2,000,000+ acres Roughly equal to: Ten times the size of Washington, D.C. The top 100 landowners of America, who collectively own about the same amount of acreage as the state of Connecticut. But shes upset local interests. His aerospace firm Blue Origin uses the land to test space vehicles. Roughly equal to: Three times the size of New York City. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. The largest landowner in America owns 2,200,000 acres, located largely in Maine, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming. Father George Hearst hit silver after coming to California as a 49er and expanded into minerals and ranching. The Texas businessman, not the president. Land: Approximately two million acres of forestland in California and Washington. Family members have oil interests. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. New Mexico is a big state. 43. Lykes heirs:615,000 acres in Texas. Lay folks like to hear land measured in acres or square miles, but the Killiam prefer animal units the measure of how many cows an area can graze. The comments below have not been moderated, By He has used portions of those settlement to buy three ranches where he hunts, raises cattle, and one might hope, doesnt smoke. Stan Kroenke: 1.4 million acres in Montana and Wyoming. 100,000 acres 155,000 acres Land: 830,000 acres of timberland in Maine. Brad Kelley:1.2 million acres in Kentucky. (The other? 150,000 acres 110,448 acres Family members come from theSinclair Oil empire. Roughly equal to: Half the size of Rhode Island. Land: Holdings in many states. Crosby Land and Trust which was once a chemicals company is hoping to turn the forests of the American South into biofuels as well as lumber. 150,000 acres Among the soccer teams, railroads, movie theaters and newspaper, the Denver billionaire has enough land for what will be one of the largest wind farms in the country. 260,035 acres The family owns numerous properties throughout the northern and eastern part of the state. Theyve been ranching Oklahoma for over a century, but you may know Ree Dummond best, who joined the family when she married Lee Drummond. The family is in the oil business. The property is manly timberland. 310,472 acres He was born in the state and has continued to invest in its well-being. Today, the familys private holdings in Texas and Florida make up one of the largest cattle operations in the country. Among them is Ted Turner, founder of CNN and owner of private land and ranches spanning across New Mexico. After oil was discovered on their ranch in the 1940s, the Faskens spread across the Southwest. Billy Green still oversees the ranch from Albany, Texas, which won the 2002 American Quarter Horse Association Best Remuda Award. Thank you for reading! But who owns the most land? In 1864, great-great-grandmother Elizabeth Sinclair bought Niihau, the Forbidden Island of Hawaii, for $10,000 in gold from King Kamehameha V. Since, the family has honored the islands traditional culture, but not always to commercial success. 373,000 acres The parcel is roughly the size of Hong Kong. Ware has transferred much of his holdings to the Holland M. Ware Charitable Foundation, which supports a number of causes, including animal welfare. Billionaire, lumber entrepreneur, real estate developer, and song writer. 11. Between 2012 and 2013, the top 100 added 700,000 acres to their collective portfolios, big, thick, good traveling, sound, fertile, hardy. Then there's the Killiams at No. 41. These Gardens Started When Travel Slowed. 119,500 acres The ranch recently received a conservation easement from the U.S. Department of Defense and New Mexico Land Conservancy. He owns Sierra Grande Lodge and Spa, located close to Richard Bransons Spaceport America. Background: Alice Gertrudis Kleberg East, gave up her interest in her grandfather Richard King of King Ranch estate in exchange for the San Antonio and Santa Fe ranches. Malone's 2.2 million acres are largely located in Maine, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming and include profitable cattle ranches. Trees arent just good for wood anymore. Dan Hughes, patriarch of the Hughes family, was a wildcatter in Texas. The wife and children of the late Robert Earl Holding, who bought Sinclair Oil Corp. for $78 million in 1976, own nearly 400,000 acres. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Kroenke adds Broken O to Q Creek Ranch, the largest contiguous ranch in the Rocky Mountains at 540,000 acres. Loves land and his wife loves horses, which explains #1s 2013 acquisitions. 111,977 acres Shannon Kizer has 302,000 acres across five states: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. This hedge fund manager wears his Audubon Medal with pride. They also are based on only rural land holdings. The company, now known as Westervelt Company, has operations in renewable energy, lumber, and wildlife services. Bezoss holdings make him one of the top landowners in the state. Cant say we expected any less from someone named Crowbar Beggs. 32 - New York Columbia University owns approximately 209 properties, which collectively account to make it the largest landowner in New York. Brad Kelley's investment group purchased the 762-acre Calumet Farm, a thoroughbred horse breeding and training facility in Kentucky, in 2012. Zane & Tanya Kiehne:345,000 acres in New Mexico and Texas. Bass family Land. With such a large amount of land under its control, the federal government plays an important role in New Mexicos landscape. Background: The Ford familys Roseburg Forest Products had its origins in 1936 when the Roseburg Lumber Company was founded by owner Kenneth Ford. 830,000 acres The Coloradoans focus on buffalo ranching, cattle ranching and farming. Land: The Singleton ranches comprise of 29 ranches across California and New Mexico, including the picturesque San Cristobal Ranch outside of Santa Fe. We have no idea what those Spanish writings say. Roughly equal to: The size of Los Angeles. Roughly equal to: Twice the size of Guam. 1. His land ownership in New Mexico will likely expand as the space industry develops. That's about half the size of Lake Ontario. 39. Their land is used for a range of resource extraction industries, including timber, sand and gravel, and oil. 170,000 acres Baron Collier, an advertising executive who developed land and infrastructure in southern Florida, had been largest landholder in the state at the time of his death. Ted Turner: 2 million acres in New Mexico, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Georgia. Mmmm-mm! His ranch is a refuge for a herd of big horn sheep, trophy elk, antelope, mountain lions and stone writings from early Spanish explorers, asking Donde esta la carne? or Wheres the beef? Ya, thats a joke. Read on to find out about the top landowners in New Mexico. Largest Landowners by State 2023 Utah 33,000,000 Alaska 12,500,000 California 1,900,000 Maine 1,250,000 Kentucky 1,130,000 New Mexico 1,000,000 Washington 900,000 Texas 825,000 Montana 765,000 Arizona 750,000 Largest Landowners by State 2023 Largest Landowners by State 2023 From Ted Turner to Jeff Bezos to the federal government, New Mexico has some of the biggest landowners in the nation. Not surprisingly, many of the people on this list rank among the wealthiest Americans. This ranking is current as of the end of 2018. 1. Waggoner Estate claims to be the largest Texas ranch under one fence. 49. it's curious that the largest private landowner in America chose an office location, an hour from . Dont mess with Texas, and never, ever mess with a Texas ranching family. 255,000 acres Background: The J.R. Simplot Company started its fortune in potatoes but diversified over the years to become one of the largest, privately held food companies in the world. Background: The Pingree family's fortune in timber began in the mid 1800s and has conserved more than three quarters of a million acres of Maine forestland -- a block larger than the size of Rhode Island. Six of the nation's top ten largest individual landowners have put their land into conservation easements (in bold). Malone made his fortune as a media tycoon, building the company Tele-Communications, Inc, or TCI, and acting as its CEO before selling it to AT&T for $50 billion in 1999. Their breeding efforts earned them a place in the Cutting Horse Hall of Fame. Oil and drilling profits helped him buy a sportsmans paradise in the Big Bend area of Far West Texas. The amount of land owned by the federal government has stayed steady since 1990, with a slight decline of -0.3%. 213,730 acres 140,000 acres Most of Ware's holdings are controlled by the Holland M. Ware Charitable Foundation, which helps several causes, including animal welfare. 190,000 acres With plans underway for a major expansion of the aerospace industry, Bezos will no doubt be a major player in the states future. A good old picture of the American heartland. 150,000 acres 130,000 acres Land: 250,000-acre Baughman Farms in Kansas; 149,493-acre Overland Trail Cattle Company & Ranch in Wyoming and 35,000 acres in Colorado. His holdings include the 292,779 acre Great Western Ranch in New Mexico and Camp Horton, a ranch near Fort Stockton, Texas, where he hosts a children's summer camp. Manages ranches only fit for the best cowboys. Background: The family business, Irving Woodlands, has roots dating back to 1882 when James D. Irving founded a company that included a sawmill, gristmill, lumber business and farms. His book, A Forest for the Trees, documents the history of Maines Baskahegan Watershed from resettlement to 1982. Land: Operates 825,000 acres of cattle ranches and 60,000 acres of farms in South Texas; thousands of acres in Florida producing orange juice, sugar cane, sod, sweet corn and green beans. When the Suggs relocated their cattle from Texas to Oklahoma, they found buckets of oil under their new land. Background: Ted Turner founded the Turner Broadcasting System that launched CNN and several other cable successful programs. D.R. In 1870, Dr. Howell Tyson Lykes gave up the practice of medicine to take over his familys 500 acres in Florida. While true to their legendary ranching roots, the heirs of King Ranch Inc. have diversified their portfolio to include land for pecans, citrus, turf grass and vegetables. O'Connor heirs:587,800 acres in Texas. John C. Malone has been in the cable. 13/20 Henry Singleton cofounded the industrial conglomerate Teledyne in 1960, and begin acquiring ranch land in New. Starting with ranches along northeast of Abilene, Texas, the Reynolds now own ranches in West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Montana, and North Dakota. Singleton family: 1.1 million acres in New Mexico and California. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The founder of Southern Pine Plantations diversified from timberland in the U.S. South with the purchase of 20,000 acres of mineral rights in East Texas. Thomas Lane Jr. makes the ranching business sound simple: Were just continuing a tradition and well expand if we can.. Kokernot heirs:278,000 acres in Texas. 16. The land and livestock division has 37 farms and 15 ranches with capacity for 30,000 mother cows. 384,000 acres Much of the land is in Texas. He uses the land to test reusable space vehicles. The 25 Largest Landowners In The U.S.: #25.Jeff Bezos 290,000 Acres Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos bought a 290,000 acre ranch in Texas in 2004. Owners of the oldest continuously operated cattle ranch in the Texas Panhandle. 40 and owning 285,000 acres equaling one-tenth the size of Connecticut, has made its fortunes from oil and cattle ranching on the land. The oil and gas business man developed a love for land on his grandparents farm. The Emmerson family owns and operates Sierra Pacific Industries, a company that logs usable lumber after forest fires and sells it to lumber retailers. (Say that ten times fast). Since then, they have been acquiring land. Roughly equal to: Two-thirds the size of Yosemite National Park. Today, his family owns some 280,000 acres, primarily in Collier County, which is named after him. 38. David Fasken, a Canadian lawyer, bought the massive C Ranch from the Texas General Land Office in 1913. Heart of America, a song he co-wrote with his wife, became the anthem of the Today shows campaign to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. A logging family with a state-of-the-art $30 million softwood sawmill in Ashland, Maine. 192,000 acres But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Under the livestock feeding company Llano Partners Ltd., Hughes Abell owns and operates ranching operations in New Mexico, Texas, and Florida. Owns Amazon and The Washington Post, but few know Silicon Valleys leading mind spent summers on his grandfathers ranch. 14 to 21 | Nos. The family patriarch owned half a million acres in Texas, and the family fortune grew considerably when his son discovered oil on family land. 15. Greenpeace calls them the king pins of climate denial and Mitt Romney can thank them for holding a $50,000-dollar-a-plate fundraiser during the election. Stefan Soloviev:325,077 acres in New Mexico, Kansas and Texas. Other than Montana Ranches, the Wilks have a firm called Frac Tech. Robert East, great-grandson of Richard King (see #7), funded the foundation to build ranches compatible for livestock and wildlife in South Texas. Background: Red Emmerson is president of Sierra Pacific Industries, a family-run lumber manufacturing business that ranks as California's largest private landowner. John Riggs has a modern utopia in mind for his great-grandfathers old ranch. Today, his family owns some 280,000 acres, primarily in Collier County, which is named after him. Roughly equal to: Two-and-a-half times larger than Indianapolis. According the company, it turns out that Frac Techs specialty-hydraulic fracturing is one of the two drivers powering the U.S. energy renaissance. 278,000 acres Roughly equal to: Three times the size of Houston. 165,000 acres The discovery of oil on that ranch propelled Fasken to wealth, and now Fasken Oil & Ranch is a major oil drilling company that has heavily employed fracking technology. There are nearly 2,000 different species! But while neither landowner's name may be a household name, the names of others are. 113,532 acres Koch Ranches Inc. specializes in high-quality grass-fed beef. 625,000 acres To determine the largest landowners in the United States, 24/7 Wall St . Horton:503,000 acres in New Mexico and Texas, where he hosts a children's summer camp. Where is the best hunting ranch in California? Ted Turner owns one million acres in New Mexico. 140,000 acres Wilks Brothers:702,367 acres in Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Tennessee, and Texas. Errol Galt is the former Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Game commissioner. I said, Sometimes Ill wear everything I own. . JOHN MALONE: 2.2 million acres in Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming, Maine . What luck. Each year The Land Report publishes a list nations top property owners ranked by the number of acres they own in the United States. The activities help residents experience the natural world. 26. Its one of Turners most spectacular ranches. Irving family:1.2 million acres in Maine. From ranchers who have owned land for generations to newcomer billionaires splashing the cash,.