# What part of Texas is meant by "The Panhandle?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 12, 2008, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355 "2008-09-12T22:49:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/1 "2008-09-12T22:49:02Z")
Seriously. The Oklahoma Panhandle I get, because a map of the state looks like a saucepan. But I’m not seeing anything on the silhouette of Texas that resembles the handle of a pan. So, what part of Texas is supposed to be the Panhandle? And do I have to hold my head at a funny angle and squint my eyes to see it? I hope not. I’m never any good at those “Magic Eye” 3-D dealies, and if there’s a trick to finding the Panhandle, I’m probably never going to get it. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/2 "2008-09-12T22:49:49Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Seriously. The Oklahoma Panhandle I get, because a map of the state looks like a saucepan. But I’m not seeing anything on the silhouette of Texas that resembles the handle of a pan. > > So, what part of Texas is supposed to be the Panhandle? And do I have to hold my head at a funny angle and squint my eyes to see it? I hope not. I’m never any good at those “Magic Eye” 3-D dealies, and if there’s a trick to finding the Panhandle, I’m probably never going to get it. The rectangular part at the top that juts up. > **[Texas panhandle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Panhandle)** > > The Texas Panhandle is a region of the U.S. state of Texas consisting of the northernmost 26 counties in the state. The panhandle is a square-shaped area bordered by New Mexico to the west and Oklahoma to the north and east. It is adjacent to the Oklahoma Panhandle, land which Texas previously claimed. The 1820 Missouri Compromise declared no slavery would be allowed in states admitted from the Louisiana Purchase above 36°30′ north latitude. Texas was annexed in 1845 from still more westerly la... ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/3 "2008-09-12T23:26:02Z")
> [@Huerta88](#): > > The rectangular part at the top that juts up. > > [Texas panhandle - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Panhandle) Consider my ignorance fought. I always thought it was the western protrusion which makes it look like the state of Texas is aiming a six-shooter towards the Pacific ocean. ---
**Author:** ![BJMoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@BJMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BJMoose)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/4 "2008-09-12T23:37:59Z")
The Texas “panhandle” is basically everything west of Oklahoma. Apparently geographers use the term panhandle rather loosely. If one corner juts out significantly, it’s a panhandle.\* The proximity to the Oklahoma panhandle may have had something to do with it. * * * - Unless it’s real small compared to the whole area; then it’s a “bootheel” (cf. southeast Missouri). ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2008, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/5 "2008-09-12T23:53:36Z")
Florida has a panhandle too, although we’d be perfectly happy to give it all to Alabama. Except South Padre Island, maybe. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/6 "2008-09-13T00:12:09Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > Consider my ignorance fought. I always thought it was the western protrusion which makes it look like the state of Texas is aiming a six-shooter towards the Pacific ocean. I did, too. > [@Really Not All That Bright](#): > > ``` > Florida has a panhandle too, although we'd be perfectly happy to give it all to Alabama. > > ``` 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/7 "2008-09-13T00:13:03Z")
> [@BJMoose](#): > > Apparently geographers use the term panhandle rather loosely. You ain’t kiddin’. If it was up to me, it’d be the Texas [soufflé cup.](http://www.joannehudson.com/shop_image/product/ea879c3f70872f7455c0b03f894d7da4.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/8 "2008-09-13T00:17:56Z")
If you look at a[map of the Republic of Texas,](http://www.maps.com/ref_map.aspx?pid=12926) you can see that the Panhandle looked a bit more pandhandle-ish. Texas was quite a bit bigger than the State of Texas is today. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/9 "2008-09-13T00:28:35Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Seriously. The Oklahoma Panhandle I get. > So, what part of Texas is supposed to be the Panhandle? Since you “get” the Oklahoma Panhandle it should be duck soup to understand that the Texas Panhandle is the part of Texas that compliments the Oklahoma Panhandle! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/10 "2008-09-13T01:31:34Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I did, too. > 🙂 I never noticed your location before! ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/11 "2008-09-13T01:36:35Z")
> [@spingears](#): > > Since you “get” the Oklahoma Panhandle it should be duck soup to understand that the Texas Panhandle is the part of Texas that compliments the Oklahoma Panhandle! 😃 It’s so much unwieldier to call it the “Texas part-under-the-panhandle-of-Oklahoma,” innit? 😃 I wonder if regions adjacent to Florida’s panhandle refer to themselves likewise. ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/12 "2008-09-13T02:21:21Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > Consider my ignorance fought. I always thought it was the western protrusion which makes it look like the state of Texas is aiming a six-shooter towards the Pacific ocean. That’s the “Trans-Pecos”. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/13 "2008-09-13T02:35:26Z")
> [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > It’s so much unwieldier to call it the “Texas part-under-the-panhandle-of-Oklahoma,” innit? 😃 And somehow, Texas potholder doesn’t cut it either. Unless he’s dealing in weed. ---
**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/14 "2008-09-13T04:35:21Z")
> [@yabob](#): > > That’s the “Trans-Pecos”. I’ve always heard the westernmost region of Texas called the Big Bend, and for obvious reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/15 "2008-09-13T04:45:35Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Florida has a panhandle too, although we’d be perfectly happy to give it all to Alabama. As do West Virginia and Nebraska. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/16 "2008-09-13T10:17:36Z")
> [@Rhubarb](#): > > I’ve always heard the westernmost region of Texas called the Big Bend, and for obvious reasons. Big Bend is actually just the lowest part of that area. There’s a state and national park there. Those of us in Texas just call that large chunk of the state “West Texas”. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/17 "2008-09-13T12:11:46Z")
Maryland, Idaho and Alaska also have [panhandles](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panhandle). Missouri and New Mexico have bootheels. West Virginia has two panhandles, northern and eastern. Personally, I’d have called them pseudopods, since the whole state resembles an amoeba. For some reason, there doesn’t seem to be a special name for the panhandle-like parts of Alabama and Mississippi. ---
**Author:** ![BJMoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@BJMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BJMoose)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/18 "2008-09-13T15:29:10Z")
> [@spingears](#): > > Since you “get” the Oklahoma Panhandle it should be duck soup to understand that the Texas Panhandle is the part of Texas that compliments the Oklahoma Panhandle! 😃 Since when did Texas ever _compliment_ Oklahoma?? I was going to suggest that the Texas panhandle region is so called because it is full of panhandlers, but I may have to drive through the area some day. . . . ---
**Author:** ![Gotterfunken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/58956e/32.png) [@Gotterfunken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gotterfunken)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/19 "2008-09-13T16:16:57Z")
> [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > It’s so much unwieldier to call it the “Texas part-under-the-panhandle-of-Oklahoma,” innit? 😃 > > I wonder if regions adjacent to Florida’s panhandle refer to themselves likewise. The area around Tallahassee (whereabouts the Panhandle merges with the peninsula) is often called the “Big Bend.” Growing up in Panama City, I sometimes heard people jokingly refer to the Panhandle as “L.A.” (“Lower Alabama”). ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/20 "2008-09-13T16:17:28Z")
The panhandle is the really flat part. It’s also known as America’s ironing board. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355.md?page=2)