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The bulk of the state is similar to Oklahoma. Far west Texas is like New Mexico, south Texas is more like Mexico and east Texas is more like Louisiana but the central bulk of the state, and the northern part including the panhandle is more like Oklahoma.
Dallas, Fort Worth, Abilene, Austin, San Angelo, all those cities and the surrounding areas are more like Oklahoma than any other state. The whole of Texas is far too large to be identical to a single state. It has the green forests like Louisiana and southwest Arkansas, the plains of Oklahoma, and the dry desert of New Mexico. It's where the south and southwest blend into a very unique state. Overall, it is very wide and open, akin to Oklahoma. Much of the state isn't very green besides spring time nor is it very forested until you get way further east.
Sorry but I also don't agree with much of this assessment.
East Texas spans from about Denison to the north to Galveston to the south. That's an area that's as big or bigger than many states.
Dallas and Fort Worth, Austin and San Angelo and those surrounding areas simply don't remind me of Oklahoma much (though out of all those cities, I'd say Fort Worth is the closest to that Oklahoma vibe). And central and east Texas are green even in the heat of summer, though the Hill Country is a dusty green. The Hill Country is a different type of vegetation that what you'll find in East Texas but it's still green. And the Hill Country terrain, which is central Texas basically, is simply not much like Oklahoma's plains to me.
But of course there are areas of the vast state of Texas that seem like some parts of Oklahoma (and for that matter, all of Oklahoma isn't the same either). I mean, the two states border each other so of course there are some similarities along that border.
Most of the population of Texas is in the eastern half of the state, which is why so many Texans think of that portion of the state when they think of "Texas." Before I moved to Texas, I thought of basically the hellish drive across the state that we took when I was about thirteen, stuck in the back seat of the family sedan with my two younger brothers. Needless to say, I didn't have a very favorable or accurate impression of the state!
I'm sorry but I just do not agree that Austin is like Oklahoma. Maybe you are looking at this from a topography standpoint. I can see that, barely. Outside of that, Austin has virtually nothing in common with Oklahoma, demographically, socially, or politically. Dallas doesn't either. Now Fort Worth does.
Yes overall I'm going by geographical features. How does Dallas not have much in common with Oklahoma? It is just over an hour from the border, lots of people in Dallas go to Oklahoma, especially for Winstar. Lots of people living in Dallas, are from Oklahoma. Scenery wise they're very similar.
I spent a week in Austin last year in March. Doesn't strike me too different from Oklahoma. Certainly more like Oklahoma than Louisiana. The part of Austin I was in, is not the hipster transplanty area, it's a place full of Texas born Mexican Americans. There's a stronger Mexican identity in Oklahoma than Louisiana, much stronger.
Fort Worth is right across from Dallas, the Oklahoma influence is just as strong. Just cuz Fort Worth has a stronger western identity doesn't matter. Both cities are an equal driving distance from the state and the scenery is pretty much the same for the Red River area. Same trees, same basic scenery. Cattle ranches and farms, same hot dryish climate of the lower plains. Only difference is one has casinos the other adult video stores
In Oklahoma, I've only been as far up as Ardmore, and all of that can easily pass for much of Texas. In Texas, I've been from the Louisiana border on I-20 as far west as San Angelo and as far south of Austin and most of that can pass for Oklahoma more than any other state. The difference from the plains around Dallas and the piney woods around Longview is astounding.
Sorry but I also don't agree with much of this assessment.
East Texas spans from about Denison to the north to Galveston to the south. That's an area that's as big or bigger than many states.
Dallas and Fort Worth, Austin and San Angelo and those surrounding areas simply don't remind me of Oklahoma much (though out of all those cities, I'd say Fort Worth is the closest to that Oklahoma vibe). And central and east Texas are green even in the heat of summer, though the Hill Country is a dusty green. The Hill Country is a different type of vegetation that what you'll find in East Texas but it's still green. And the Hill Country terrain, which is central Texas basically, is simply not much like Oklahoma's plains to me.
But of course there are areas of the vast state of Texas that seem like some parts of Oklahoma (and for that matter, all of Oklahoma isn't the same either). I mean, the two states border each other so of course there are some similarities along that border.
Most of the population of Texas is in the eastern half of the state, which is why so many Texans think of that portion of the state when they think of "Texas." Before I moved to Texas, I thought of basically the hellish drive across the state that we took when I was about thirteen, stuck in the back seat of the family sedan with my two younger brothers. Needless to say, I didn't have a very favorable or accurate impression of the state!
Both Dallas and Ft. Worth are very much Texas, but they're more similar to OK than any other state. No similarities to Louisiana which is very swampy, wooded unlike Dallas which has such fewer trees in comparison. Also, I live in Denton, so many people up here love to go across the border to gamble or shop. Texas is just far enough west that the climate and scenery rapidly changes. I notice a big enough change between just here and Abilene.
Both Dallas and Ft. Worth are very much Texas, but they're more similar to OK than any other state. No similarities to Louisiana which is very swampy, wooded unlike Dallas which has such fewer trees in comparison. Also, I live in Denton, so many people up here love to go across the border to gamble or shop. Texas is just far enough west that the climate and scenery rapidly changes. I notice a big enough change between just here and Abilene.
OK whatever you say. But I think you're possibly forgetting that all of Louisiana is not swamp land. The northern half of Louisiana for instance isn't swampy at all.
And the eastern areas of Oklahoma are not the plains.
Like I said, of course border areas are going to be similar, but you're applying that to most of the states of Texas and Oklahoma and that's just not accurate.
Oh by the way, Dallas is nearly two hours from the Oklahoma border, not one hour. And you say you've only been as far as Ardmore, OK - which is not far from the Texas border (and only two hours north of Dallas). So I really don't think you're that familiar with the landscape of Oklahoma in general. If you were, I think you would be able to understand how different the cities and areas you've listed in Texas are in look and feel from most of Oklahoma.
OK whatever you say. But I think you're possibly forgetting that all of Louisiana is not swamp land. The northern half of Louisiana for instance isn't swampy at all.
And the eastern areas of Oklahoma are not the plains.
Like I said, of course border areas are going to be similar, but you're applying that to most of the states of Texas and Oklahoma and that's just not accurate.
Oh by the way, Dallas is nearly two hours from the Oklahoma border, not one hour. And you say you've only been as far as Ardmore, OK - which is not far from the Texas border (and only two hours north of Dallas). So I really don't think you're that familiar with the landscape of Oklahoma in general. If you were, I think you would be able to understand how different the cities and areas you've listed in Texas are in look and feel from most of Oklahoma.
Hey Kathryn! I routinely drive from the Ardmore area to Dallas for my job, and I've made it in about one hour and twenty-five minutes. Granted, it's usually about four in the morning so the traffic on 35E is little to none. So that makes a difference. The traffic, not the distance, is what can turn it into a two hour drive.
I agree that FTWorth is like OK City; in fact, I would say it is VERY much like. I live in OK City and I'm in FTWorth every 2-3 weeks for work. OK City and FTWorth are just about as close to kissin' cousins as can be. FTWorth is a tad more scenic/happening in its downtown area, even with some of the renovations OK City has made in Bricktown.
I do agree that the feel is different from OK City to Dallas. Dallas is a fully urbanized city, with a very dense downtown with all the amenities (and traffic!) that come with it. There's nothing in OK City that really has that feel. Tulsa, I would argue, has more of a vibe and air akin to Dallas. I think the difference in OK City to Dallas is mainly its urbanity. And in some ways, because of the countless transplants that are in Dallas (similar to somewhere say like HotLanta), OK City has more of the Southern/Southwest feel that is very similar to FTWorth, not Dallas, which is such a mishmash of cultural influences it would be hard to say what it is even though it is undeniably in the South.
As for the MAIN point of the thread, LOL, there are definite areas of East Texas that feel like Louisiana. Ever been to Tyler, Nacagdoches, or Marshall = Very similar to the westside of Louisiana. (Southeastern OK, especially Hugo and points east to Idabel have a very similar feel to east Texas and west Louisiana. One is most assuredly in the Deep South culturally in these places.)
To me, many parts of Texas aren't southern. Texas is well Texas. It doesn't have the traditional culture like let's say Arkansas. Texas is pretty diverse, progressive, growing, bbq, Cowboys. Texas fits in with the "Wild West" more than it would with other southern cities. Yes, many parts of Texas such as east Texas are very southern. But cities like Houston aren't similar to Nashville, Little Rock, etc. It doesn't have that southern culture.
South Louisiana/New Orleans has that culture. I don't think it's as southern as Mississippi or Nashville, but it still has that culture.
That's just my take on it.
There is plenty of southern culture all around Houston. There are plenty of neighborhoods that you could ride by and know you are smack dead in the south.
Texas is a very large state, and the only portion that really fits in comfortably with the South is east of the Trinity River, which is a relatively small sliver of the state. It's the same reason why Missouri and West Virginia are debatable as Southern states, because they, like Texas, have a significant portion that really isn't Southern at all.
Yes overall I'm going by geographical features. How does Dallas not have much in common with Oklahoma? It is just over an hour from the border, lots of people in Dallas go to Oklahoma, especially for Winstar. Lots of people living in Dallas, are from Oklahoma. Scenery wise they're very similar.
I spent a week in Austin last year in March. Doesn't strike me too different from Oklahoma. Certainly more like Oklahoma than Louisiana. The part of Austin I was in, is not the hipster transplanty area, it's a place full of Texas born Mexican Americans. There's a stronger Mexican identity in Oklahoma than Louisiana, much stronger.
Fort Worth is right across from Dallas, the Oklahoma influence is just as strong. Just cuz Fort Worth has a stronger western identity doesn't matter. Both cities are an equal driving distance from the state and the scenery is pretty much the same for the Red River area. Same trees, same basic scenery. Cattle ranches and farms, same hot dryish climate of the lower plains. Only difference is one has casinos the other adult video stores
In Oklahoma, I've only been as far up as Ardmore, and all of that can easily pass for much of Texas. In Texas, I've been from the Louisiana border on I-20 as far west as San Angelo and as far south of Austin and most of that can pass for Oklahoma more than any other state. The difference from the plains around Dallas and the piney woods around Longview is astounding.
You're looking at it from a topography standpoint. Outside of that and perhaps the weather, that's where the Dallas similarities with Oklahoma end. Dallas is far more diverse, far more liberal (Oklahoma makes Dallas feel like San Francisco), much more urban with a much higher density. Austin is pretty much the same way and it's 300 miles away from Oklahoma. It probably has as much in common with Mexico than it does with Oklahoma. Honestly, outside of the hill country which can remind one of the green country in around Tulsa, Austin doesn't remind me much of Oklahoma either.
Both Dallas and Ft. Worth are very much Texas, but they're more similar to OK than any other state. No similarities to Louisiana which is very swampy, wooded unlike Dallas which has such fewer trees in comparison. Also, I live in Denton, so many people up here love to go across the border to gamble or shop. Texas is just far enough west that the climate and scenery rapidly changes. I notice a big enough change between just here and Abilene.
I always get a chuckle out of Texans as they try to distance themselves from Oklahoma. This is particularly true of their north Texas mecca of wonderful mighty Dallas. Obviously Dallas is much larger than OKC and it's "liberalism" is wildly overstated other than the fact that Dallas is more ethnic than OKC. The core of OKC is somewhat liberal as is Dallas (on the north side of the river in both cities).
I've been going to Dallas since about 1965 and it's never felt it was THAT different than Oklahoma City. Just much bigger with more fancy stuff. Certainly it is the core city of the Southern plains and northeastern Texas/SW Oklahoma and even into Louisiana.
Texans, by their nature and upbringing tend to look for the differences when they leave Texas as opposed to the similarities of another state or city.
It's not San Francisco but it's not Oklahoma either. Dallas is more liberal than just the Northside of the river. The city of Dallas continously votes to the left on most issues and going more to the left as each year passes. If it wasn't for the suburbs, Dallas would overwhelmingly vote to the left. Hate to bring the Democratic = liberalism thing in, but Dallas County is nearly 60/40 and the local elections gap is even wider. Dallas is also much more diverse than OKC.
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, LOL, there are definite areas of East Texas that feel like Louisiana. Ever been to Tyler, Nacagdoches, or Marshall = Very similar to the westside of Louisiana. (Southeastern OK, especially Hugo and points east to Idabel have a very similar feel to east Texas and west Louisiana. One is most assuredly in the Deep South culturally in these places.)
