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Palo Pinto County TX Land & Ranches for Sale
About Palo Pinto County
Palo Pinto County sits in the western Cross Timbers of North Central Texas, about an hour west of Fort Worth. The Texas A&M Real Estate Research Center counts it in its Northeast Texas land-market region. The county is hill-and-canyon ranch country. The Brazos River cuts through the Palo Pinto Mountains here, and the land holds Possum Kingdom Lake, the brand-new Palo Pinto Mountains State Park, and old mineral-water and railroad towns like Mineral Wells, Strawn, Gordon, Santo and Graford. It suits buyers looking for working cattle and hunting land, recreational acreage near deep clear water, or a country place within reach of the Metroplex. The county seat is the small town of Palo Pinto, but Mineral Wells is where most people shop, see a doctor and do business.
Legacy Broker Group listings in Palo Pinto County
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The multiple listing information is provided by LERA MLS. Copyright ©2026 LERA MLS. All Rights Reserved. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed accurate. This information should be independently verified if any person intends to engage in a transaction in reliance upon it. The information provided is for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing.
Based on information from Unlock MLS (alternatively, from ACTRIS) for the period through 10/15/2026. Neither the Board nor ACTRIS guarantees or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. All data is provided “AS IS” and with all faults. Data maintained by the Board or ACTRIS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.
Information being provided is for consumers’ personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Some IDX listings have been excluded from this website.
Data last updated: 10/15/2026 13:32
The information being provided by Central Texas MLS is provided exclusively for consumers' personal, non-commercial use, that it may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing, and that the data is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate by Central Texas MLS.
Based on information from South Texas MLS, LLC as of 2026-10-15 13:32:22. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. South Texas MLS, LLC provides the MLS and all content therein “AS IS” and without any warranty, express or implied. MLS aggregate data is a copyright of Texas Association of REALTORS® (TAR) and that the reader may not reproduce or distribute the MLS aggregate data.
© 2026 Bryan-College Station Regional Multiple Listing Service. IDX information is provided exclusively for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Data is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate by the MLS or Legacy Broker Group. Data last updated 09/23/2023 16:30.
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Information contained on the computer print-outs of the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) of the HOUSTON REALTORS® INFORMATION SERVICE (HRIS) is furnished by MLS Participants for dissemination to other MLS Participants, for their exclusive use, and should not be relied upon by Buyer/Tenant or any other person. There is no express or implied warranty by HAR or MLS as to the accuracy of such information, which should be independently verified by Buyer/Tenant or such other person. MLS does not verify the information and disclaims any responsibility for its accuracy.
Palo Pinto County on the map
Each marker is a Legacy Broker Group listing in Palo Pinto County — click for details; a sold one links to Significant Transactions.
Living in Palo Pinto County
- Palo Pinto County, Texas (official site) — The official county website, with public notices, the county web map and mapbook, emergency management, and event applications.
- Possum Kingdom State Park — A state park on Possum Kingdom Lake with a boat launch, fishing pier, cabins, campsites, and a park store in the Brazos canyon country.
- Palo Pinto Mountains State Park — Texas' newest state park opened in 2026 near Strawn. It has Tucker Lake and multiuse trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.
- Possum Kingdom Chamber of Commerce — The chamber for Possum Kingdom Lake, with an events calendar, local businesses, and information for residents and visitors.
- Mineral Wells Area Chamber of Commerce — The chamber and visitors bureau for Mineral Wells and Palo Pinto County, with a member directory and community information.
The vibe
Palo Pinto is Spanish for painted stick. The county takes its name from Palo Pinto Creek, and Texas Parks and Wildlife ties the name to the Ashe juniper that grows on the local cuestas. These are wedge-shaped hills with a gentle slope on one side and a steep face on the other, and as the juniper ages its bark peels back to show a reddish wood. Add post oak, mesquite flats, limestone bluffs and creek bottoms of hardwood, and you get country that feels more rugged than people expect this close to Fort Worth. The Legislature created the county in 1856 and organized it the next year, with a seat first called Golconda. It was renamed Palo Pinto in 1858, and the limestone courthouse on US 180, built in 1940, still anchors the square.
Life here moves at ranch speed. Outside Mineral Wells, the county is a patchwork of small towns, county roads and pastures. Much of it is cow-calf and hunting country, with lake houses and weekend places clustered around Possum Kingdom. Homes run from older frame and stone houses in town to metal-roofed ranch houses at the end of a caliche drive, plus finished lake homes on the bluffs above the water. The 2020 Census counted 28,409 people across roughly 950 square miles of land, so neighbors are spread out and nights are dark.
The culture leans on history. Mineral Wells grew up around its mineral water, and the Baker Hotel, built in 1929 and closed since 1972, still rises over downtown while a long restoration goes on. Fort Wolters, west of town, trained nearly every Army helicopter pilot who flew in Vietnam before it closed in 1973. In Strawn, a small cafe has become a regular stop for visitors to the new state park just west of town.
Market snapshot
As of October 2026, the latest closed-sale benchmark is the Texas Real Estate Research Center's Texas Rural Land Markets report for the second quarter of 2026, published in August. It puts the Northeast Texas region, which includes Palo Pinto County, at a four-quarter moving median of $8,604 per acre. That is down 5.96 percent from a year earlier, and the typical tract sold was 119 acres. The Center described the region as entering a stable-to-soft phase. Statewide, rural land held essentially flat at $5,218 per acre, up 3.27 percent year over year. In plain terms, prices have cooled from their 2025 peak, but nothing has collapsed.
Inside the county, asking prices run well above that regional median. Listings here tend to be smaller tracts, and lake views and access to Fort Worth add value. In October 2026, Land.com showed a median asking price of $22,138 per acre across county listings with a median size of 31 acres. LandSearch put rural listings at an average of $18,657 per acre. Those are asking prices, not closed sales. A larger tract with good water, fencing and a Brazos or creek frontage will price very differently from a five-acre homesite near Mineral Wells or a lot near Possum Kingdom. We could not find a reliable published days-on-market figure for county land. Our read is that well-priced, well-watered tracts still move, and overpriced ones sit.
Selling in Palo Pinto County?
Thinking of selling land or a ranch in Palo Pinto County? A Legacy Broker Group Broker Price Opinion is free, and it starts with the market you are actually in.
Amenities
The county has six independent school districts: Mineral Wells, Santo, Graford, Gordon, Strawn and Palo Pinto. Ask an LBG agent which district serves a given tract, and check the Texas Education Agency for current ratings. Water is the big draw. The Brazos River Authority puts Possum Kingdom Lake at 16,716 acres with 219 miles of shoreline. It has public boat ramps, fishing piers and campsites, plus the Hells Gate cliffs, a favorite cove on the south end. Possum Kingdom State Park sits on the west shore. Palo Pinto Mountains State Park opened west of Strawn on March 1, 2026, on 4,871 acres of former ranchland. It has 16 miles of hiking and equestrian trails and a no-motorboat lake for fishing, kayaking and swimming. Lake Mineral Wells State Park is just east of Mineral Wells, across the line in Parker County.
Mineral Wells is the hub for groceries, healthcare, dining and the historic downtown. Its economy mixes manufacturing, healthcare, construction, retail and a growing tourism trade. The city sits 51 miles west of Fort Worth and 109 miles east of Abilene, and the county seat of Palo Pinto is about 15 minutes west of it. Interstate 20 crosses the southern part of the county near Gordon, Mingus and Strawn. US 180 and US 281 cross through Mineral Wells, and State Highway 254 runs northwest to Graford and on toward Possum Kingdom.
Palo Pinto County FAQs
Where is Palo Pinto County, Texas, and what region is it in?
Palo Pinto County is in North Central Texas, west of Fort Worth in the western Cross Timbers. The Texas A&M Real Estate Research Center counts it in its Northeast Texas land-market region.
What is the county seat of Palo Pinto County?
The county seat is the small town of Palo Pinto, which has the 1940 limestone courthouse on US 180. Mineral Wells is the county's largest city and its main hub for business and services.
How far is Palo Pinto County from Fort Worth?
Mineral Wells is about 51 miles west of Fort Worth, and the new state park near Strawn is roughly 80 miles west via Interstate 20. Much of the county works as a weekend or full-time place within reach of the Metroplex.
Is rural land in Palo Pinto County still going up in value?
Regional prices have cooled from their 2025 peak. The Texas Real Estate Research Center described Northeast Texas as stable-to-soft in mid-2026. Values still depend heavily on water, access, tract size and proximity to the lake or the interstate, so ask an LBG agent for recent comparable sales.
What kind of land can I buy in Palo Pinto County?
You will find cattle pasture, hunting tracts in cedar and oak hills, creek and Brazos River bottoms, small homesites near Mineral Wells and Santo, and lake-influenced property around Possum Kingdom. Rugged terrain is common, so roads, fencing and water sources are worth checking closely.
Is Possum Kingdom Lake in Palo Pinto County?
Yes, Possum Kingdom Lake sits largely in Palo Pinto County on the main stem of the Brazos River, and parts of it reach into neighboring counties. The Brazos River Authority manages it.
Can you jump off the cliffs at Hells Gate on Possum Kingdom Lake?
No. Brazos River Authority rules ban diving or jumping from cliffs or structures 20 feet or higher anywhere on the lake, including Hells Gate. Boaters still anchor up in the cove below the cliffs to swim and enjoy the view.
What is Palo Pinto Mountains State Park like?
It is Texas's newest state park, 4,871 acres of former ranchland about four miles west of Strawn that opened in March 2026. It has hiking and equestrian trails, campsites and a lake for paddling and fishing, and no motorboats are allowed. Reservations are recommended.
Which school districts serve Palo Pinto County?
The county is served by Mineral Wells, Santo, Graford, Gordon, Strawn and Palo Pinto ISDs. District lines don't follow town names exactly, so confirm the district for any specific property and check the Texas Education Agency for current ratings.
Is the Baker Hotel in Mineral Wells open?
Not yet. The historic 1929 hotel has been under restoration since 2019, and its developers currently list a future opening. That date has moved several times, so treat it as a target.
Which LBG office works with buyers in Palo Pinto County?
Legacy Broker Group's Land and Ranch team serves Palo Pinto County through its Horseshoe Bay and Highland Lakes office. An agent there can walk you through current listings and recent land sales in the county.
Market and community sections reviewed 2026-10-30.