Discover the Surprising U.S. States That Could Fit Inside the Texas Panhandle

The Texas panhandle is a massive stretch of land known for its endless horizons, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and wide open spaces. When you live in the panhandle, it seems enormous. I decided to see which U.S. states we could shove in it to get an idea of just how big the panhandle is. Some of the results were surprising.

 Just How Big Is The Texas Panhandle?

I wanted to try and make this as official as I could stomach. Just looking at a map and guessing wouldn't work, but I also didn't want to read through someone's dissertation on the topography of various locations across the U.S. So, I went to Google and prayed for the best.

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According to the information I found, the area that is technically considered the Texas panhandle contains close to 26,000 square miles. The actual amount is roughly 25,887. We'll call it 26,000 to make this exercise easier.

Which States Fit Inside Of The Texas Panhandle?

Of the 50 U.S. states, there are seven that fit inside the Texas panhandle. They are:

• Delaware - 2,489 square miles
• Rhode Island - 1,545
• Maryland - 12,407
• West Virginia - 24,038
• New Hampshire - 9,304
• Connecticut - 5,543
• Vermont - 9,623

The most surprising one, for me, was West Virginia. Rhode Island and Delaware were obvious considering they're notorious for being the smallest states. Maryland was a little shocking, and that also includes our nation's capital.

The most mind-blowing part of this thought exercise is how many of these states you can fit into the panhandle at the same time. You could shove Delaware, Rhode Island, and Connecticut in the panhandle and still have room for dessert. You could probably still squeeze Maryland in there for good measure. The only one potentially big enough to occupy the panhandle alone is West Virginia, and even then it would still have room to breathe.

We've talked a lot about the extreme size of the state of Texas. The Lone Star State is so big that its panhandle alone could swallow seven states. Everything IS bigger in Texas, including the panhandle.