# 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:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/21 "2008-09-13T16:56:29Z")
> [@BJMoose](#): > > 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. . . . I think you will find that it is full of very little. I think I read that several counties up there have some of the lowest population density in the State (or country, probably). ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/22 "2008-09-13T17:21:39Z")
> [@BJMoose](#): > > 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. . . . Naw, all the [panhandlers are down here in Austin](http://www.news8austin.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=123952). Don’t bother with the drive through the panhandle. There ain’t nothing to see up there. ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2008, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/23 "2008-09-13T18:13:40Z")
> [@Huerta88](#): > > I think you will find that [the panhandle] is full of very little. I think I read that several counties up there have some of the lowest population density in the State (or country, probably). If it’s useful, here’s a [population density map](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Texas_population_map.png) of Texas. It does indeed look pretty empty up there. ---
**Author:** ![BJMoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@BJMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BJMoose)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/24 "2008-09-14T19:26:29Z")
> [@UncleRojelio](#): > > Naw, all the [panhandlers are down here in Austin](http://www.news8austin.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=123952). Don’t bother with the drive through the panhandle. There ain’t nothing to see up there. The Lege must be in session. I wouldn’t be doing it for the vistas. It’s just that U.S. 54 seems the most practical route from Kansas to New Mexico. (BTW, western Kansas is pretty sparse, too.) ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/25 "2008-09-14T19:34:10Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > 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. I’d say they’re bootheels, too. Pennsylvania has a chimney corner. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/26 "2008-09-14T21:39:42Z")
Is northern Utah ever referred to as a panhandle? ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2008, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/27 "2008-09-14T22:26:45Z")
> [@BJMoose](#): > > I wouldn’t be doing it for the vistas. It’s just that U.S. 54 seems the most practical route from Kansas to New Mexico. Well, try not to fall asleep. ---
**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2008, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355/28 "2008-09-15T00:46:03Z")
> [@Turek](#): > > 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”. Sure, but West Texas also includes the panhandle, whereas Big Bend does not. Oddly enough [West, Texas](http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=West,+Texas&ie=UTF8&ll=31.015279,-97.163086&spn=14.812477,28.476562&z=6&iwloc=addr) is more centrally located. 🙂 ps - don’t let the location fool you, I’ve lived in Texas for over 40 years. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-part-of-texas-is-meant-by-the-panhandle/463355.md?page=1)