Slideshow · Viral
20 Weird Facts You Might Not Know About the USA
Think you know America? From a high school student designing the 50-star flag to 1.4 billion pounds of cheese stored in Missouri caves, swipe through 20 bizarre, mind-bending facts hiding across the United States.
14 hours agoVerified Editorial
⏱8 Min Read
◫21 Verified Slides
◫Slideshow Mode
20 Weird Facts You Might Not Know About the USA 
20. The 50-Star FlagIn 1958, high school junior Robert Heft designed the 50-star flag for class and got a B-. Eisenhower later chose it, earning him an A. 
19. Bourbon BarrelsKentucky holds over 12.6 million aging barrels of bourbon whiskey, outnumbering the state's 4.5 million human residents nearly 3 to 1. 
18. Empire State ZipThe Empire State Building is so massive that the USPS gave it a dedicated ZIP code, 10118, serving roughly 1,000 corporate tenants. 
17. Four CornersThe Four Corners Monument is the only spot in the US where you can stand in AZ, NM, UT, and Colorado at the exact same second. 
16. Giant Twine BallCawker City, Kansas boasts the world's largest ball of sisal twine, weighing over 11 tons and growing annually at a community twine-a-thon. 
15. Centralia Mine FireAn underground coal fire has burned beneath Centralia, Pennsylvania since 1962, turning the borough into an eerie, steaming ghost town. 
14. Monowi, NebraskaMonowi is the only incorporated town in the US with a population of one. Resident Elsie Eiler serves as mayor, clerk, and bartender. 
13. Lake SuperiorLake Superior holds 3 quadrillion gallons of freshwater—enough water to cover all of North and South America in one foot of liquid. 
12. Uncle SamUncle Sam was inspired by Samuel Wilson, a Troy, NY meatpacker who supplied beef barrels to US troops during the War of 1812. 
11. Mount RushmoreCarved behind Abraham Lincoln's head at Mount Rushmore is a hidden Hall of Records containing copies of America's founding documents. 
10. Plymouth RockThe famed Plymouth Rock is surprisingly tiny today—centuries of souvenir chipping and relocations split it and broke off over half its mass. 
9. The Liberty BellThe Liberty Bell features a famous typo: the state name is cast directly into the bronze as 'Pensylvania' with just a single letter 'n'. 
8. Rabbit Hash, KYThe Kentucky hamlet of Rabbit Hash has never had a human mayor—since 1998, residents have exclusively elected rescue dogs into office. 
7. No Official LanguageThe United States does not have an official language at the federal level. Founding Fathers chose not to declare English to protect freedom. 
6. Metric Since 1866The metric system has actually been completely legal in the United States since 1866, when Congress passed the Metric Act. 
5. Seven Mile BridgeConnecting the Florida Keys, the Seven Mile Bridge spans 35,862 feet of open turquoise ocean, making it an epic American highway drive. 
4. Shiny Copper LibertyWhen France gifted the Statue of Liberty in 1886, she wasn't green at all—she gleamed with the shiny reddish-brown color of a new penny. 
3. Crater LakeOregon's Crater Lake is America's deepest lake at 1,943 feet. Fed only by snow and rain, it is considered one of the purest lakes on Earth. 
2. Mammoth CaveKentucky's Mammoth Cave is the world's longest known cave system, with over 426 surveyed miles of underground subterranean passages. 
1. Subterranean Cheese CavesThe US government stores 1.4 billion pounds of surplus cheese inside converted underground limestone caves in Springfield, Missouri.
1 / 21
▼ Visual Countdown21 Verified Slides
⏱ ~8 Min Read
Swipe or tap ▶ to begin the countdown
©Openverse / Ron Cogswell