instrument | Guitar |
| Shell | Lightning whelk (Busycon perversum pulleyi) |
| Ship | USS Texas |
| Soil | Houston Black |
| Sport | Rodeo |
| Other | Molecule: Buckyball (For more, see article) |
| State route marker | |
 | |
| State quarter | |
 Released in 2004 | |
| Lists of United States state symbols | |
Texas (/ˈtɛksəs/ ⓘ TEK-səss) is the most populous state in the Southern United States. It borders the American states of Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, and New Mexico to the west. To the south and southwest, it has an international border with the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas, which is a natural boundary formed by the Rio Grande River. Texas has a coastline on the Gulf of Mexico to the southeast. Covering 268,596 square miles (695,660 km2) and having an estimated population of 31.7 million residents in 2025, it is the second-largest U.S. state both by area and by population. Texas is nicknamed the "Lone Star State" for the single star on its flag, symbolic of its former status as an independent country, the Republic of Texas.
Spain was the first European country to claim and control Texas. Following a brief period of French colonization, the territory became part of Mexico after its independence from Spain in 1821. Increasing tensions between settlers and the Mexican government culminated in the Texas Revolution, which included the Battle of the Alamo, and led to the establishment of the independent Republic of Texas in 1836. In 1845, Texas joined the United States as the 28th state. The state's annexation contributed to the Mexican–American War in 1846. Texas remained a slave state until the American Civil War, during which it seceded from the Union in 1861 and joined the Confederate States. After the war and the restoration of its representation in the federal government, Texas entered a prolonged period of economic stagnation.
The economy of Texas (prior to World War II) has been shaped by bison, cattle, cotton, oil, and timber industries. The cattle industry was a major economic driver and created the traditional image of the Texas cowboy. In the later 19th century, cotton and lumber grew to be major industries as the cattle industry became less lucrative. Ultimately, the discovery of major petroleum deposits (Spindletop in particular) initiated an economic boom that became the driving force behind the economy for much of the 20th century. Texas developed a diversified economy and high tech industry during the mid-20th century. As of 2024[update], it has the second-highest number (52) of Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the United States. With a growing base of industry, the state leads in many industries, including tourism, agriculture, petrochemicals, energy, computers and electronics, aerospace, and biomedical sciences. Texas has led the U.S. in state export revenue since 2002 and has the second-highest gross state product. Texas consistently ranks highly among national averages for business growth, job creation, and economic opportunity with low taxes and a regulatory environment that encourages innovation.
The Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and Greater Houston areas are the nation's fourth and fifth-most populous urban regions respectively. Its capital city is Austin. Due to its size and geologic features such as the Balcones Fault, Texas contains diverse landscapes common to both the U.S. Southern and the Southwestern regions. Most population centers are in areas of former prairies, grasslands, forests, and the coastline. Traveling from east to west, terrain ranges from coastal swamps and piney woods, to rolling plains and rugged hills, to the desert and mountains of the Big Bend.
English
Etymology
From the practice of naming cabins after US states, the state of Texas having been recently admitted to the Union.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈtɛk.səs/
- (locally also) IPA(key): /ˈtɛk.sɪs/, /ˈtɛk.sɪz/
- Homophone: Texas
- Rhymes: -ɛksəs, -ɛksɪs
- Hyphenation: tex‧as
Noun
texas (plural texases)
- The topmost cabin deck on a steamboat.
- 1866, New Albany Ledger, October 6 (describing the steamboat Robert E. Lee)
- She has sixty one staterooms in the main cabin, twenty four extra rooms in the texas for passengers, a nursery for
- 1866, New Albany Ledger, October 6 (describing the steamboat Robert E. Lee)