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About This Quiz
It's time to cook some eggs ... or maybe fry some hamburgers. What do you reach for in your kitchen? A toaster? A pot? No! A pan, of course! And why? Because it's long, skinny handle makes it simpler to cook or fry your way to dinner! While a "panhandle" won't help you with cooking, you can relate it to the kitchen component in one important way: A long, skinny strip of land that extends beyond its primary land area.Â
Just look at Florida. Its panhandle starts south of Georgia and extends west almost through the entire state of Alabama. But, when you think of Florida, you probably only think about its long, Southernly body. Panhandles don't have to be enormous, though. Even the roughly 5,500 square miles that make up the tiny state of Connecticut have a panhandle. Yep, it's true! Connecticut's miniature panhandle covers just over 61,000 acres. The similarly-small state of Maryland also has one — and, get this — West Virginia has two! Double the panhandle, double the fun!
In total, nine U.S. states boast this unique land formation: Alaska, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Maryland, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia. Are you an expert on any of these special states? Or all of them? Can you "handle" this quiz where panhandles are the priority? We hope this trivia "pans" out into a win for you!
Alaska
Texas
Florida
The Florida Everglades is home to both crocodiles and alligators — the only place, in fact, where the two species live together. Why? It has to do with the environment where each species is typically found. South Florida is the perfect meeting point for both.
Connecticut
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Nebraska
Oklahoma
West Virginia
Alaska
If you tried, you could fit roughly 19 other U.S. states into the 663,000 square miles that make up Alaska, so it stands to reason some of its geographic features would likewise be enormous. Lake Iliamna, the state's largest, is basically the size of Connecticut.
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Florida
Connecticut
The year was 1901 and Connecticut would lead the nation in passing the first-ever automobile law to keep the streets safe. What was it, you ask? A speed limit ... set at 12 miles an hour.
Texas
West Virginia
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Texas
Nebraska
West Virginia
Not only was the state of West Virginia formed during the Civil War, but it is also the only state to become its own state as a result of seceding from a Confederate state — Virginia. That's right; West Virginia and Virginia are two different states.
Florida
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Connecticut
Texas
Texas is as big as some countries and was, in fact, its own independent nation from 1835 to 1846. Texas eventually became a member of the United States and we've lived happily ever after.
Oklahoma
Alaska
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Alaska
Oklahoma
You might not equate Oklahoma with a plethora of bodies of water, but you should start. The Sooner State is home to some 200-plus manmade lakes across its nearly 70,000 square miles.
West Virginia
Florida
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Texas
West Virginia
Maryland
The United States Naval Academy was founded in Annapolis, Maryland, in 1845. It is one of the two oldest service academies in the United States, second only to the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York.
Connecticut
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Nebraska
Located in Omaha, Nebraska, the Lied Jungle at Henry Doorly Zoo features nearly 100 different species ranging from blue monkeys to otters. You can also check out a variety of plants indigenous to the continents of South America, Asia and Africa.
Florida
Texas
Maryland
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West Virginia
Maryland
Alaska
Idaho
They create Guinness World Records for the craziest things! Rupert, Idaho, holds one for having the longest straw bale maze at more than 96,000 square feet — eight times the required space to earn the record.
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Texas
Florida
West Virginia
Andrews Church in Grafton, West Virginia, is credited with the first observance of Mother's Day, way back in May of 1908. Just a few short years later, in 1914, it was named a national holiday.
Alaska
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Alaska
Alaska has the market cornered on "largest state in the Union" at 663,300 square miles. That's big enough to put two — count 'em, two — of the state of Texas comfortably inside. That's big!
Texas
Florida
Oklahoma
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Idaho
Nebraska
Thanks to the Cornhusker State, we can all pour a cold one in the summer — a glass of Kool-Aid, that is! Edwin Perkins of Hastings, Nebraska, is credited with its creation, which first started as a syrup before being modified into a powder.
Texas
Florida
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West Virginia
Connecticut
Alaska
West Virginia is hilly, but Alaska is famous for its mountain ranges. It is home to 17 of the 20 tallest mountain peaks in the United States, including Denali, which stands more than 20,300 feet above sea level.
Nebraska
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Oklahoma
Connecticut
Maryland
Maryland has a storied baseball history. Not only is the city home to Major League Baseball's Orioles, but the legendary Babe Ruth was born there in Baltimore. Ruth had a total of 714 home runs as a professional baseball player.
Florida
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West Virginia
Connecticut
Idaho
Florida
Maybe it's because everybody is vacationing in the Sunshine State, but be prepared to shell out some bucks if you're driving through Florida. It has more toll roads and toll bridges than any other state in the U.S.
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Alaska
Texas
Idaho
You might know Idaho more for its popular crop, but it is also a state of numerous precious stones — more than 70 types, in fact. That has helped the western state earn its "Gem State" nickname.
Florida
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Texas
Florida
West Virginia
Connecticut
Maybe you've heard of Hartford, Connecticut? Home to the United States' oldest newspaper, it is also noted for its Mark Twain Museum and its Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, which features the late author's home.
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Maryland
Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the words to "The Star-Spangled Banner" after observing the survival of the flag during a battle at Fort McHenry. Fort McHenry stood to defend the Baltimore Harbor from British troops.
Idaho
Texas
Alaska
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Nebraska
If you're in Nebraska, you're quite a ways from the nearest ocean, where lighthouses are more commonly seen. But that hasn't stopped the residents of Ashland, Nebraska, who have their own lighthouse that is a part of the National Register of Historic Places.
Florida
Texas
Idaho
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Texas
Connecticut
Oklahoma
Mistletoe is, in fact, the oldest of Oklahoma's official symbols, selected in 1893 — a decade and a half before the territory became an official state. Mistletoe is a naturally-occurring plant in the state, particularly in its southern areas.
Alaska
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West Virginia
Florida
Texas
A nod to Houston's place in NASA's history, among the first words spoken on the moon were, "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." Houston was the home of mission control at the Johnson Space Center.
Alaska
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West Virginia
The Mountain State, otherwise known as West Virginia, may well be the originator of the sales tax. It was the first state to have one, after all, which went into effect in July 1921.
Florida
Texas
Maryland
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Oklahoma
Gordon Matthews first developed the technology behind voicemail in the 1970s. Matthews was born and raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Ultimately, he gave all of us the ability to hit "decline" and ignore that out-of-state number.
Nebraska
Texas
Florida
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Oklahoma
Alaska
Texas
Florida
When you think of the largest city in the United States, Jacksonville, Florida, probably isn't the first place that comes to mind, but it should. At more than 840 square miles, it is officially the largest city in the country.
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Texas
Maryland
Idaho
Connecticut
Connecticut adopted "Yankee Doodle" as its state song in the late 1970s. The song was originally written as a way of making fun of New England soldiers' attire during the Revolutionary War.
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Maryland
Texas
Dr Pepper remains one of the most popular soda options in the world, but it got its start in Texas at the hands of a pharmacist in Waco. And, lest you think we spelled it wrong, there's definitely no period in its name.
West Virginia
Idaho
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Idaho
Nebraska
Carhenge, a replica in size and shape of the original Stonehenge, can be viewed near Alliance, Nebraska. You can view the arrangement, which has even been painted to resemble the color of Stonehenge, for free.
Connecticut
Florida
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Idaho
Does the term "Idaho potatoes" ring a bell? Idaho grows roughly a third of all of the potatoes used and consumed in the United States. Potatoes are an extremely versatile vegetable, but our favorite has to be French fries.
West Virginia
Nebraska
Oklahoma
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Alaska
Connecticut
Florida
Florida's largest river, known as the St. Johns River, is one of a small number in the United States that flows south to north. The St. Johns River begins in Indian River County and flows north to Duval County.
West Virginia
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Florida
Oklahoma
Oklahoma (or "Oklahoma!" if you're thinking about Broadway) is home to some cities with pretty unique city names: Slapout, Moon, Bushyhead and the others featured in this question.
Connecticut
Texas
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Maryland
The state of Maryland was the site of one of the first schools to be created in the New World — King William's School — in the late 1600s. It later became known at St John's College in Annapolis, Maryland.
Connecticut
Florida
Idaho
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Idaho
Texas
You can put the pedal to the metal in Texas; Austin's Highway 130 has a speed limit of 85 miles per hour, making it the fastest freeway in the United States. Of course, it is a toll road, so get ready to pay for all that speed!
Kansas
Maryland
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Texas
Alaska
Florida
West Virginia
Golden Delicious apples, which are a variation of yellow apples, are native to the mountains of West Virginia. The first tree producing this particular fruit was observed in the 1700s in Clay County.
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Connecticut
Noah Webster, who lived in West Hartford, Connecticut, is credited with authoring the first dictionary. Have you ever heard of "Webster's Dictionary?" Well, now you know the name behind it!
Texas
Oklahoma
Florida
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Idaho
Texas
Alaska
Alaska not only has the longest coastline at more than 6,600 miles, but also the most coastline of any state at 33,904 miles. In fact, it's more than all other states in the Union combined!
Florida
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