History of Texas in Timeline

Texas is the second-largest U.S. state by area and population, with over 31 million residents as of 2024. Located in the Southern United States, it shares borders with Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas, the latter forming a boundary along the Rio Grande. Its southeastern edge includes a coastline on the Gulf of Mexico. Known as the "Lone Star State," this nickname originates from the single star on its flag, a symbol of its history as the independent Republic of Texas.

1900: Galveston Hurricane

In 1900, Texas suffered the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history in the form of the Galveston hurricane.

1900: 1900 Galveston hurricane devastates Galveston

The 1900 Galveston hurricane devastated that city, killing an estimated 8,000 to 12,000 people in the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history.

1901: Poll tax and white primaries implemented

In 1901, the Democratic-dominated state legislature passed a bill requiring payment of a poll tax for voting, disenfranchising many Black, poor White, and Latino people. White primaries were also established, excluding minorities from the political process.

1901: Discovery of oil well in Texas

On January 10th 1901, the first major oil well in Texas, Spindletop, was discovered south of Beaumont, transforming Texas with an "oil boom".

1911: Railroad Length

Since 1911, Texas has led the nation in length of railroad miles within the state.

1912: Socialist Party becomes second-largest in Texas

After 1912, the Socialist Party became the second-largest party in Texas, coinciding with a socialist upsurge in the United States.

1915: 1915 Galveston hurricane

The 1915 Galveston hurricane impacted Texas.

1932: Peak Railway Length

Texas railway length peaked in 1932 at 17,078 miles.

1940: Texas demographics in 1940

In 1940, Texas was 74% White, 14.4% Black, and 11.5% Hispanic.

1948: Gulf Freeway Opened

In 1948, the first Texas freeway, the Gulf Freeway, opened in Houston.

1950: "Everything is Bigger in Texas"

The phrase "everything is bigger in Texas" has been in regular use since at least 1950.

1957: Hurricane Audrey

Hurricane Audrey impacted Texas in 1957.

1959: Alaska Becomes a State

In 1959, Alaska became a state, making Texas no longer the largest U.S. state.

1961: Hurricane Carla

Hurricane Carla impacted Texas in 1961.

1967: Hurricane Beulah

Hurricane Beulah impacted Texas in 1967.

1972: Peak oil production

In 1972, Oil production averaged three million barrels per day at its peak.

1976: Capital punishment resumes

Since the US Supreme Court allowed capital punishment to resume in 1976, 40% of all U.S. executions have taken place in Texas.

1979: Tropical storm Claudette

Tropical storm Claudette caused damage in Texas in 1979.

1980: San Antonio: Tejano Music Capital

Since 1980, San Antonio has evolved into "The Tejano Music Capital Of The World".

1980: Republican Support

Since 1980, most Texas voters have supported Republican presidential candidates.

1983: Hurricane Alicia

Hurricane Alicia impacted Texas in 1983.

1984: Texas Highways

As of 1984, 71,000 miles of public highway crisscrossed Texas.

1986: Don't Mess with Texas Campaign

In 1986, the "Don't Mess with Texas" anti-littering campaign began, eventually becoming a declaration of Texas identity.

1989: Tropical storm Allison

Tropical storm Allison impacted Texas in 1989.

1990: Hispanic population overtakes Black population

By 1990, Hispanics and Latino Americans overtook Blacks to become the largest minority group in Texas.

1990: Islamic population

In 1990, the Islamic population in Texas was about 140,000.

1994: No Democrat elected to statewide office

Since 1994, Texans have not elected a Democrat to a statewide office.

1996: DART Light Rail System

In 1996, DART began operating the first light rail system in the Southwest United States in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

1996: Hopwood v. Texas case

Texas's alternative affirmative action plan attempts to avoid problems stemming from the Hopwood v. Texas case in 1996.

1997: Texas Motor Speedway

Since 1997, Texas Motor Speedway hosts annual NASCAR Cup Series and IndyCar Series auto races.

2000: Texas population growth

Between 2000 and 2010, the total population in Texas grew by 20.6%, with Hispanics and Latino Americans growing by 65%.

2000: Railway Length Decline

By 2000, Texas railway length declined to 14,006 miles.

2000: Texas foreign-born residents in 2000

In 2000, Texas had 2,899,642 foreign-born residents.

2000: Redistricting based on data

The state had already redistricted following the 2000 census.

2001: Tropical storm Allison

Tropical storm Allison caused damage in Texas again during 2001.

2002: Texas leads in U.S. export revenue

Since 2002, Texas has led the U.S. in state export revenue.

2003: Texas Redistricting

In 2003, the Texas redistricting of Congressional districts led by Republican Tom DeLay, was called "an extreme case of partisan gerrymandering" by The New York Times.

2004: Other Religions in Texas

As of 2004, around 146,000 adherents of religions such as Hinduism and Sikhism lived in Texas.

2004: Christmas Eve snowstorm

During the 2004 Christmas Eve snowstorm, 6 inches (150 mm) of snow fell as far south as Kingsville.

2004: Goods Passed Through Texas FTZs

In 2004, a combined total of $298 billion of goods passed through Texas FTZs.

2005: Texas Highways

As of 2005, 79,535 miles of public highway crisscrossed Texas.

2005: Hurricane Rita

Hurricane Rita impacted Texas in 2005.

2005: Railroad Regulation Transferred

In 2005, Texas reassigned the duties of regulating state railroads from the Railroad Commission of Texas to TxDOT.

2005: Population in urban centers

In 2005, two-thirds of the Texas population lived in urban centers.

May 2006: Texas "code red" Program

In May 2006, Texas initiated the program "code red" in response to a report the state had 25.1 percent of the population without health insurance.

2006: Language Spoken at Home

In 2006, 34.2% of Texas's population aged five and older spoke a language at home other than English.

2006: League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry

In 2006, legal challenges to the redistricting reached the national Supreme Court in the case League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry, and the court ruled in favor of the state.

2007: Resident Exercise

According to a 2007 study, Texas is ranked forty-second in the percentage of residents who engage in regular exercise.

2008: Hurricane Ike

Hurricane Ike impacted Texas in 2008.

2008: Jewish population

In 2008, the Jewish population in Texas was around 128,000.

2008: Men's Health Obesity Survey

The 2008 Men's Health obesity survey ranked four Texas cities among the top 25 fattest cities in America: Houston ranked 6th, Dallas 7th, El Paso 8th, and Arlington 14th.

2010: Maternal Mortality Rate Increase

From 2010 to 2014, the rate by which Texas women died from pregnancy-related complications doubled, to 23.8 per 100,000.

2010: Texas births and population data

In 2010, 49% of births in Texas were to Hispanics, 35% to non-Hispanic Whites, 11.5% to non-Hispanic Blacks, and 4.3% to Asians/Pacific Islanders. The total population grew by 20.6% between 2000 and 2010, with the Hispanic population growing by 65% and non-Hispanic Whites by 4.2%.

2010: Language Spoken at Home

In 2010, 65.8% of Texas residents aged 5 and older spoke only English at home, while 29.2% spoke Spanish, 0.8% Vietnamese, and 0.6% Chinese.

2010: Texas business-friendly ranking

In 2010, Site Selection Magazine ranked Texas as the most business-friendly state, partly due to the Texas Enterprise Fund.

2010: Texas Emission Events

In 2010, there were 2,553 "emission events" which poured 44.6 million pounds (20,200 metric tons) of contaminants into the Texas sky.

2010: Texas Population (2010 Census)

The 2010 census recorded an earlier population count for Texas.

February 2011: Texas White population below 50%

Based on U.S. Census Bureau data released in February 2011, Texas's White population fell below 50% (at 45%) for the first time in recent history, while the Hispanic population grew to 38%.

2011: School Corporal Punishment

According to government data for the 2011, 28,569 public school students were paddled at least one time, showing that school corporal punishment is not unusual in the more conservative, rural areas of the state.

2011: Number of colonias in Texas

In 2011, Texas had about 2,294 colonias, with approximately 500,000 residents. Hidalgo County had the largest number of colonias, and Texas had the largest number of people living in colonias of all states.

2011: STAAR Testing

In 2011, the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) replaced the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test.

2012: School Corporal Punishment

According to government data for the 2012, 28,569 public school students were paddled at least one time, showing that school corporal punishment is not unusual in the more conservative, rural areas of the state.

2012: Muslims in Texas

As of 2012, the number of Muslims in Texas was estimated to be between 350,000 and 400,000.

2012: Texas Incentive Programs

In 2012, Texas had incentive programs worth $19 billion per year, more than any other U.S. state.

2012: Lone Star Showdown Pause

In 2012, the athletics portion of the Lone Star Showdown rivalry between Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin was paused when Texas A&M left the Big 12 and joined the SEC.

2012: Circuit of the Americas

Since 2012, Austin's Circuit of the Americas plays host to a round of the Formula 1 World Championship.

2012: STAAR Testing Implementation

The State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) was implemented in the 2011–2012 school year, replacing the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test.

2014: Texas Oil Production

According to a 2014 study, if Texas were its own country it would be the sixth-largest oil producer in the world.

2014: Fifth-largest Muslim-populated state

As of 2014, Texas was the fifth-largest Muslim-populated state.

2014: Migration from across the U.S. – Mexico border

During the 2014 crisis, the Rio Grande Valley saw significant migration from across the U.S.–Mexico border and many Central Americans, including unaccompanied minors, reached the state.

2014: Maternal Mortality Rate Increase

From 2010 to 2014, the rate by which Texas women died from pregnancy-related complications doubled, to 23.8 per 100,000.

2014: Wind Power in Texas

In 2014, 10.6% of the electricity consumed in Texas came from wind turbines, solidifying the state's role as a leader in renewable energy commercialization.

2014: Evangelical and Mainline Protestants in Texas

In 2014, Evangelical Protestants were 31% of the population, with Baptists being the largest Evangelical tradition at 14%. Methodists were the largest Mainline Protestant group at 4%.

2014: Non-Christian Population

In 2014, non-Christian faiths accounted for 4% of the religious population in Texas. Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism were tied as the second-largest religion. Additionally, 18% of the state's population was religiously unaffiliated.

2014: Christian Denominations in Texas

In 2014, the Catholic Church was the largest Christian denomination in Texas, accounting for 23% of the population, while Protestants collectively constituted 50% of the Christian population, per the Pew Research Center.

2014: African American Christian Denominations

In 2014, the largest historically African American Christian denominations in Texas were the National Baptist Convention (USA) and the Church of God in Christ. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest nontrinitarian Christian group in Texas alongside the Jehovah's Witnesses.

2014: Undocumented immigrants in Texas

In 2014, there were an estimated 1.7 million undocumented immigrants in Texas, making up 35% of the total Texas immigrant population and 6.1% of the total state population.

2015: Foreign-born residents in Texas

In 2015, Texas had 4.7 million foreign-born residents, about 17% of the population and 21.6% of the state workforce.

2015: Seafood Landings

In 2015, Texas' fishing industry landed 80.4 million pounds of seafood, valued at over $173.4 million, showcasing the industry's vital role in the state's economy.

2016: Undocumented immigrants increased since 2016

According to the American Community Survey's 2019 estimates, the number of undocumented immigrants increased of 142,000 since 2016.

2017: Texas greenhouse gas emissions

As of 2017, Texas emitted the most greenhouse gases in the U.S., about 1,600 billion pounds (707 million metric tons) of carbon dioxide annually.

2017: Hurricane Harvey

In 2017, Hurricane Harvey caused a landfall in Rockport as a Category 4 Hurricane, causing significant damage, with its unprecedented amounts of rain over the Greater Houston area resulting in widespread and catastrophic flooding, affecting hundreds of thousands of homes and becoming the costliest hurricane worldwide, causing an estimated $198.6 billion in damage.

2017: Small businesses increase

The number of small businesses increased by 24% from 2017 and 2022.

2018: Texas foreign-born population increase

As of 2018, the foreign-born population of Texas increased to 4.9 million residents, or 17.2% of the state population.

2018: Texas incarceration rate

In 2018, Texas had the 8th highest incarceration rate in the U.S.

2018: Millionaire Households Increase

In 2018, the number of millionaire households in Texas increased to 566,578.

2019: Texas growth rate

A study in 2019 determined Texas's growth rate at 1,000 people per day.

2019: Undocumented immigrants decrease in Texas

According to the American Community Survey's 2019 estimates, 1,739,000 residents were undocumented immigrants, a decrease of 103,000 since 2014 but an increase of 142,000 since 2016.

2019: Populations of Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston metropolitan areas

As of 2019, The Dallas–Fort Worth and Houston metropolitan areas number about 7.5 million and 7 million residents respectively.

2019: Texas Population Demographics

In 2019, non-Hispanic Whites were 41.2% of Texas's population, Blacks 12.9%, American Indians and Alaska Natives 1.0%, Asian Americans 5.2%, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders 0.1%, some other race 0.2%, two or more races 1.8%, and Hispanics or Latino Americans 39.7%.

2019: Tropical Storm Imelda

Tropical Storm Imelda impacted Texas in 2019.

2020: University Rankings

According to 2020's Center for World University Rankings report, The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University were ranked as the 21st and 41st best universities in the nation, respectively.

2020: Texas Cities Populations

As of 2020, six Texas cities had populations greater than 600,000.

2020: Muslims in Texas

As of 2020, the Association of Religion Data Archives estimated there were 313,209 Muslims in Texas. The Jewish population grew to over 176,000. There were 112,153 Hindus and 60,882 Texans adhered to Buddhism.

2020: Languages spoken in Texas

In 2020, 64.9% of the Texas population spoke only English, while 35.1% spoke another language. Spanish was spoken by roughly 30% of the total population.

2020: Christian population in Texas

In 2020, 75.5% of the population in Texas identified as Christian, according to the Public Religion Research Institute.

2020: Protestant Population Decline

In 2020, Protestants declined to 47% of the population in Texas. Predominantly-white Evangelical Protestantism declined to 14%, while Mainline Protestants made up 15% of the Protestant Christian population. Hispanic or Latino American-dominated Protestant churches and historically Black or African American Protestantism grew to 13%.

2020: Protestant Denominations in Texas

In 2020, Southern Baptists numbered 3,319,962, non-denominational Protestants numbered 2,405,786, and United Methodists numbered 938,399 in Texas.

2020: Catholic Church Membership Increase

In 2020, the Catholic Church's membership in Texas increased to encompass 28% of the population identifying with a religious or spiritual belief. The Association of Religion Data Archives study recorded 5,905,142 Catholics in the state.

2020: Racial and ethnic composition of Texas

In 2020, the racial and ethnic composition of Texas was 42.5% White (39.8% non-Hispanic White), 11.8% Black, 5.4% Asian, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 13.6% some other race, 17.6% two or more races, and 40.2% Hispanic and Latino American.

2020: Texas Population (2020 Census)

In the 2020 census, the resident population of Texas was 29,145,505, a 15.9% increase since the 2010 census. The apportioned population stood at 29,183,290.

January 1, 2021: Petroleum Reserves

As of January 1, 2021, Texas has about 15.6 billion barrels of crude oil and 9.5 billion barrels of natural gas liquids in proved recoverable petroleum reserves.

May 2021: Texas Heartbeat Act

In May 2021, the state legislature passed the Texas Heartbeat Act, which banned abortion from as early as six weeks of pregnancy, except to save the life of the mother.

2021: Winter Storm Uri

During February 13–17, 2021, Texas faced a major weather emergency as Winter Storm Uri hit the state, causing a power crisis with over 3 million Texans without power and over 4 million under boil-water notices.

2021: North American winter storm

During February 13–17, 2021, an arctic or polar air mass penetrated Texas during the North American winter storm, leading to the 2021 Texas power crisis.

2021: Languages spoken in Texas

In 2021, approximately 50,546 Texans spoke French or a French-based creole language. Additionally, a varying number of residents spoke other languages such as German, Russian, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog and Arabic.

2021: Panther City Lacrosse Club

In 2021, the Panther City Lacrosse Club played their inaugural season at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

July 2, 2022: Texas Population Surpasses 30 Million

As of July 2, 2022, Texas surpassed a total estimated population of 30 million people.

August 25, 2022: Abortion Law

On August 25, 2022, a law took effect in Texas that made committing abortion at any stage of pregnancy a felony punishable by life in prison.

2022: Homeless population in Texas

According to HUD's Annual Homeless Assessment Report in 2022, there were approximately 24,432 homeless people in Texas.

2022: Hispanic population largest share

As of 2022, Hispanics and Latinos of any race replaced the non-Hispanic White population as the largest share of the state's population in Texas.

2022: Texas ancestries in 2022

In 2022, Mexican Americans represented 32.2% of the Texas population. Other large ancestries were German (8.1%), English (7.9%), Irish (5.8%), American (4.6%), Italian (1.9%), and Indian (1.9%).

2022: Panther City Lacrosse Club Inaugural Season

In 2022, the Panther City Lacrosse Club played their inaugural 2021-2022 season at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

2022: Midterm Elections

In 2022, the midterm elections resulted in a large majority of Texas's U.S. House delegation being Republican, along with both U.S. Senators.

2022: Small businesses increase

The number of small businesses increased by 24% from 2017 and 2022.

2023: Energy Consumption

As of 2023, Texans consume, on average, the sixth most energy (of all types) in the nation per capita, following Alaska, Louisiana, North Dakota, Wyoming and West Virginia.

July 1, 2024: Texas Population Estimate

As of July 1, 2024, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population of Texas was 31,290,831, an increase of 7.4% since the 2020 census.

2024: Texas Gross State Product

As of 2024, Texas had a gross state product (GSP) of $2.664 trillion, the second highest of any U.S. state. The median household income was $64,034 and the poverty rate was 14.2%.

2024: Texas Population

As of 2024, Texas has over 31 million residents, making it the second-largest U.S. state by area and population.

2024: Texas Economy in 2024

As of 2024, Texas has the second-highest number (52) of Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the United States and it leads in many industries, including tourism, agriculture, petrochemicals, energy, computers and electronics, aerospace, and biomedical sciences.

2024: Fortune 500 Companies

As of 2024, Texas has the second-highest number (52) of Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the United States.

May 2025: Unemployment Rate in Texas

As of May 2025, the unemployment rate in Texas was 4.1%.

December 2025: Small businesses in Texas

As of December 2025, small businesses made up 99.8% of businesses in Texas and employed approximately 5.1 million people.

2025: Texas Business Formations

According to Business Observer, Texas ranked third among U.S. states for business formations in 2025, with 457,373 new businesses formed within the state that year.

2025: Texas Gasoline Tax

As of 2025, the gasoline tax in Texas is 38.40 cents per gallon.

2025: Compromise of 1850

In 2025, adjusting for inflation, the equivalent of $372,115,000 was given to Texas. The Compromise of 1850 set Texas's boundaries at their present position.

2025: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

In 2025, adjusting for inflation, the equivalent of $679,111,000 was paid. As a result of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexico gave the U.S. undisputed control of Texas, ceded the Mexican Cession, and Texas's borders were established at the Rio Grande.