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State · Texas
Texas
Texas has the River Walk and the Alamo in San Antonio, Austin's live music, NASA in Houston, the cowboys of Fort Worth and smoked barbecue.
In the photo: Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
The state
Get to know Texas
Texas is the second-largest U.S. state by area and by population, bordering Mexico and on the Gulf of Mexico. It was part of Mexico and an independent republic before joining the United States in 1845. The capital is Austin; the largest cities are Houston, San Antonio and Dallas.
San Antonio has the River Walk, a riverside promenade with restaurants and boats, and the Alamo, the old mission where the 1836 battle was fought. The Alamo and the four Spanish missions in the southern part of the city form the San Antonio Missions, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Austin, about 130 km away, is the live-music capital, with bars on Sixth Street and the South by Southwest festival in March.
Houston, the state’s largest city, has the Space Center Houston, the visitor center for NASA mission control, and the museum district, with the Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Natural Science. Galveston, about 80 km away, is the beach island on the gulf, with Victorian mansions. Dallas has the Sixth Floor Museum, dedicated to President John F. Kennedy, and Fort Worth has the Stockyards, with longhorn cattle driven down the street and rodeos.
On the plate, Texas barbecue — beef brisket smoked for hours — and Tex‑Mex food like fajitas and chili con carne. Most of Texas is in the Central Time Zone; the far west, including El Paso, follows Mountain Time.
When to go
March to May and October to November are usually the best times, and in spring the blue wildflowers (bluebonnets) cover the roads. Summers tend to be very hot, above 35 °C, and humid in Houston, and the coast is in hurricane season from June to November. Winters are generally mild, with cold fronts that last a few days.
Getting there
Houston (IAH) and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) are the state's major international airports. Connections with Brazil may be direct or via a stop, depending on the season and airline. Check before you buy. Austin (AUS) and San Antonio (SAT) also receive flights from around the country. Distances are large: Dallas to Houston is about 380 km, and Houston to San Antonio about 320 km, almost always traveled by car.
Your questions
Frequently asked questions about Texas
How many days for Texas?
For San Antonio and Austin, four days; for Houston and Galveston, two or three more; Dallas and Fort Worth need another two. Combining the three regions takes about a week and a half because of the distances.
How to visit the Space Center Houston?
It is in Clear Lake, about 40 km from downtown Houston, on the way to Galveston. The tram tour to the Johnson Space Center, which includes the Apollo mission control room and the Saturn V rocket, often sells out early: arrive right at opening.
Do you need a car in Texas?
Yes, for most trips: cities are spread out and intercity transport is limited. In downtown San Antonio, the River Walk and the Alamo are walkable.
Where to see rodeo in Texas?
At the Fort Worth Stockyards there are rodeos on weekend nights at the Cowtown Coliseum, and longhorn cattle are driven down the street twice a day. In February and March, Houston hosts one of the world’s largest rodeos. Check the schedule before you go.