Sure, maybe some of us have stood over a state line to be in two places at once. But did you know there's a place near Texarkana, Texas that lets you be in three states at once? The Texas town famously has a twin city directly across the Arkansas border, but there's also a tiny roadside attraction nearby that allows you to visit Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana all at the same time.
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The exact location, appropriately known as Three States, is in Cass County, Texas. Back in 2017, The Texarkana Gazette reported on the roadside marker, explaining that it indicates the exact point where Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana meet. The marker can be found on Texas Highway 77 and Louisiana State Highway 1 and draws tourists who are excited about the chance to visit South Arkansas, Northwest Louisiana, and East Texas in the same spot.
The larger socio-economic region where the three states meet is known as Ark-La-Tex.
Ark-La-Tex
Arklatex is roughly 46,000 square miles. They even have their own homepage to keep tabs on all of the news throughout the area.
The economic center of this area is Shreveport, Louisiana, which is not far from the small town of Haughton, which is also in the tri-state region. Across the 47 counties, Tyler is the second-largest city in the area from the Texan side. Arklatex also crosses one county in Southern Oklahoma along the Red River, McCurtain County.
Cities in the area that contain over 10,000 residents include Bossier City, Louisiana; Longview, Texas; Marshall, Texas; Minden, Louisiana; Ruston, Louisiana; El Dorado, Arkansas; Paris, Texas; Lufkin, Texas; Nacogdoches, Texas; and Idabel, Oklahoma. It also crosses over the twin cities of Texarkana, Texas and Texarkana, Arkansas. Arklatex ends in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana.
Read More: 10 Historic Texas Sites You Should Visit That Aren't the Alamo
Ark-La-Tex Attractions
If you find yourself in the area, you'll also get to see three national forests -- Angelina National Forest, Davy Crockett National Forest, and Sabine National Forest. The region is prone to severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in the spring and summer months. Known as "Dixie Alley," the rain can get so bad that the tornadoes can't be seen by law enforcement or storm chasers.
The region has a distinct musical style as well. In 1948, Shreveport radio station KWKH started the variety show, Ark-La-Tex Jubilee, which preceded the well-known Lousiana Hayride.
