panhandle

A panhandle is a narrow landform or region that extends from a larger area, creating a slender projection reminiscent of the handle of a cooking pan. The term is used in physical geography and regional toponymy to describe such protrusions, often arising from historical borders, natural features, or transportation corridors. Panhandles are not formal administrative units; their boundaries are typically conventional and culturally defined rather than legal jurisdictions.

In the United States, multiple states contain widely recognized panhandles. The Florida Panhandle lies along the Gulf of Mexico coast, stretching from Pensacola to Apalachicola and including the northern Gulf coastal plain; it contrasts with the Florida Peninsula to the south. The Texas Panhandle covers the northwestern third of the state, bordered by Oklahoma to the north and New Mexico to the west, and includes Amarillo. The Oklahoma Panhandle is a slender strip between the Texas Panhandle and Colorado.

Other examples include the Nebraska Panhandle in the western part of Nebraska, the Idaho Panhandle in the state’s far north near Washington and British Columbia, and the Alaska Panhandle in the state’s southeastern archipelago region along the Gulf of Alaska, which includes Juneau. The term is also sometimes used more narrowly in regions with similar shapes, and it remains a common idiom for describing such geographic projections.