What makes Texas a top 10 most ‘All-American’ state? Sports and RV parks play a big role
Texas is the eighth most “All-American” state in the U.S., a new study from Viator finds.
The travel experience company created a points-based index system analyzing several metrics, including: home ownership, number of national park sites and landmarks, total number of sports venues, number of fast-food restaurants and number of RV parks and campgrounds.
Based on those numbers, Texas received an All-American score of 8.39 out of 10. It’s no surprise to Texans that the Lone Star State ranks first both for the most sports venues, having 116, and the most RV parks and campgrounds, with 551. The South made up 40% of the top 10 All-American states — Florida, Virginia, Texas and North Carolina.
“America is a country bursting with patriotism and pride, with six in 10 US citizens (65%) saying they’re extremely or very proud to be an American,” Viator wrote in a press release. “What it means to be ‘American’ will vary across the nation, but many tourists around the globe are keen to visit the United States to experience its diverse landscapes, national park sites, and sports venues. Whether it’s watching a baseball game, or taking a road trip along Route 66, America has seemingly unlimited experiences to offer for you to create lifelong memories.”
For sports lovers who call Texas home, there’s no shortage of places to watch their favorite athletes play. On Tuesday night, the Texas Rangers have their first home playoff game since 2016, and the first home playoff game at the Globe Life Field in Arlington, which opened in 2020. AT&T Stadium in Arlington, home of the Dallas Cowboys since 2009, is a massive sports venue with a capacity of 80,000 that has hosted a Super Bowl XLV in 2011 and the 50th Academy of Country Music Awards in 2015. Then there’s the American Airlines Center in downtown Dallas, a 20,000-seat arena that The Dallas Mavericks have called home since 2001.
Along with easy accessibility to sporting events and facilities, the state offers a wide range of landscapes, from forests and deserts to lakes and beaches. Texas has 93% more campgrounds than the neighboring state of Mississippi.
Pennsylvania was crowned the most All-American state, with a score of 9.05 out of 10. California ranked second, with the most national park sites and fast-food restaurants. Following Florida, New York was the fourth, home to the most national landmarks in the U.S. The Midwest made up 3 states on the list — Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.
Texas’ All-American metrics
- 14 national park sites, including Big Bend National Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park
- 49 national landmarks, such as The Alamo, Apollo Mission Control Center, the Dealey Plaza Historic District and the Texas State Capitol
21,363 fast-food restaurants, the second highest number after California
Top 10 most All-American states
- Pennsylvania
- California
- Florida
- New York
- Michigan
- Virginia
- Ohio
- Texas
- North Carolina
- Indiana
