King Ranch Is Bigger Than Rhode Island

When Texans brag about everything being bigger in their state, King Ranch is Exhibit A. This legendary cattle empire sprawls across 825,000 acres of South Texas—that's roughly 1,289 square miles. To put that in perspective, the entire state of Rhode Island covers only 1,214 square miles. Yes, a single ranch is bigger than an entire U.S. state.

Founded in 1853 by steamboat captain Richard King, the ranch started as a 75,000-acre chunk of scrubland purchased for less than two cents an acre. King had a vision: create a cattle kingdom in the Wild West. Through strategic land acquisitions and a lot of Texas-sized ambition, the ranch grew into an operation so massive it spans parts of six counties: Kleberg, Kenedy, Brooks, Jim Wells, Nueces, and Willacy.

Four Ranches in One

King Ranch isn't just one continuous spread of land. It's divided into four main divisions—Santa Gertrudis, Laureles, Norias, and Encino—each operating like its own ranch. The Santa Gertrudis division alone is where the ranch developed its famous Santa Gertrudis cattle breed, the first beef breed created in the Americas. These rust-red cattle were specifically engineered to thrive in brutal South Texas heat.

To manage this empire, King Ranch employs its own private ecosystem: miles of roads, an airstrip, veterinary facilities, and even its own zip code. Cowboys—still called Kinenos (King's men) in Spanish—patrol the property on horseback and ATVs, managing herds of cattle and quarter horses that have made the ranch legendary in equestrian circles.

Comparing Apples to... States

The Rhode Island comparison isn't just a fun factoid—it's genuinely mind-bending when you visualize it. Rhode Island can fit cities like Providence, Warwick, and Newport within its borders, along with 1 million residents. King Ranch? It's home to cattle, horses, wildlife, and a relatively tiny human population managing it all.

• King Ranch: 1,289 square miles
• Rhode Island: 1,214 square miles (including water)
• Rhode Island's land area: only 1,034 square miles

So depending on how you measure, King Ranch is 20-25% larger than the Ocean State.

Still Going Strong

Unlike many historic ranches that were subdivided or sold off, King Ranch remains one of the largest privately owned ranches in the world. It's still owned by descendants of the King family and continues operating as a working cattle ranch, though it has diversified into farming, oil and gas, and even turf grass production.

The ranch has survived droughts, economic crashes, and the modernization of agriculture by adapting without losing its identity. Drive through South Texas today, and you'll see the iconic Running W brand—King Ranch's cattle brand since the 1860s—on everything from livestock to luxury leather goods.

Texas might have a reputation for tall tales, but King Ranch being bigger than Rhode Island? That's 100% fact, backed by 825,000 acres of proof.