One fun fact you've never learned about each of the 50 states (2024)

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Madeline Diamond and Mykenna Maniece

Updated

2024-05-23T15:49:45Z

One fun fact you've never learned about each of the 50 states (1)

You probably learned basic facts about your home state like its flower or bird.
But there are many more fun facts you might not know.
In Kentucky, there are more barrels of bourbon than people.

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Thanks to elementary school projects and random trivia games, you probably remember a few fun facts about your home state like the official bird, flower, or dessert.

But there are plenty of more obscure fun facts about each of the 50 states that may surprise you.

From New York being the first state to require license plates to Hawaii having the highest life expectancy rate, here's a fact about each state that'll impress your colleagues and give you a boost next time you play "Jeopardy!"

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ALABAMA: There's a store in Alabama that sells unclaimed baggage.

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Located in Scottsboro, Alabama, the Unclaimed Baggage Center is organized into 10 departments, including books, womenswear, menswear, electronics, and fine jewelry.

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ALASKA: The northernmost city in the US, Utqiaġvik, Alaska, experiences periods of uninterrupted daylight and darkness.

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Per Travel Alaska, the city experiences 85 days of the state's famous "midnight sun," as the sun stays above the horizon during this period from May to early August.

Conversely, the city also experiences a "polar night," where there's essentially no sunlight for two months during the winter.

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ARIZONA: The bola tie is the official state neckwear of Arizona.

One fun fact you've never learned about each of the 50 states (7)

Also known as a bolo tie, the accessory was designated as Arizona's official neckwear in 1973.

ARKANSAS: The most expensive diamond ever discovered in the US was found in Arkansas.

One fun fact you've never learned about each of the 50 states (8)

The 8.52-carat diamond was found at the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, Arkansas, in 2015 by Bobbie Oskarson, and she named it after her niece. The Esperanza Diamond was fashioned into a necklace and is worth an estimated $1 million, The Inspired Collection reported.

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CALIFORNIA: The state is home to over 100 ghost towns.

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One of the most famous ghost towns in California is Bodie. The gold-mining town was once home to 10,000 people, but was fully abandoned by 1942, with some people seemingly having packed their belongings mid-meal.

Photographer Dennis Ariza told BI in 2021 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" inside homes.

It's now a State Historic Park.

COLORADO: There has never been a US president or vice president born in Colorado.

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Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of US presidents were born on the East Coast. Only two presidents have been born west of Texas: Richard Nixon, who was born in California, and Barack Obama, who was born in Hawaii.

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CONNECTICUT: The first phone book in the US was printed in New Haven in 1878.

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The first phone book didn't actually list any phone numbers. Instead, it was a piece of cardboard with a list of 50 people and businesses who had phones, Smithsonian Magazine reported.

DELAWARE: Chickens outnumber people 200-to-1 in Delaware.

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Per the USDA, Delaware is home to over 200 million chickens. Meanwhile, the US Census Bureau reported that as of 2023, the state has a population of about 1 million people.

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FLORIDA: Disney World in Orlando is a no-fly zone.

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The popular theme park is one of several no-fly zones in the US. Per the FAA, it received permanent no-fly zone status in 2014.

And yes, Disneyland in Anaheim, California is covered, too.

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GEORGIA: There were four other state capitals before Atlanta.

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Savannah, Augusta, Louisville, and Milledgeville are the state's previous capitals.

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HAWAII: Hawaii has the highest life expectancy out of any state.

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In 2020, the CDC reported that life expectancy in Hawaii was 80.7 years.

IDAHO: At 7,993 feet deep, the Snake River in Hells Canyon is the deepest river gorge in North America.

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This gorge is 2,000 feet deeper than the Grand Canyon.

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ILLINOIS: The Prairie State should be re-nicknamed the Pumpkin State — it produces more pumpkins annually than any other state in the US.

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The USDA reported that Illinois produced 634 million pounds of pumpkins in 2022 — that's more than the production of California, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Virginia (the other top pumpkin-producing states) combined.

INDIANA: It's illegal to catch a fish with your bare hands.

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You also can't catch a fish with firearms, a crossbow, or dynamite, per Visit Indiana. Good to know.

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IOWA: Pigs outnumber the human population in Iowa by about 7-to-1.

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In 2022, the USDA reported that Iowa had 23.4 million hogs and pigs, which was actually three percent less than 2021.

KANSAS: Natural gas deposits in the state are some of the most helium-rich in the world.

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Helium isn't just for balloons; it's a key component of medical technologies, manufacturing, space exploration, and national defense, reported the US Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management.

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KENTUCKY: There are more barrels of bourbon than people in Kentucky.

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The Kentucky Distillers' Association reported that, as of 2022, there are 11.4 million barrels of bourbon in the state. That's about 2.5 barrels of bourbon per person.

LOUISIANA: Milk is the official state drink.

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It's been the official drink of choice for Louisiana since 1983.

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MAINE: The state has its own desert in Freeport.

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Per the location's website, the Desert of Maine is home to 20 acres of sand dunes with history that dates back to the 1800s.

MARYLAND: The first Ouija board was invented in Maryland.

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The Library of Congress reported that the spooky board was first manufactured in Baltimore in 1890 for "supernatural communication."

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MASSACHUSETTS: Basketball was invented in Springfield.

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National Geographic reported that James Naismith created the 13 original rules of basketball in Springfield, Massachusetts. The first public game was played in 1892.

MICHIGAN: No matter where you are in the state, you'll never be more than 85 miles from one of the Great Lakes.

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The state is shaped by four of the five Great Lakes, including Lake Michigan, Huron, Superior, and Erie.

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MINNESOTA: Minnesota has the highest proportion of public golf courses.

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Per the National Golf Foundation, 90% of the state's 477 golf courses are open to the public. That's 17% higher than the national average.

MISSISSIPPI: Barq's Root Beer was invented in Biloxi.

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Barq's Root Beer was invented in 1898.

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MISSOURI: The first successful parachute jump from a moving plane (what we now call skydiving) was completed in Missouri.

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St. Louis Magazine reported that the daring jump was made by Army Captain Albert Berry in 1912.

MONTANA: In 1972, Loma, Montana, set the world record for the largest temperature increase in 24 hours.

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From January 14 to January 15, 1972, the temperature in Loma, Montana, rose 103 degrees Fahrenheit from -54 degrees Fahrenheit to 49 degrees Fahrenheit, the National Centers for Environmental Information reported.

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NEBRASKA: Kool-Aid is the official state soft drink of Nebraska.

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History Nebraska reported that the popular beverage powder was invented in Hastings, Nebraska, by Edwin Perkins in 1927. It has been the state's official soft drink since 1998.

NEVADA: Nearly half of all the wild horses in the US are in Nevada.

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Smithsonian Magazine reported that many of the state's horses are part of the Virginia Range herd, also known as "Annie's Horses" after the work of activist Velma Johnston, also called "Wild Horse Annie."

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NEW HAMPSHIRE: Alan B. Shepard Jr., the first American to travel into space, was from New Hampshire.

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Shepard was born in Derry, New Hampshire, and on May 5, 1961, he became the first American to complete a suborbital mission, NASA reported. For his service, he was given NASA's highest award, the Distinguished Service Medal, by President John F. Kennedy.

NEW JERSEY: During the Revolutionary War, more battles were fought in New Jersey than in any other colony.

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Per the State of New Jersey, the Battle of Trenton was one notable battle that took place in the state.

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NEW MEXICO: Santa Fe, New Mexico, is 7,000 feet above sea level, making it the state capital with the highest elevation in the country.

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As a result of the higher elevation, Santa Fe Tourism warns visitors to be conscious of their alcohol intake, as one drink in Santa Fe is equivalent to three drinks at sea level.

NEW YORK: New York was the first state to require license plates on cars.

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Time reported that New York Governor Benjamin Odell Jr. signed the bill into law on April 25, 1901.

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NORTH CAROLINA: North Carolina produces the most sweet potatoes out of all the 50 states.

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The state has held the No. 1 spot since 1971 and produces about 60% of the country's supply, the North Carolina History Project reported.

NORTH DAKOTA: Rugby, North Dakota, is home to the geographical center of North America.

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The monument was created in 1932.

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OHIO: Ohio has the only state flag in the US that isn't rectangular.

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This type of flag is called a burgee.

OKLAHOMA: There are more man-made lakes in Oklahoma than in any other state.

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Many of the man-made lakes were made to help with issues like flood control, water supply, and hydroelectric power, the Oklahoma Historical Society reported.

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OREGON: Portland, Oregon, has more breweries than almost any other city in the world.

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Travel Portland reports that the city is home to about 70 breweries, and has a fitting nickname: "Beervana."

PENNSYLVANIA: The first public zoo in the US opened in 1874 in Philadelphia.

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The Philadelphia Zoo opened on July 1, 1874, and continues to operate today, housing more than 1,700 rare and endangered animals, per its website.

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RHODE ISLAND: The first polo club in the US was founded in Rhode Island in 1876.

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The US Polo Association reported that James Gordon Bennett Jr. established the Westchester Polo Club, based in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1876.

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SOUTH CAROLINA: Georgia may be well known for its peaches, but South Carolina actually produces more of the fruit annually.

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Per the state's Department of Agriculture, South Carolina produces "more than three times the amount" of peaches than Georgia.

It calls itself "the tastier peach state."

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SOUTH DAKOTA: Until its closure in 2002, the Homestake Mine in Lead, South Dakota, was the largest and deepest gold mine in North America.

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CBS reported that the gold mine produced over 40 million ounces of gold during its 125 plus years of operation.

TENNESSEE: The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited National Park in the US.

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In 2023, more than 13 million people visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park, National Geographic reported. Grand Canyon National Park, which is No. 2, only attracted 4.7 million visitors.

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TEXAS: Dr Pepper was invented in Texas in 1885.

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Per the Dr Pepper Museum, pharmacist Charles Alderton invented the drink in Waco, Texas.

UTAH: Utah is the only state where every county includes a part of a national forest.

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The state is home to six national forests: Dixie, Fishlake, Manti-LaSal, Uinta, Ashley, and Wasatch.

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VERMONT: Vermont produced 2.05 million gallons of maple syrup in 2023, more than any other state.

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The state has only been outproduced twice: in 1918 and 1926, per the USDA.

VIRGINIA: The first college fraternity was founded in the College of William & Mary in 1776.

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The secret society was named Phi Beta Kappa.

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WASHINGTON: Washington produces six out of every 10 apples consumed in the US.

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Per the Washington Apple Commission, the state harvests 10-12 billion apples annually. The apple is also the official state fruit.

WEST VIRGINIA: West Virginia's name was almost "Kanawha."

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Per the state, the name was discussed at a delegate convention in 1861 before "West Virginia" was officially selected. West Virginia became the country's 35th state in 1863.

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WISCONSIN: The QWERTY keyboard was invented in Wisconsin.

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The keyboard layout was invented by Christopher Latham Sholes and Carlos Glidden, and their typewriter debuted in 1874, Smithsonian Magazine reported.

WYOMING: Wyoming was the first state in the country to have a female governor.

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Nellie Tayloe Ross was elected in 1925 after her husband died before finishing his term as governor, the National Governors Association reported. She went on to become vice chair of the Democratic National Committee and served two terms as director of the US Mint under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.