One weird thing you never knew about your home state

Madeline DiamondJun 22, 2020, 21:07 IST

Chickens outnumber people in Delaware.REUTERS/Sukree Sukplang

You probably learned most basic facts about your home state in school, but there are also many more peculiar facts that you don't know.
For example, there are more barrels of bourbon in Kentucky than people.
New York was the first state in the US to require cars to use license plates.

You probably know the official bird or motto of your home state. But there are many more (often strange) facts about each of the 50 states that may surprise you.

From Kentucky having more barrels of bourbon than humans to Alabama being home to a store that sells your lost luggage to strangers, keep reading for one weird thing you probably didn't know about every state.

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

The Unclaimed Baggage Center is located in Scottsboro, Alabama. Shutterstock

ALASKA: Alaska has more coastline than any other state.

The Alaskan coastline totals over 6,000 miles. Shutterstock / Richard A McMillin

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

It's held the official position since 1971. aastock/Shutterstock

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

The diamond (not the one pictured), valued at $1 million, was found at Arkansas Crater of Diamonds State Park. Crater of Diamonds State Park/AP

CALIFORNIA: California is the only state that has hosted both the summer and winter Olympics.

Los Angeles will host the summer Olympics again in 2028. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

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

Denver, the capital of Colorado. Andrew Zarivny/Shutterstock

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

The first phone book included only 50 names. Michal Mrozek/Shutterstock

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

Delaware's human population is just over 970,000. REUTERS/Sukree Sukplang

FLORIDA: It is illegal to spread a loved one's ashes at Disney World (although many people try).

The Haunted Mansion is a popular location for this activity. Park Troopers/Unsplash

GEORGIA: There were four other state capitals before Atlanta.

Atlanta. SeanPavonePhoto / iStock

HAWAII: Hawaii has the highest life expectancy out of any state, with 81.3 years of age.

Beautiful aerial view of spectacular Na Pali coast, Kauai, Hawaii. MNStudio/Shutterstock

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

This river is deeper than the Grand Canyon. Robert Crum/Shutterstock

ILLINOIS: The state is home to the world's largest bottle of "catsup."

It is 170 feet tall. ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

INDIANA: Wabash, Indiana, was the first US city to use electric street lights.

The first street lights were introduced in 1880. Take Photo/Shutterstock

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

Pig farming is a huge industry in Iowa. Alexander Raths/Shutterstock

KANSAS: Helium was discovered in Kansas.

Two chemistry professors made the discovery in 1905. jakkapan21/ iStock

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

Barrel. Reuters/Rick Wilking

LOUISIANA: Milk is the official state drink of Louisiana.

It's been the official beverage of the state since 1983. NaturalBox/Shutterstock

MAINE: Portland, Oregon, is actually named after Portland, Maine.

A lighthouse in Portland, Maine. Shutterstock

MARYLAND: The first Ouija board was invented in Maryland.

The spooky board was created in Baltimore, Maryland. Couperfield/Shutterstock

MASSACHUSETTS: Both volleyball and basketball were invented in the state.

The Boston Celtics. Maddie Meyer/Getty

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

Lake Michigan. Shutterstock

MINNESOTA: Minnesota has more golfers per capita than any other state.

There is a huge golfing population in Minnesota. Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

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

The first Barq's Root Beer was bottled and sold in 1898. Tochanchai/Shutterstock

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

The daring jump was made in 1912. Mauricio Graiki/Shutterstock

MONTANA: The coldest recorded temperature in the lower 48 states occurred in Montana. It was a freezing -70°F at Rogers Pass.

Alaska has only beaten this record temperature once. Galyna Andrushko/Shutterstock

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

It's been the official beverage since 1998. dcwcreations/Shutterstock

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

Many of these horses are part of the Virginia Range herd in western Nevada. James Marvin Phelps/Shutterstock

NEW HAMPSHIRE: The state fruit of New Hampshire is the pumpkin.

The New Hampshire Pumpkin Festival is a popular event every fall. Romiana Lee/Shutterstock

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

The Battle of Monmouth was one notable battle that took place in New Jersey. Kevin M. McCarthy/Shutterstock

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

Santa Fe, New Mexico. Shutterstock

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

New York City traffic. Andriy Blokhin/Shutterstock

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

Sweet potatoes from the state make up about 60% of the country's supply. iStock / juliedeshales

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

There's a monument dedicated to the exact spot. Sue Smith/Shutterstock

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

This type of flag is called a burgee. NASS

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

Lake Texoma is partly in Oklahoma and partly in Texas. Donna Beeler/Shutterstock

OREGON: Portland, Oregon, is home to more breweries than any other city in the world.

There are 58 breweries in the city of Portland, alone. Joshua Rainey Photography/Shutterstock

PENNSYLVANIA: The first gas station in the US opened in 1913 in Pittsburgh.

Gas at this station first sold for 27 cents per gallon. AP/Damian Dovarganes

RHODE ISLAND: The first polo match held in the US was played in Rhode Island in 1886.

The match was played in the ritzy resort town of Newport, Rhode Island. Kento35/Shutterstock

SOUTH CAROLINA: Georgia may be well known for its peaches, but more peaches are actually produced in South Carolina.

South Carolina calls itself "the tastier peach state." Ian Baldwin/Unsplash

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

Homestake Mine in 1900. History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

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

This park beats out the Grand Canyon for most visitors. Sean Pavone / Getty

TEXAS: Dr Pepper was invented in Texas in 1885.

Dr Pepper has been a popular soft drink for over a century. Andrey Ch/Shutterstock

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

Dixie National Forest. Thierry Guinet/Shutterstock

VERMONT: Vermont produces an average of 1.2 million gallons of maple syrup every year.

That's more than New York and Maine's totals combined. iStock

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

The campus of William & Mary. Jeffrey Greenberg/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

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

The apple is also the official state fruit. Shutterstock

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

The name was discussed at a delegate convention in 1861 before the name "West Virginia" was officially selected in 1862. LesPalenik/Shutterstock

WISCONSIN: The QWERTY keyboard was invented in Wisconsin.

The keyboard that's still used today was created in 1873. ArthurStock/Shutterstock

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

Wyoming. Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock

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