National Historic Landmark · ranch · Kingsville and, Texas

King Ranch

Largest ranch in Kingsville and, Texas. Built 1853. Added to the National Register in 1966, and a National Historic Landmark.

Assault HeadstoneKing Ranch "Commissary"King Ranch OutbuildingKing Ranch Pool House
Photos via Wikimedia Commons · 6 in the Commons category

What it is

The King Ranch is the largest ranch in the United States, comprising some 825,000 acres. It is mainly a cattle ranch, but has also produced racehorses.

Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

The record

Property typeHistoric district
AddressKingsville and its environs, Kingsville and vicinity, TX
CountyKenedy County
ListedOct 15, 1966
Listed forAgriculture, Exploration and settlement
Level of significanceNational
Reference number66000820
Built1853 · more from the 1850s
Type of placeranch, historic district
DesignationsNational Historic Landmark

The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗

Visiting

AddressKingsville and its environs, Kingsville and, TX
Websiteking-ranch.com ↗
Coordinates27.5222° N, 97.9093° W · Directions ↗
Nearest national park unitPadre Island National Seashore · 47 miles · on Park Atlas
Federal campgrounds nearbyBird Island Basin Campground 37 miles · Malaquite Campground 38 miles
A district listing covers the streets, not the doors. Walk it freely; the buildings inside are as private as they ever were.

Explore

Map

Guidebooks to historic places in Texas

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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

When was King Ranch listed on the National Register?

Oct 15, 1966. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.

Source: National Park Service

When was King Ranch built?

1853.

Source: Wikidata

Can I visit King Ranch?

Probably. Places of this type are usually open to the public, but the record lists no hours; the official website will have them.

Source: Official website

Where is King Ranch?

Kingsville and its environs, Kingsville and vicinity, Kenedy County, Texas. The nearest national park unit is Padre Island National Seashore, 47 miles away.

Source: Padre Island National Seashore

Where is the nomination form for King Ranch?

The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.

Source: National Archives

Are there campgrounds near King Ranch?

Two federal campgrounds are within reach. The closest is Bird Island Basin Campground, 37 miles away. Malaquite Campground is 38 miles away.

Source: Campsite Atlas

Is there cell service at King Ranch?

FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.

Source: FCC Broadband Map

Sources

Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 66000820. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA.