Take a Tour Through the 10 Biggest Ranches in the Lone Star State
One thing is for sure, there are plenty of ranchers in Texas. Did you know that a massive portion of the state is privately owned? It's true, about 95%. If you do any traveling in Texas, you'll see pretty quickly the miles and miles of these private ranches. It's a way of life for a lot of folks. Agribusiness is a big business in Texas.
I remember spending time at my Pappy's farm in the summers. It was only about 50 acres or so. Back then I thought it was huge but it's only a drop in the bucket compared to the ranches you'll see below. These bad boys are gigantic with acreage in the thousands. Take a look at these "Big 10" and see how many you know.
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Jones Family Ranch
255,000 acres
This one has been around for a while. Since 1897. W. W. Jones is the man behind this ranch. It mainly produces oil and is still run by the Jones family.
The Four Sixes Ranch
275,000 acres
This ranch has not one but three locations throughout Texas. It all started with a few heads of cattle; it's now one of the largest ranches in Texas. The land is owned by Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan.
Kokernot Heirs (O6 Ranch)
278,000 acres
The Kokernot family has been known for ranching since 1836. This ranch, located near Alpine, runs a cattle operation and has been the filming site for multiple movies.
Nunley Brothers Ranch
301,500 acres
Red Nunley started this ranch over 70 years ago. Based out of Sabinal, it's a cattle-operating ranch but with a specialty. This farm runs the Santa Gertrudis breed.
Longfellow Ranch
350,000 acres
These ranches are a hunter's paradise. Folks come from miles around to the Big Bend area to hunt mule deer and elk.
Hughes Ranch
390,000 acres
The wealth of this family came from oil and gas. The main man who started it all was Dan Allen Hughes, Sr. Most of this ranch is for private use only, although they do sell cattle and some hunting leases.
O'Connor Ranch
500,000 acres
Turning the half-million-acre mark is the O'Connor ranch. This place is huge and based in the coastal region of South Texas. Irishman Tom O'Connor showed up basically broke and started a fortune.
Waggoner Ranch
535,000 acres
The W. T. Waggoner Ranch is well-known in Texas...and it is massive. It runs a productive cattle and oil business. At last check, it was still owned by LA Rams owner Stan Kroenke who has another ranch in Montana.
Briscoe Ranches
640,000 acres
It was 1910 when Dolph Briscoe Sr. founded the ranch near Uvalde. Dolph Briscoe Jr. would go on to extend the massive wealth of the ranch and the family.
King Ranch
825,000 acres
This is it folks. The biggest in Texas. The King Ranch. And it is indeed the king. The familiar running W brand even has its own line of pickup trucks. The best part is that it's still a working ranch.
If you were to add up all the acres these ranches share, it's no wonder that most of the state is privately owned. It certainly proves that ranching is still very much a way of life here in Texas.
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Gallery Credit: Rudy Fernandez