Texas’s King Ranch Encompasses More Land Than Rhode Island (2024)

Who owns King Ranch in Texas? Meet the Kleberg family, which has owned the 825,000-acre ranch and agribusiness for generations now.

Texas’s King Ranch Encompasses More Land Than Rhode Island (1)

By Dan Clarendon

Dec. 7 2021, Published 9:19 p.m. ET

The Klebergs, the family that owns the legendary King Ranch in Texas, could be sitting on a billion dollars of land value, according to one estimate. As its website boasts, King Ranch covers 825,000 acres of land in Texas, an area larger than the state of Rhode Island. It’s little wonder that the Ford Motor Company licenses the King Ranch name for upscale variants of its F-Series trucks.

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“Over the course of over 160 years, King Ranch led some of the first cattle drives, developed the Santa Gertrudis and Santa Cruz breeds of cattle, bred the finest Quarter Horses, and produced champion Thoroughbreds—all under its iconic Running W brand,” the site adds. “Today’s King Ranch is a major agribusiness with interests in cattle ranching, farming (citrus, cotton, grain, sugar cane, and turfgrass), luxury retail goods, and recreational hunting.” Here’s more about the property.

Who owns King Ranch in Texas?

For generations now, the Kleberg family—namesake of Kleberg County, Tex.—has owned King Ranch. Cattle rancher Richard King and wife Henrietta founded the ranch, according to a 1980 Texas Monthly article, and when the latter died in 1925, her heirs split up the ranch’s 1.2 million acres. Alice Kleberg, daughter of Richard and Henrietta, and her husband, Robert, inherited more than 800,000 acres of the land, and they incorporated that acreage as the King Ranch in 1934.

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Who are the descendants of King Ranch?

Various Kleberg descendants have made names for themselves in the public sector. Richard M. Kleberg, one of Robert and Alice’s sons, served seven terms as the U.S. Representative from Texas’s 14th congressional district between 1931 and 1945, for example. Also, during that time, future President Lyndon B. Johnson worked as his legislative assistant.

Now Jay Kleberg, another descendant in the Kleberg family tree, is getting into politics. Jay, a conservationist and filmmaker, is running for state land commissioner, hoping to succeed current commissioner George P. Bush, who’s running for attorney general. According to the Corpus Christi Caller Times, Jay grew up on King Ranch and produced a documentary about the Rio Grande called The River and the Wall. Those experiences taught Jay “the value of hard work and land stewardship,” he said.

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How much is King Ranch worth?

Thanks to the sale of the W.T. Waggoner Estate Ranch in Texas earlier this year, we can get a sense of King Ranch’s value. Waggoner Ranch isn’t as large as King Ranch, but it calls itself the “largest ranch under one fence.” King Ranch, meanwhile, is split across multiple parcels.

Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke bought Waggoner Ranch this summer, according to Forbes, and though the terms of the sale weren’t disclosed, the nearly-800-square-mile property was listed at $725 million. Robert Grunnah, a principal at the Texas land specialty firm Novus Realty Advisors, told Bloomberg in July 2021 that if Waggoner Ranch is worth $725 million, King Ranch is worth $1.1 billion.

Texas’s King Ranch Encompasses More Land Than Rhode Island (2024)

FAQs

Texas’s King Ranch Encompasses More Land Than Rhode Island? ›

Today, King Ranch sprawls across 825,000 acres of South Texas land, an area larger than the state of Rhode Island.

Is the King Ranch in Texas larger than Rhode Island? ›

King now covers 825,000 acres—more land than the state of Rhode Island.

How big is the King Ranch compared to Rhode Island? ›

There's one Texas ranch that's bigger than the entire state of Rhode Island. The King Ranch in South Texas covers 1,289 square miles. Compare that to the size of the entire state of Rhode Island, which is 1,212 square miles.

Is the King Ranch in Texas the biggest ranch in the United States? ›

King Ranch, largest ranch in the United States, composed of a group of four tracts of land in southeastern Texas, totaling approximately 825,000 acres (333,800 hectares). The King Ranch was established by Richard King, a steamboat captain born in 1825 in Orange county, New York.

How many acres was King Ranch originally? ›

The Ranch had its beginning in 1852, when Richard King and Gideon K. Lewis set up a cattle camp on Santa Gertrudis Creek in South Texas. Formal purchase began in 1853, when they bought a Spanish land grant, Rincón de Santa Gertrudis, of 15,500 acres on Santa Gertrudis Creek in Nueces County.

What ranch is bigger than Rhode Island? ›

King Ranch is the largest ranch in the United States. At some 825,000 acres (3,340 km2; 1,289 sq mi) it is larger than the state of Rhode Island and country of Luxembourg.

Who owns the largest ranch in the US? ›

The nation's largest private landowners are the Emmerson family in California who own over 2.4 million acres. The bulk of that land is dedicated to timber in Northern California. But the most headline-worthy transaction of 2022 was the Four Sixes Ranch in Texas.

What ranch is bigger than King Ranch? ›

Summary of the 12 Largest Ranches in Texas
RankRanchAcreage
1King Ranch800,000
2Briscoe Ranches640,000
3O'Connor Family Ranch587,000
4Waggoner Ranch535,000
8 more rows
May 1, 2023

What is the largest ranch in the world? ›

The largest ranch in the world is Anna Creek Station, a cattle ranch operating in Australia. This ranch measures 2,000,000 acres or 3,100 square miles, larger than Israel and the state of New Hampshire. The ranch is located in a very remote part of the country called South Australia.

How many acres does the King Ranch own in Florida? ›

Originally developed as a cattle operation, the farm covered some 42,000 acres. Over the years, the land holdings have been pared down to 20,000 acres and converted entirely to farming activities.

Who owns the largest cattle ranch in the world? ›

Waggoner Ranch
W. T. Waggoner Estate
CountryUnited States of America
Construction started1849
OwnerStan Kroenke
Grounds510,527 acres
2 more rows

What Texas ranch is bigger than San Francisco? ›

Mesa Vista Ranch, as it's known, encompasses a prime swath of the Texas Panhandle some 85 miles northeast of Amarillo.

Who is the largest landowner in Texas? ›

1. Jay Kleberg and The King Heirs. King Ranch, spans an astounding 900,000 acres across a vast expanse of South Texas.

What is the largest cattle farm in the United States? ›

The King Ranch

The historic 825,000-acre King Ranch in South Texas is the largest cattle ranch in the US. In Kenedy County, Texas, it raises cattle and grows cotton, grain, and other commodities.

How did the King Ranch in Texas get so big? ›

During the Civil War years, King began farming the land. Early on, a drought hit South Texas, and King hired townspeople who sold him their cattle to work his land in exchange for shelter and food. By the end of the war, the acreage had grown by more than 100,000 acres and King's cattle business was thriving.

Where is the largest cattle ranch in the world? ›

Anna Creek Station is the world's largest working cattle station. It is located in the Australian state of South Australia.

What is the largest continuous ranch in the United States? ›

The W.T. Waggoner Ranch is over 510,000 acres of contiguous land behind a single fence. While it isn't the largest ranch in the United States (Vermejo Park Ranch is also larger in terms of acreage), it holds the record for the largest contiguous ranch.

What state has the best ranch? ›

Conclusion. The top best states to start a farm or ranch in the US are Montana, Kansas, North Dakota, Texas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Iowa, Kentucky, Colorado and Wyoming.

What is the largest farm in Rhode Island? ›

Cook–Bateman Farm
LocationTiverton, Rhode Island
Coordinates41.5545°N 71.2043°W
Area63 acres (25 ha)
Built1730
7 more rows

Who is the richest rancher in America? ›

Largest private land owners in the United States in 2021
NameAcres
1Emmerson family2,330,000 2,330,000
2John Malone2,200,000 2,200,000
3Reed family2,100,000 2,100,000
4Ted Turner2,000,000 2,000,000
10 more rows
Aug 16, 2022

Who owns largest land in world? ›

The Biggest Landowners in the World
RankNameLocations
1King Charles III and the British Royal FamilyUnited Kingdom, Canada
2Catholic ChurchWorldwide
3Inuit People of NunavutCanada
4Gina RinehartAustralia, United States
21 more rows

How many acres does Dutton own in Yellowstone? ›

How Big is the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch? Yellowstone Dutton Ranch is estimated to be around 776,000 acres. In an early episode of Yellowstone, John Dutton says he owns “a ranch the size of Rhode Island,” which is 776,900 acres.

What is the most expensive ranch in Texas? ›

#1 Sandow Lakes Ranch, Texas | $250,000,000

Sandow Lakes Ranch covers 33,800 acres and is for sale at $250 million.

What is the oldest ranch in Texas? ›

With that in mind, the oldest surviving ranch in Texas is possibly Rancho de la Purisima Conceptión, founded in 1716.

Who owns 6666 Ranch? ›

How many ranches does Taylor Sheridan own? In addition to the famous 6666 Ranch, Taylor Sheridan owns Bosque Ranch in Weatherford, Texas. The equine ranch hosts competitions and is expanding its operations with TV and film shoots, concerts and festivals, dining, and special events.

What state has the most ranch land? ›

The United States had 895.3 million acres of land in farms in 2021. Texas had the most land in farms in the United States in 2021 followed by Montana and Kansas.

What is the biggest family owned ranch? ›

1. Waggoner Ranch: The Waggoner Ranch is located in North Texas and is on 535,000 acres. It was built in 1849 and originally was owned by Dan Waggoner.

Where is the ranch capital of the world? ›

The title of Dude Ranch Capital of the World and Arizona stayed with the Town of Wickenburg for over 50 years. Today, two true American plan guest ranches remain – Rancho de los Caballeros and Flying E Ranch. The European plan ranch is Rancho Casitas, all lend guests a unique hands-on experience.

How big is the 6666 Ranch in Texas? ›

Being one of the largest ranches in Texas, the 6666's Ranch comprises 142,372 acres, more or less. To put this massive ranch in perspective, the ranch encompasses almost 225 square miles of land. The ranch generally measures approximately 20 miles long from north to south and around 12 miles wide from east to west.

How much money does the King Ranch make every year? ›

King Ranch revenue is $58.0M annually.

How many acres is a ranch in Texas? ›

Texas Farm Bureau has defined a small farm or ranch as “a property of one hundred (100) acres or less on which the owner/operator has been an active producer of commodities for five (5) years or less.”The Texas Farm Bureau Small Farm & Ranch Management Committee's mission is for the organization to become the leading ...

Who is the biggest farmer in the US? ›

Bill Gates

Are there billionaire ranchers? ›

Other spectacular ranches currently for sale include; billionaire Charles Koch's Matador Ranch in Texas, which will soon hit the market for $124 million, Boone Pickens Mesa Vista Ranch in Texas for $220 million, Tobacco billionaire Brad Kelley's Elk Valley Ranch in New Mexico for $96 million, Hamms Brewing William ...

What is the oldest family owned cattle ranch in America? ›

The Deep Hollow Ranch, established 1658, is the oldest working Cattle Ranch in the United States and is part of the Suffolk County Parks.

Is there a farm bigger than Rhode Island? ›

Today, King Ranch sprawls across 825,000 acres of South Texas land, an area larger than the state of Rhode Island. As the home of 35,000 cattle and over 200 Quarter Horses, King Ranch is one of the largest ranches in the world today.

What ranch is Yellowstone based on? ›

The Dutton family's gorgeous log cabin is actually a 5,000-square foot mansion located on Chief Joseph Ranch near Darby, Montana. Just like on TV, it' a real working cattle ranch and family home—and it's totally stunning, of course.

What is the largest privately owned ranch in Texas? ›

More than sixty years later, the Waggoner Ranch is still Texas' largest piece of privately owned land, with 524,000 acres spread over six counties—all of it bordered by a single fence.

What country owns the most land in the United States? ›

Canadian investors lead this pack, by a long shot, with nearly 9.4 million acres of U.S. land — more acreage than 44 of the top 50 foreign landowners combined, according to the report. (These people own the most land in America.)

How much land does Jeff Bezos own in the US? ›

The Largest Private Landowners in the United States
Person/FamilyAcres Owned
21Don Horton507,410
22Simplot Family443,091
23Fisher Family440,000
24Jeff Bezos420,000
21 more rows

Who owns most of Florida? ›

Approximately 27.1% of land in Florida is owned by the federal government, leaving 72.9% of Florida's land to private ownership. The Bureau of Land Management oversees the largest portion of federally owned land in Florida at 39.7%.

What 3 states have the most cattle? ›

Texas has the most cattle in the United States followed by Nebraska & Kansas. Texas accounts for roughly 13% of the cattle inventory in the United States.

What 3 states produce the most cattle? ›

Introduction
#StateNumber of Cows
1Texas4,475,000
2Oklahoma2,131,000
3Missouri1,941,000
4Nebraska1,832,000
46 more rows

What state owns the most cattle? ›

As of 2023, there are 28,917,900 beef cows in the United States. This is down from one year ago. Texas has the most beef cows, followed by Oklahoma, Missouri, and Nebraska.

How much would it cost to buy the King Ranch in Texas? ›

If the Waggoner is worth $725 million, the King is worth $1.1 billion, Grunnah estimates. Uechtritz says, “Any broker can sell something for a price.” He's driving off the Waggoner ranch now, heading for yet another steak.

How much do Cowboys make King Ranch? ›

Total Pay Estimate & Range

The estimated total pay for a Cowboy at King Ranch is $62,064 per year. This number represents the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users. The estimated base pay is $56,809 per year.

What is the most famous ranch in Texas? ›

Any conversation about ranches in Texas starts with the legendary King Ranch, one of the largest ranches in the world, sprawling over approximately 825,000 acres in South Texas between Corpus Christi and Brownsville.

Which state has the most cattle per acre? ›

Texas had the most cattle in the United States in 2023 followed by Nebraska and Kansas.

What is the cattle capital of the world? ›

Because fluoride is used to protect against tooth decay, Hereford earned the title "The Town Without a Toothache". It is also known as the "Beef Capital of the World" because of the large number of cattle feedlots in the area. The city is named for the Hereford breed.

Who owns the most cattle in the world? ›

According to Stats of 2021, India Had the Highest Cattle Population of 305.5 Million (USDA) India has an estimated 305,500,000 cattle, coming to a total of 0.22 cows per person living in India.

What is the largest cattle ranch in the world? ›

Description. Anna Creek Station has an area of 23,677 km2 (9,142 sq mi; 5,851,000 acres) which is slightly larger than Israel.

Who owns the largest ranch in Texas? ›

Waggoner Ranch
W. T. Waggoner Estate
CountryUnited States of America
Construction started1849
OwnerStan Kroenke
Grounds510,527 acres
2 more rows

What US state has the most cattle ranches? ›

Introduction
#StateNumber of Cows
1Texas4,475,000
2Oklahoma2,131,000
3Missouri1,941,000
4Nebraska1,832,000
46 more rows

Is King Ranch still the largest ranch in the world? ›

Today, King Ranch sprawls across 825,000 acres of South Texas land, an area larger than the state of Rhode Island. As the home of 35,000 cattle and over 200 Quarter Horses, King Ranch is one of the largest ranches in the world today.

How many acres is Dutton ranch? ›

Dutton Ranch isn't one place (although there is a home office on Graton Road where the Shop Block vineyard is), but a collection of over 60 non-contiguous parcels in Russian River Valley that comprise approximately 1,300 acres of land that they either own, lease or manage.

How many acres is Yellowstone ranch? ›

When Yellowstone is not filming on the 2,500-acre ranch, the owners rent out some of the cabins on the property to visitors. Guests can spend their time fishing, horseback riding, and hiking through the area's beautiful mountains.

How big is the Yellowstone Dutton ranch? ›

How Big is the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch? Yellowstone Dutton Ranch is estimated to be around 776,000 acres. In an early episode of Yellowstone, John Dutton says he owns “a ranch the size of Rhode Island,” which is 776,900 acres. Yellowstone Dutton Ranch has only grown in size since it was founded.

What is the largest private ranch in the world? ›

The largest ranch in the world is Anna Creek Station, a cattle ranch operating in Australia. This ranch measures 2,000,000 acres or 3,100 square miles, larger than Israel and the state of New Hampshire. The ranch is located in a very remote part of the country called South Australia.

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