TXTexas Map

Texas on the US map

Texas sits in the South region of the United States — specifically the plains subregion as defined by the US Census Bureau. With an area ranking of #2 of 50, Texas is one of the largest US states by total area. The map above highlights Texas in gold and color-codes the 49 other states by region.

Whether you're a student studying US geography, a traveler planning a road trip, a teacher building a lesson plan, or simply curious, the goal of this page is to give you a complete picture of where Texas is and what surrounds it. Click any other state on the map above to navigate to its dedicated page.

Capital and largest city

The capital of Texas is Austin. The largest city by population, however, is Houston — not Austin. This pattern (capital ≠ largest city) holds for about 33 of the 50 US states, including most of the famous mismatches like California (Sacramento, not LA), Florida (Tallahassee, not Miami), and New York (Albany, not NYC).

The historical reason for these mismatches dates to the late 18th and 19th centuries. When state founders chose capitals, they often deliberately picked smaller, more centrally located towns to avoid concentrating political and commercial power in the same place. They worried that a capital in a major port or commercial city would be too vulnerable to mob influence (a real concern at the time) and would skew political decisions toward commercial interests.

Borders and neighbors

Texas shares land borders with 4 other US states: New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana. Each link goes to that state's dedicated page where you can see its own map, history, and facts.

Texas also shares an international border with Mexico — one of only 4 US states to do so (California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas). The US-Mexico border runs roughly 1,954 miles total, the most-crossed international border in the world.

Geographic features at a glance

• Total area rank: #2 of 50
• Population: over 10 million
• Coastline: gulf
• Mountain ranges: no major mountain ranges
• Time zone: Central (spans multiple)
• Region: South — plains subregion
• Great Plains: yes
• Route 66: on the historic Route 66 corridor

Major highways and transportation

Texas is connected to the rest of the country by the federal Interstate Highway System (planned by President Eisenhower in the 1950s). The historic Route 66 — the "Mother Road" running from Chicago to Los Angeles — passes through Texas. Major airports serve Houston and Austin, with regional connections to the rest of the state. Amtrak rail service connects parts of Texas to the national passenger rail network, though geographic isolation and population density vary.

Texas notable firsts

• Largest contiguous US state by area; was its own country 1836-1845

Bordering states (4)

Texas shares borders with 4 other US states, listed alphabetically below. Each link goes to the dedicated state page.

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