Did You Know? Probably Not...
Everyone knows that South Dakota has Mount Rushmore, Alaska is the coldest state, and the first Starbucks was in Seattle, Washington. Those are regular facts we all know. But what about the most bizarre facts about each state that most people don't know? Those are the ones we wanted to talk about here...
A Strange Store In Alabama
Did you know that an airline owns all lost and unclaimed luggage after a 90-day search period? It is after that 90-day period that the Unclaimed Baggage Center (UBC) in Scottsboro, Alabama jumps in, buys the bags from the airlines, and puts the contents up for sale in their 40,000-square-foot (3,716sqm) warehouse.
A 138-Pound Alaskan Cabbage
But it's not just the huge cabbage. There must be something in the fresh Alaskan air (and the 20 hours of daylight in the summers), because the state has grown a number of Guinness World Record-setting veggies—from that cabbage to a 35-pound broccoli and a 2,147-pound pumpkin.
Beware Of Cacti In Arizona
Yes, a cactus can hurt you if you aren't careful, but in Arizona, the saguaro cactus can get you sent to prison. You see, the saguaro is very much a part of Arizona—so much so that its blossom is the state flower. With that in mind, and the fact that these cacti take a really long time to grow, the state has implemented strict laws against cutting them down. Doing so could—in the most extreme case—result in actual jail time.
Tyrv, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Diamond State: Arkansas
Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas is the only operational diamond mine in the country—it's also where the most expensive diamond ever discovered in the US was found (8.52 carats, worth $1 Million). But that's not all. This is also the only diamond mine in the world that lets the public come in and hunt for diamonds themselves (and you can keep what you find).
Gryffindor, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
California Ghost Towns
The Golden State is home to over 100 ghost towns—with one of the most famous being Bodie, a town that was once home to over 10,000 people, but was left totally abandoned in 1942. According to photographer Dennis Ariza, the town looked like "people were abducted by aliens" with homework still on desks in the school and "food on the table and pots on the stove"
Lyght, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Colorado "Cheeseburger"
We're not going to tell you that the cheeseburger was invented in Colorado. In fact, where said burger was invented is a hotly debated topic. However, what isn't debatable is where the term "cheeseburger" was coined. It was trademarked by Louis Ballast of Denver's Humpty Dumpty Drive-In in Denver in 1935.
Connecticut: The First Phonebook
The first phone book printed in the United States was printed in New Haven, Connecticut in 1878. Although, it wasn't much of a "book". Rather, it was just a piece of cardboard with the names of 50 people and businesses who had phones.
Tomasz Sienicki, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Lots Of Chickens In Delaware
The poultry industry is huge in Delaware. According to the USDA, there are upwards of 200 million chickens in the state—while the US Census Bureau estimates the human population to be around 1 million. That's a 200-to-1 chicken to human ratio in the state.
Alligator And Crocodiles In Florida
If you thought that crocodiles and alligators didn't live in the same places—you'd be right... except for the Florida Everglades. Everglades National Park is the one place on Earth where both creatures inhabit the same environment.
Pick A Capital And Stick With It, Georgia
You might know that Atlanta is the capital city of Georgia. However, did you know it's the fifth city in the state to have said designation? Georgia went through Savannah, Augusta, Louisville, and Milledgeville prior to making Atlanta the state capital.
Paul Brennan, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Hawaii's Royal Palace
No, the United States doesn't have a king or a queen. But there is one official royal residence in the country—and it's located in Hawaii. The Iolani Palace—home to the 19th-century Hawaiian monarchy—was completed in 1882.
Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Idaho's New Years Potato
Forget about watching the ball drop in Times Square on New Year's Eve—head over to Boise, Idaho to watch the giant glowing potato drop as the clock counts down to midnight.
Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Illinois Pumpkins
Illinois is known as the Land of Lincoln, the Prairie State, and the Inland Empire State. But it turns out we need to also recognize it as the Pumpkin State, or The Land of Pumpkins (we're not sure which one sounds better). Illinois produced 634 million pounds of pumpkins in 2022.
That sounds like a lot—and it is a lot. In fact, it's more than the other top pumpkin producing states (California, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Virginia) combined.
Rodney Campbell, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
No Bare Hand Fishing In Indiana
If you want to catch a fish in Indiana, don't forget your fishing rod. Because it's illegal to catch a fish with your bare hands in the state. You also aren't allowed to fish with a crossbow or dynamite (in case you were wondering).
Lots Of Pigs In Iowa
They aren't Delaware chicken numbers—but with over 23 million pigs in Iowa, the animals outnumber people in the state by a count of 7 to 1.
Kansas' Ball Of Twine
We've all heard about the world's largest ball of twine—but did you know that said ball was in Cawker City, Kansas? A local Cawker City man, Frank Stoeber, started the ball back in 1953 and donated it to the city in 1961. Every August, the town holds a twine-a-thon where residents come and add to the massive creation—which is estimated to contain over 8 million feet of twine at this point.
TigerPaw2154, Wikimedia Commons
Where To Buy Bourbon In Kentucky
Although Kentucky is famous for its Bourbon, you can't actually purchase the stuff everywhere. There are 120 counties across the state and about one-third of them are dry counties (no alcohol sales allowed at all). Then there are the counties in which alcohol is only allowed in certain parts. In all, there are only 32 counties in which alcohol is fully legal.
Studio 9, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Louisiana Got Milk
It might be the land of jazz and Mardi Gras, but when it comes to the official state drink, Louisiana is a lot more wholesome than you might've imagined. Milk has been the official state drink of Louisiana since 1983.
RichardBH, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Maine Desert
The most famous deserts in the world include the Sahara Desert and the Gobi Desert. But what about the Desert of Maine? Yup, the Northeastern New England state has a desert. 20 minutes outside Portland sits the 40-acre Desert of Maine—formed when over-farming depleted the topsoil of essential nutrients. Although, since it does still get precipitation, the Desert of Maine is not a true geological desert.
Bigmacthealmanac, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Marylanders Pay Per Flush
A 2024 Maryland law (known as the Flush Tax) instituted a fee of $30 (now $60) to every resident who owns property with a building on it—regardless of whether they use public water and sewer systems or septic tanks. That's $5 a month to use the toilet.
Webster Lake Massachusetts
What makes Webster Lake in Massachusetts so interesting? Well, the thing is, Webster Lake isn't the name of the lake. It's become known as Webster Lake, though—because it is in the town of Webster and because the real name is Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg. That's not a typo. It is the longest name of any geographic feature in all of the United States.
Michigan Residents Can't Get Away From The Great Lakes
If you live in Michigan and you want to get 86 miles away from all the Great Lakes—well, you will need to leave the state. No matter where you are in Michigan, you will never be more than 85 miles from one of the Great Lakes.
Minnesota's Public Golf Courses
There are 477 golf courses in Minnesota, and 90% of them are open to the public. That's 17% higher than the national average and the highest proportion of public courses of any state in the country.
Lilrizz, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Mississippi Barq's
You might be familiar with Barq's Root Beer—but did you know that it was invented by Edward Barq at the end of the 19th century in Biloxi, Mississippi?
Woodlot, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Missouri Skydive
In 1912, Army Captain Albert Berry completed the first ever successful parachute jump from a moving plane. And it's been on people's bucket lists ever since.
Unknown Artist, Wikimedia Commons
Montana's Temperature Change
Imagine going from -54 degrees Fahrenheit to 49 degrees Fahrenheit in one day. That's what happened in Loma, Montana from January 14-15, 1972. It's the largest temperature change ever in a 24-hour period.
Elkman, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Nebraska Popcorn
Nebraska is known as the Cornhusker State—but they don't just husk corn there, they pop it (or at least produce the corn that is eventually popped). The state is the largest popcorn producer of popcorn—growing more than 300 million pounds of the stuff every year.
Nevada's Wild Horses
There's more to Nevada than just Las Vegas. In fact, were you to leave Vegas and head out to The Virginia Range (between Virginia City and Reno), you might just see one of the 3,000+ wild horses that roam free in the area—which is more than half of the total wild horse population of the entire country.
National Nuclear Security Administration, Wikimedia Commons
New Hampshire In Space
So, the state itself never went into space, but it was the birthplace of the first American to ever travel into space. Alan B Shepard Jr was born in Derry, New Hampshire and completed a suborbital mission on May 5, 1961.
New Jersey's Revolutionary Battles
The New Jersey colony was the crossroads of the American revolutionary war. So much so that there were more than 600 battles and skirmishes fought on New Jersey soil—more than in any other colony during the war.
Internet Archive Book Images, Wikimedia Commons
New Mexico's State Question
New Mexico became the first state with an official state question in 1996. What's the question, you ask? In recognition of the importance of the chili industry in the state, the question is: "Red or Green?"
Fæ, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Empire State Building's Zip Code
There's nothing special about the actual zip code of the Empire State Building—which is 10118. What's interesting is the fact that said zip code only belongs to the Empire State Building. And, in fact, there are 42 buildings in the city of New York that have their own zip codes, including the MetLife Building, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, and the Chrysler Building.
robertpaulyoung, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
North Carolina's Sweet Potatoes
Idaho might be the state most associated with potatoes, but when it comes to sweet potatoes, no state produces more than North Carolina. The state produced about 60% of the country's sweet potatoes and has been number one since 1971.
Llez, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
North Dakota French Fry Feed
Yet another potato fact from another state in the union. This time, we're in North Dakota for the World's Largest French Fry Feed. The event is held every year during Potato Bowl USA (a football game between the two largest potato growing regions in the country)—in 2017, for example, they served 154 pounds of French fries to over 10,000 people.
J. Reed, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Shape Of Ohio's Flag
Flags are shaped like rectangles. Well, most flags are. In fact, 49 of the 50 states have standard rectangular flags. Then there's Ohio with its triangular swallowtail shape (a rectangle with a triangle indent cut off the end). It is the only non-rectangular state flag in the country.
Jeff Kubina, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Oklahoma Made A Lot Of Lakes
There are two kinds of lakes: those made naturally by the environment and those made by people—generally for reasons involving flood control, water supply, and hydroelectric power. Well, Oklahoma has both kinds within its borders but when it comes to man-made lakes, they have more than any other state.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wikimedia Commons
Oregon Hazelnuts
Turkey, Italy, and Oregon—that's the order of the largest producers of hazelnuts on the planet. Oregon on its own grows 99% of America's commercial crop of hazelnuts.
The Philadelphia Zoo In Pennsylvania
It may not be as famous as the San Diego Zoo or the Bronx Zoo, but the Philadelphia Zoo was here before either of those. In fact, having opened on July 1, 1874, the Philadelphia Zoo was the first public zoo in the United States.
Jim, the Photographer, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Rhode Island's Polo Club
From the first public zoo to the first polo club. The Westchester Polo Club, based in Newport, Rhode Island, was founded in 1876—the first polo club in the country.
Unknown Artist, Wikimedia Commons
South Carolina's Monkey Colony
The South Carolina coast has many barrier islands—and on one of those islands, off the coast of Beaufort, live 4,000 Rhesus monkeys. The monkeys were brought to the island in the 1970s from a Puerto Rican research facility.
South Dakota Will Have A Monument Bigger Than Mount Rushmore
We say "will have" because The Crazy Horse Memorial will stand 563 feet tall...when it's finished. The mountain carving of the Indigenous Lakota warrior is still under construction, and has been in progress since 1948.
Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains National Park
America is home to many beautiful national parks. And while Grand Canyon National Park and Yosemite are more famous than Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee—they aren't more visited. In fact, no national park in the United States gets more visitors than Great Smoky Mountains (13 million visitors annually).
Texas: Just What The Doctor Ordered
Dr Pepper fans will recognize the famous "Just what the doctor ordered" tagline. But how many fans of the delicious soft drink are aware that it was invented by pharmacist Charles Alderton in Waco, Texas? Now we all know.
Unknown Artist, Wikimedia Commons
Utah Loves Jell-O
Actually, "love" might not be a strong enough word for how folks in the state feel about the gelatin dessert. They consume more Jell-O per capita than any other state in the union. They've even made it the state's official snack.
Famartin, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Vermont's Capital Doesn't Have A McDonald's
The state capital of Vermont is Montpelier—and with only 8,000 residents, it is the smallest state capital in the country. Even more shocking is the fact that it is the only state capital that doesn't have a McDonald's.
The First Frat In Virginia
Fraternities and sororities are a big part of student life on many college campuses. But that wasn't the case back in 1776 when the Phi Beta Kappa secret society was founded at the College of William & Mary in Virginia—as it was the first college fraternity in the country.
Pbritti, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Washington: How You Like Them Apples?
If you live in America and you eat an apple, odds are it was grown in Washington state. Six out of every 10 apples eaten in the United States are produced in Washington.
Bridge Day In West Virginia
The New River Gorge Bridge is the longest single-arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere. That's a pretty cool fact on its own. But even cooler is what happens every year on the third Saturday of October. Known as "Bridge Day", the New River Gorge Bridge is closed to traffic and opened to hundreds of BASE jumpers who parachute off the bridge to the delight of the 100,000 spectators who come out to watch them.
Donnie Nunley, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Getting QWERTY In Wisconsin
Invented by Christopher Latham Sholes and Carlos Glidden, the iconic QWERTY keyboard layout was invented in Wisconsin and introduced on typewriters in 1874.
Dr. Bernd Gross, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Two Escalators In Wyoming
No, there aren't two escalators in Wyoming that are different from all the others—there are literally only two escalators in the entire state. One in Hilltop National Bank and the other in First Interstate Bank (both in Casper). Even the airport in Jackson Hole doesn't have any (being that it's a single-level building).
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