How the States Got Their Shapes and Other Cool Facts
If you look at a map of the United States, you might find yourself wondering what people were thinking when they were creating the shapes of some of the states.
As America expanded westward, the federal government drew most state boundaries along lines of latitude and longitude. That’s why, with some exceptions, Western and some Midwestern states tend to look more rectangular.
During the period of railroad expansion, rail lines also played a role in boundary drawing. They often defined where one state ended and another began.
This is the sliver between Colorado and Texas. Why isn’t it part of one of those two? There’s a joke that Colorado asked not to share a border with Texas, but the reality has to do with slavery.