16 Quirky Facts About the United States
There are some commonly known facts about the United States, like France gifted the Statue of Liberty to the United States and Russia sold Alaska to the United States, but did you know there are so many more facts that are weird, wonderful, and wacky as well? Facts like buildings having their own zip codes, the amount of pizza eaten, and the number of national parks there are. Today, we’re diving into some fantastic facts about the great nation that you’ve probably never heard of! Make sure to stay until the end to learn all the facts about the United States that we’ve compiled!
Quirky Facts About The United States
Coastlines, Volcanoes, and Water
Alaska has more coastline than all of the other forty-nine states combined! It is also home to seventeen of the tallest mountains in North America and more than one hundred volcanoes. Alaska has enormous amounts of bodies of water with more than three thousand rivers and three million lakes!
Misspelt Word on the Liberty Bell
The state “Pennsylvania” is actually misspelt on the Liberty Bell! It’s spelt “Pensylvania” because that was more common in the 18th century to spell the word with just one “n” rather than two.
Covered In Water?
Lake Superior has enough water to cover all of North and South America with one foot of water! Lake Superior is also the largest freshwater lake in the world!
Treetop Bridges
In Longview, Washington, the Nutty Narrows Bridge helps squirrels cross the road without having to worry about being hit by a car!
Las Vegas Hotel Rooms
It would take a person more than four hundred years to spend a night in every one of Las Vegas’s hotel rooms. There are more than three hundred hotels and resorts in the bustling city. With more than one hundred and fifty-one thousand hotel rooms, there is plenty to choose from!
Daylight Saving Time
Arizona and Hawaii are the only states that don’t observe daylight savings time!
Zip Codes
The Empire State Building has its own zip code! The iconic skyscraper stretches one hundred and two stories with one million eight hundred sixty thousand square feet of office space, making it the forty-third tallest tower in the world! It was built as a race to build the tallest tower in the world!
Pizza Anyone?
Big cities and many regions have created their own style of pizza! Some of the most popular ones are New York pizza, which is a thin pizza with a foldable crust and large slices; Chicago deep-dish, which has a hearty thick crust; California-style pizza, which is a thin-crust pizza with plenty of gourmet toppings; Detroit-style pizza, which is a square-shaped pizza with a thick and airy crust; and New Haven-style pizza, which has a thin, chewy crust and is cooked in a coal-fired oven.
Tallest Mountain In North America
The tallest mountain in North America is in Alaska, called Mount Denali. Its south peak is twenty thousand three hundred ten feet tall, and in its national park there are approximately one hundred sixty species of birds, thirty-nine species of mammals, fourteen kinds of fish, and one amphibian!
First University In The United States
Harvard University was founded in 1636, making it the first university in the states. Harvard is a private Ivy League university with a history of exceptionally high achievers. It boasts five thousand four hundred fifty-seven acres of land and has seventy-nine libraries with ninety-two kilometres of bookshelves!
National Parks
The United States is home to four hundred and twenty-three national parks. The National Park Service protects more than eighty-four million acres of land and historical sites. The oldest national park in the United States is Yellowstone National Park, and it was founded in 1872. Three of the ten highest waterfalls in the world are found in Yosemite National Park in California. The National Parks are glorious to explore!
Americans Love Pizza
On average, Americans eat about one hundred acres of pizza each day! That’s enough to cover the entire area of Central Park in New York City. This staggering statistic highlights just how much pizza influences American dining habits and culture.
World’s Longest Boardwalk
The world’s longest boardwalk is in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It is approximately nine kilometres long and is busy, bustling, and filled with things to see and do. Visitors can enjoy a variety of attractions, including shops, restaurants, and amusement rides, all while taking in stunning views of the ocean. With its vibrant atmosphere, the boardwalk is a perfect destination for families, couples, and anyone looking to experience the lively spirit of the Jersey Shore.
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is actually in New Jersey, not New York. It measures one hundred and fifty-one feet and one inch tall. It was designed by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi and was originally intended to act as a lighthouse to guide sailors into the New York Harbour.
United States Flag
The U.S. flag has been revised twenty-seven times. The colours were chosen with specific intent, and the flag was designed by a seventeen-year-old high school student out of Ohio. Furthermore, there are very specific ways to dispose of a flag that is beyond repair. One cannot just throw it out.
NASCAR Racecar Driver
Contrary to what many believe, you do not actually need a driver’s license to drive a NASCAR race car!
The Takeaway
Whether it’s the Empire State Building having its own zip code, having unique pizza specific to each region, the tallest mountain in North America, or all the national parks, the United States is filled with amazing, wonderful, and unique things. From not needing a driver’s license to drive NASCAR race cars to where the Statue of Liberty actually is and the official flag that was designed by a seventeen-year-old, there are so many fascinating things about the country. Did you learn anything today? Which facts did you not know about? Let us know below!
