Texas became the 28th state on December 29, 1845.

Its civic life reflects its history as a republic, border communities, energy, agriculture, ports, technology, military installations, tribal nations, and some of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas. Public decisions about water, schools, roads, power, immigration, courts, health care, housing, and disaster response can affect millions while still landing differently in rural counties, border cities, suburbs, and major metros. From here, readers can move straight to Texas’s federal delegation, statehouse leadership, and the public records behind any claim made about state policy.