17 Things To Know Before Going To Texas (By A Texan)

Going On A Trip To Texas But Wondering What Things You Should Know Before Visiting This Unique State?

I’m a Texas native (I was born in Austin) and I’ve spent more than 13 years living in various cities around the state (Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, McAllen), plus my dad’s side of the family has lived here for generations, so if you’re planning a trip to Texas but you’d like a little more information before arriving, these are all the things I think you should know.

🌟 Things You Should Know Before Going To Texas

Texas is a big state, so depending on where you’re going, you’ll have different experiences, but these are some of the main things I think are helpful to know before coming to the state of Texas:

1. Everything Is Bigger In Texas

Everything really is bigger in this state.

The state, the sports, the events, the portion sizes, and the people, are all bigger in Texas. That pretty much sums it up, but if you plan on doing a road trip through Texas, you’ll see just how big this state really is.

2. Driving In Texas Sucks

One of the most important things to know before going on a Texas road trip is that driving here sucks for a number of reasons.

Because of the size of the state, driving around Texas really sucks, but driving within the major cities and even in small towns really sucks too.

In big Texas cities, two of the most important things to know are that traffic can be horrendous (particularly Austin, San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas) and driving conditions can be pretty dangerous.

Driving through the country or small towns can also be pretty boring due to the lack of major civilization for long stretches of time.

3. Small Towns Are Speed Traps

You have to be careful driving in small towns and pay attention to the speed changes.

Also when driving through small towns, you need to pay extra close attention to the changes in speed limits (there literally may be 5 changes in a mile), because small town police like to get speeders and people don’t typically go the speed limit in Texas (they’ll either go 15+ mph over or 10 mph under).

4. Not All Of Texas Is The Same

It's a big state so not every city or every area is the same.

Texas is a big place so naturally its diverse, but culturally it’s also pretty diverse. A basic breakdown of the different parts of Texas goes like this:

San Antonio and below – basically Mexico
Austin – the weird, sometimes hippie, non-typical Texas
Houston – oil, NASA, and nasty beaches
Dallas – the country club, big money type
East Texas – the deep south
West Texas – oil, dust, and more oil

5. Buc-ees Isn’t Your Typical Gas Station

Before going on a Texas road trip, one of the best things to know is that Buc-ees is the only gas station you should stop at if possible.

If you’ve never been to a Buc-ees before (they have them outside of Texas now too), you must go to one when visiting this state. This is one of those things you just can’t understand about Texas until you see it for yourself, and it’s not just a place to get gas, it’s a place people go for a few hours.

For a little visual, here’s a video I made about this massive, clean, and popular gas station chain.

6. It’s Naturally Diverse

Because the state is so big, the nature around the state is very diverse.

Whenever I talk to foreigners or sometimes even Americans who haven’t ever been to Texas, they seem to think that Texas still looks like those old Wild West movies where people ride horses and tumbleweeds blow across the dusty, deserty landscape.

A lot of people, especially out in the country, do ride horses, and there are parts of Texas that are dusty and deserty (I even saw a tumbleweed the other day in Dallas), but Texas is such a naturally diverse place with the rolling hills of the Austin area, the forests of East Texas, the Great Plains of Northwest Texas, or the flat open farmland of North Texas.

Despite so many large metropolitan areas, there are still plenty of awesome natural parks to visit around the state. Some favorites include Big Bend, Palo Duro Canyon, Colorado Bend, Dinosaur Valley, and Enchanted Rock.

*️⃣ Tip: if you have a documented disability (like Autism), you can get a Texas State Parks Parklands Passport for Disabilities to have discounted entrance fees to most Texas State Parks

7. Spanish Might Be As Common As English

Because of its proximity as well as its residents, the state may have as many Spanish speakers as English.

Being so close to Mexico and having so many latin residents, Texas is full of Spanish speakers, even a lot of white people speak Spanish here. There are also a number of other languages spoken around the state of Texas (depending on where you are) because of all the large international populations throughout the state.

8. Generally, Texans Are Nice + Friendly

One of the things thats good to know before going to Texas is that in general (not always though) people in Texas are friendlier. They say hello, they move over if they're going slower, and they hold doors open.

In general, Texans are known to be pretty nice and friendly. They’ll say hello to you, they’ll move over to the right when they’re going slower, they’ll hold doors open and so on.

This is one of those things to know that can be helpful when driving in Texas if you don’t want other drivers to get irritated with you. Texas state signs even say “Drive Friendly – The Texas Way”.

Spending time growing up in the state as a kid, I can say that Texas was definitely a lot friendlier in the past, but people are still typically pretty friendly around the state (especially outside of the bigger cities).

9. Sports Aren’t Just Sports Here

Sports are way more than just sports in this state.

No matter the sport, sports aren’t just sports here in Texas, especially when it comes to American football. From pop warner and high school football to college and the NFL, this sport is very serious here and going to a game (or even touring the Dallas Cowboys stadium) can be a fun way to experience Texas culture.

10. Texas Is Not Very Healthy

Texas is not a very healthy state, which you'll be able to see with the food served here and the size of the people.

One thing that is easily noted when visiting Texas, especially the Houston and San Antonio areas, is how large and unhealthy the people are here (various Texas cities have consistently ranked as the most unhealthy places in the country). Food is really important in Texas, and the more unhealthy, the more popular it seems to be.

11. Texas Gets All Weather Extremes

North Texas weather can vary greatly depending on the season and it's not always very nice.

Depending on where you are in the state, Texas can get all sorts of extreme weather from hurricanes and tornadoes, to snow storms and dust storms. The temperatures can also reach both extremes (for Texas) with hot and humid summers and cold and icy winters.

12. Lots Of Wildlife + Bugs

Especially when going out in nature in Texas, one of the things thats important to know is that theres lots of wildlife and some that can be dangerous.

With it’s natural diversity and it’s hot and humid summers, Texas is full of wildlife and lots of bugs. The more you go out into the country or nature, the more you’ll find them.

Be extra careful in the tall weeds, grassy areas, and places near water because there are some aggressive and poisonous things that like to spend their days here.

13. Country Is Cool

You'll want to get there early for parking and to find a good spot along Exchange Avenue to watch the herd.

Country living, country music, and the country, is cool in Texas, especially when you go into smaller towns where farms and ranches are everywhere, or even former country areas like the Fort Worth stockyards (pictured above).

In the stockyards, you can find lots of country activities and sports like their twice daily cattle drive, rodeos, bull riding, a John Wayne museum, horseback riding, a vintage train, and much more. This area in Fort Worth is a fun place to visit to see a different side of Texas, in comparison to the big city of Dallas next door.

14. Texas Is Proud Of Its History

Texans are very proud of the history, especially the Alamo.

Especially when it comes to proud Texas history moments like the Alamo, Texans are very proud of their past. Though Texas wasn’t triumphant at the battle of the Alamo, the reason it’s such an important piece of Texas history is because the men stood their ground knowing they were going to die in order to stand up for Texas.

15. Texans Are Proud Americans, But Prouder Texans

So as not to offend a Texan, one of the things you should know before going to Texas is that we're proud Americans but even more proud Texans.

Texans are generally pretty patriotic when it comes to the US, but I would say that we’re prouder Texans more than anything.

When traveling abroad, if a Texan is asked where they’re from, a typical first response is “I’m from Texas” or “I’m Texan” not American or from the United States. I know I’ve done this, and I know other Texans that just naturally respond like this too.

16. Farms Are Everywhere

I love animals, especially farm animals, so I’m always excited to see them when driving through the country in Texas. With so much land, there are so many farms and ranches around the state that it would be hard to visit Texas without seeing a few.

17. The Stars At Night Are Big And Bright

Like the song says, in certain parts of Texas, the stars at night are big and bright.

Before going to Texas, one of the most important things to know if you’re a nature lover, is that the song is true “the stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas”. You do have to go out away from the cities, but Texas country and especially parks like Big Bend, offer some of the best stargazing opportunities in the country.

🔁 Sum Up: Things To Know Before Going To Texas

After living in Texas for so long and talking with lots of people about visiting this state, these are some of the top things I think are helpful to know before coming here so that you can really experience Texas culture, stay safe, make the most of your trip, and be prepared for a visit to one of the biggest and proudest states in the country.