Top 17 Most Interesting Facts About the United States You Might Not Know

The Hoover Dam contains 3.25 million cubic meters of concrete, enough to build a two-lane highway from New York City to San Francisco. It also weighs over 600,000 tons! Construction began in April 1931. That summer, Southern Nevada sweltered under record temperatures for months. By June, just two short months into construction, daily average temperatures soared to 119 degrees Fahrenheit. Due to restricted ventilation systems in the vast tunnels built for the dam, conditions inside the tunnels were reportedly much worse. Workers in the deepest parts of the tunnels toiled in temperatures ranging from 130 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer months!

The Hoover Dam was built for multiple reasons. First, it was constructed in an effort to control the flooding of the Colorado River as it flowed southwestward toward the Gulf of California. Additionally, as the West opened up and more settlers moved there, the demand for water increased. The dam was designed to help divert water to areas traversed by the river. And of course, ultimately, the dam was constructed to provide hydroelectric power to the millions of nearby residents, a function it still serves to this day! The Hoover Dam began generating hydroelectric power in 1936.

Lake Superior, located in North America, is the world's largest freshwater lake by surface area and the third largest by volume, covering 10% of the world's freshwater surface area. Situated at the northern and western tip of North America's Great Lakes, it borders Canada and the United States, with the province of Ontario to the north, Minnesota to the northwest, and Wisconsin and Michigan to the south. It flows into Lake Huron via the St. Mary's River, then through the Lower Great Lakes to the St. Lawrence River and the Atlantic Ocean. Lake Superior and its associated waterways and wetlands are home to 88 species of fish.

Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area, holding 10% of the world's freshwater and covering an area of 31,700 square miles (82,000 square kilometers). Its average depth is 483 feet (147 meters) with the deepest point reaching 1,332 feet (406 meters). All the water from the other Great Lakes, plus Lake Erie, could be held by Lake Superior. The largest water source into Lake Superior, and the furthest point north in the lake, is the Nipigon River, also home to the World Record Brook Trout. It's estimated that of the 10,000 shipwrecks in the Great Lakes, 350 occurred in Lake Superior. Many have been discovered and documented while half remain unidentified. One of the most famous shipwrecks to date is the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, still the largest shipwreck in Lake Superior.

A border is a geographical boundary between countries, established through treaties and other agreements delineating border lines. These borders are typically controlled by the two countries sharing it, with border crossings at certain points. The United States is known for its vast land area and also has the longest land border in the world. The US shares borders with neighboring countries Canada, Mexico, and a water area adjacent to Russia.

The border between Canada and the United States is officially called the International Boundary. The extended border also includes the border that Canada shares with Alaska. In total, thirteen US states and eight Canadian provinces and territories lie along the border. Stretching 8,893 kilometers (5,526 miles), this is certainly the longest land border between two countries. Throughout history, the border has undergone many changes, with numerous treaties being signed. However, on April 11, 1908, the 1908 Agreement was signed between the United Kingdom and the United States. This agreement aimed to survey and delineate the border between the two North American countries via the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes.

When considering US climate types, mild climates in the US are typical. There are seven main climate regions in the US, and each region has its own fairly consistent weather type. Alaska is an exception as it has an Arctic tundra climate. Hawaii and southern Florida have a tropical climate. Familiarity with each region and its climate can be helpful and even necessary when traveling, engaging in outdoor activities, farming, finding shelter, or even deciding what to wear for the day.

The seven main climate regions of the US are as follows: Pacific Northwest, Highlands, Midwest, Great Plains, Southeast, South, and Southwest. Each US climate region comprises states that are part of a specific area because those states share typical weather patterns in each season. These regional climate types of the US have been studied and developed by scientists, climatologists, and meteorologists to create a predictable climate type for the United States.

Out of the 50 states in the United States, Pennsylvania might be the one most likely to trip up elementary school students on a spelling test. Clearly, the forebears of the nation also struggled with spelling the name: On the Liberty Bell, the word 'Pennsylvania' is missing an 'n.' The Liberty Bell was commissioned by Pennsylvania Assembly Speaker Isaac Norris in 1751. It cracked during its very first test ring. However, that's not the crack everyone knows about; the bell was melted down, recast, and then damaged again in the 1840s. Besides the crack, the historical artifact has a more subtle flaw. 'Pennsylvania,' both originally and currently, is misspelled.

According to the National Science Organization, the name on the Liberty Bell may not necessarily be a typing error. Pennsylvania with one 'n' was one of many accepted spellings of the word in the 18th century. The alternative spelling even appears in the Constitution, though the modern version has two 'n's written elsewhere in the document. Typographical errors etched in stone and metal are harder to correct and more common than you might think. The Lincoln Memorial misquoted 'FUTURE' for years until the final 'E' was changed to an 'F.'

Abraham Lincoln, standing at 193cm tall, holds the record for the tallest President in United States history to this day. Lyndon Johnson, the 36th President of the United States, ranks second on the list, while former President Donald Trump comes in third. President Abraham Lincoln stood 0.22m taller than the average American born in the early 1800s (1.71m). Lincoln was only 1.27cm taller than the second tallest President, Lyndon B. Johnson, who stood at 1.92m. Lincoln passed away on April 15, 1865, after being shot the day before.

The nation's 16th President also has a presence in the Wrestling Hall of Fame. Abraham Lincoln was a talented wrestler before taking on his top job and won 299 out of his 300 matches. While Abraham Lincoln is the tallest President of the United States to date, he wasn't the tallest candidate ever to run for office. Winfield Scott, who ran against Franklin Pierce in 1852, was taller than any presidential candidate. Scott stood at 1.96m, 2.54cm taller than Abraham Lincoln. John Kerry, who ran against George W. Bush in 2004, stood the same height as Abraham Lincoln, but both Winfield Scott and John Kerry did not win their presidential elections.

Motor racing is a serious business, and no team owner is foolish enough to let just anyone jump into their car. This holds true for NASCAR and its requirements to become an official driver, which emphasizes this point clearly. Interestingly, note that NASCAR drivers don't need a regular driver's license to compete. Instead, the governing body issues drivers an annual license for $2,420, which doesn't convert to a valid state driver's license.

What drivers need to do is head to the NASCAR headquarters and apply for an entirely different license. They can go to the nearest licensed racetrack and apply there. Of course, getting the license isn't as easy as passing a simple driving test. Drivers need to demonstrate that they have a solid foundation in the racing arena. This includes some racing experience and technical knowledge about the cars. First and foremost, drivers should attend NASCAR-approved driving schools. This is crucial to help them better understand the sport.

This is the tallest low-rise office building in the world. The entire United States Capitol Building could fit into any one of the five wedges of the building. It boasts 6,500,000 square feet of office space (three times the floor area of the Empire State Building!), 7,754 windows, and 17 1/2 miles of corridors. However, its star and horseshoe design means it only takes about 7 minutes to walk between the farthest points in the building.

The Pentagon was designed when segregation was law in Virginia. But Roosevelt had signed an executive order the year before, banning discrimination against government employees based on race, creed, color, or national origin. So, the Pentagon became the only building in Virginia not to enforce segregation. Because racial segregation was a state law, the Pentagon was built with twice as many bathrooms as would be necessary for a building of its scale.

During the construction of The Pentagon, the construction workers managed to save enough steel to build a battleship. And 689,000 tons of sand and gravel were used to make the building's concrete core, including 41,000 concrete piles dredged from the nearby Potomac River. Over 15,000 workers labored around the clock, and the wartime office shortage meant workers had to be moved in before the Pentagon was completed. Construction finished on January 15, 1943, just 16 months after it began. However, speed came at a cost: Initially budgeted at $35 million, the final cost was $63 million, over $900 million in today's money.

Kentucky's bourbon industry set two modern-day records last year by filling over 2.1 million bourbon barrels. The Kentucky Distillers' Association says this is the highest inventory level in the 52 years they've kept records. It's also the first and only time since 1967 that distilleries have filled more than 2 million bourbon barrels. According to the Kentucky Distillers' Association, Kentucky's bourbon industry generates $8.6 billion for the economy and creates over 20,100 jobs.

The Kentucky Distillers' Association shared that Kentucky now has more bourbon and whiskey barrels than residents. It's hard to believe, especially with the state's last estimated population census of 4.5 million people. Last year, Kentucky's bourbon industry provided over 2.1 million bourbon barrels and a total of 9.1 million barrels aging, making it the highest inventory level since the KDA began keeping records 52 years ago. It also marks the first time since 1967 that Kentucky distilleries have sold over 2 million bourbon barrels in a year.

When the first settlers wandered onto the prairies of the territory, they probably never imagined that one day the land they inhabited would be dubbed the 'wheat state.' Kansas' first wheat crop was planted at the Shawnee Indian Mission near Fairway in Johnson County in 1839. Production expanded westward as the territory settled into statehood in 1861. Initially, wheat didn't thrive in Kansas. Spring wheat varieties initially planted on the plains were adversely affected by the hot, dry summers. Low yields and much skepticism surrounded whether wheat could successfully grow in these challenging climate conditions.

In 1874, Russian Mennonite immigrants introduced Turkey Red wheat to Kansas. This hardy variety was planted in the fall and could withstand Kansas' cold and dry winters. The new wheat could utilize moisture that came in the winter and early spring, then be harvested in early summer. This development revolutionized the wheat industry in Kansas, and Turkey Red wheat is now the ancestor of all Hard Red Winter wheat varieties grown across the plains today.

Kansas continues to be one of the largest wheat producers in the U.S. and is the largest flour milling state in the union. The wheat industry in Kansas is a significant part of the state's economy, contributing around $3.6 billion to the economy in 2013 and supporting approximately 30,000 jobs in Kansas. Kansas produces a lot of bread. 36 billion loaves of bread could be baked from the wheat grown in Kansas each year. That's enough to feed the entire world for two weeks!

New York City is a large and diverse municipality. It is the largest city in the United States with a long history of international migration. New York City is home to over 8.3 million people as of 2019, accounting for over 40% of the population of New York State and a slightly lower percentage of the New York metropolitan area, which has about 23.6 million people. Over the past decade, the city has grown faster than the region. New York City remains the top urban gateway for legally admitted immigrants to the United States. Throughout its history, New York City has been a major port of entry for immigrants.

An intriguing map published by George Washington shows that more people live in the 304.8 square miles of the 5 boroughs of New York City than in a vast swath of the Midwest and Northwest United States combined, including parts of Colorado, Utah, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. This fact about America is particularly startling, considering the area of New York City is just under 300 square kilometers. There are up to 800 languages spoken in New York, making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world.

The United States faces the highest number of tornadoes compared to any other country in the world: over 1,000 tornadoes are reported annually in the United States since 1990. The geography plays a significant role. The area comprised of the Great Plains and the Mississippi River Valley occupies nearly one-third of the country's land area, and this vast expanse of grasslands and farmland can quickly heat up most times of the year, creating pockets of warm air that rise. This region also has access to moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and moisture from vegetation in the area, especially on the hottest days, and cooler air from the Upper Great Plains and Canada. All these factors contribute to the frequent development of severe thunderstorms, many of which can spawn tornadoes.

However, the tally of tornadoes for large countries like The United States is recorded extensively, whereas figures could certainly be known if Brazil, Russia, and Australia also experienced many tornadoes and hurricanes. Russia may experience numerous tornadoes, but there are no reported statistics to quantify their occurrence. Additionally, about 20 tornadoes are reported in Australia each year, though the actual number could be much higher. Many storms occur in uninhabited areas, and thus, any tornadoes they produce do not have specific figures.

In the United States, people consume 3 billion pizza slices, or 46 slices (23 pounds), per person annually. (H/t to The Week for compiling those statistics in 2011.) Every second, 350 slices are sold. Pizza is made from nutritionally poor ingredients, however, a study on over 11,000 children and adolescents also found that pizza is the second leading source of calories in the diet of American children and 20% of individuals aged 2 to 19 consume pizza on any given day. When eating pizza, children consume about 400 calories and adolescents consume about 600 calories.

In a profile of the healthy pizza provider Naked Pizza, it was stated that the United States pizza industry 'serves about 100 pizza slices per day.' This figure comes from the National Association of Pizza Operators, an organization aimed at 'creating and promoting a community of small and independent pizza store operators as well as their suppliers, where doing business with each other is mutually beneficial.' According to a survey by the American Customer Satisfaction Index, when it comes to fast food, Americans are more satisfied with pizza than with sandwiches, considering Pizza Hut their favorite pizza fast-food provider.

As the official workplace and living quarters of the President of the United States, the White House is one of the most famous and recognizable buildings in the world. But behind its imposing neoclassical facade, many details about its construction and history are much less known. Below, find answers to six common questions about the iconic structure that has been home to all but one U.S. president. James Hoban, an Irish immigrant and architect chosen by President George Washington, designed the original building. After it was burned by the British in 1814 during the War of 1812, Hoban led the effort to rebuild the structure.

Although Washington selected the site and the architecture, he was the only president who never lived in the White House. President John Adams was the first to move into the mansion in 1800 before it was completed. Since then, every president and their family have lived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Two presidents also died at the White House: William Henry Harrison in 1841 and Zachary Taylor in 1850, as well as three first ladies, Letitia Tyler, Caroline Harrison, and Ellen Wilson. According to the official White House website, the residence boasts 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, 3 elevators, 412 doors, and 147 windows and features a kitchen equipped to serve a full dinner for up to 140 guests or hors d'oeuvres for 1,000—plus visitors.

The citizens of this nation commemorate American Independence Day on July 4th every year. They regard July 4, 1776, as the date representing the Declaration of Independence and the birth of the United States as an independent nation. However, July 4, 1776, wasn't the day when the Continental Congress decided to declare independence (they did so on July 2, 1776). It also wasn't the commencement of the American Revolution (that occurred in April 1775).

And it wasn't the day Thomas Jefferson penned the initial draft of the Declaration of Independence (that was in June 1776). Nor the day the Declaration was sent to the Kingdom of Great Britain (that didn't happen until November 1776). Or the day it was signed (that was on August 2, 1776). Instead, Americans observe Constitution Day on September 17th annually, the day commemorating the signing of the Constitution rather than the day it was ratified. If Americans followed a similar approach for the Declaration of Independence, they would celebrate Independence Day on August 2nd each year, the day the Declaration of Independence was signed!

Idaho has the most river miles of any state in the country (over 3,100 miles, to be exact). You also know that Idaho's rivers are marvelously scenic, flowing freely and often untamed despite our desert climate, which itself is a natural wonder and geological marvel. But Idaho's rivers are also a lifeline here. Riverfront towns rely on them for irrigation, recreation, and power, while our wildlife and plant communities depend on them to nurture the scenic beauty.

The total length of Idaho's rivers could stretch across the United States about 40 times over! The longest river in Idaho is the Snake River, stretching over 1,730 kilometers and being one of the main branches of the mighty Columbia River. At 350 miles long, the Owyhee River is often overlooked in the Southern Idaho landscape though its dramatic course cuts through sheer mountain canyons and the rocky landscapes of the Owyhee Plateau. A designated Wild and Scenic River since 1968, the Lochsa River or 'Loc-sah' was aptly named by Native Americans, a moniker meaning 'rough water region.' The Boise River, a 102-mile waterway, stands out for its absolute diversity of habitats it traverses....

The Empire State Building is so massive, it got its own zip code in 1980. So, if you find yourself needing an address with zip code 10188, you're heading to the Empire State Building! Standing at 380 meters tall, including its pinnacle and antenna, the building boasts an impressive height of 1,454 feet (443 meters). It currently ranks as the 4th tallest building in New York City, the 6th tallest in the United States, and the 43rd tallest skyscraper in the world. To reach the observation deck on the 102nd floor, you'll have to climb 1,872 steps. That's some serious legwork!

The Empire State Building houses a whopping 73 giant Otis elevators, so you'll be able to ascend to the top and enjoy the view without breaking a sweat. Each year, they often host the Empire State Building Run-Up, one of the most famous tower races in the world, where competitors race to climb the stairs! Among the top five tallest buildings in New York City, the Empire State Building is by far the oldest. Construction of the building began in 1930 and after an astonishing 13 months, it was completed in 1931. In 2011, researchers from Cornell University analyzed millions of photographs and concluded that the Empire State Building is the most photographed building in the world. USPS states that there are 41 buildings with their own ZIP codes in Manhattan.