So, who are the largest landowners in the U.S.?
There are over 50 entities that own land that is 260,000 acres or greater–can you believe that?
Most people are lucky to claim just one acre, but these people take land ownership to the next level.
Owning that much land comes with a lot of responsibilities that go way beyond just mowing the lawn.
In this article, we’re going to look at the top ten largest landowners in the U.S. and talk about how the land is used, ownership controversies, and other interesting information.
1. Who Are the Largest Landowners in the U.S.?
There’s plenty of land to go around in the United States, but there are ten families that own an insurmountable amount of property.
If you think maintaining your front lawn is difficult, imagine one million acres–intimidating thought, right?
Let’s look at the largest owners in the U.S. and how their land is used.
Here are the top ten largest landowners in the U.S.:
- Emmerson Family: 2.4 million acres
- John Malone: 2.2 million acres
- Ted Turner: 2 million acres
- Reed Family: 1.6 million acres
- Stan Kroenke: 1.6 million acres
- Irving Family: 1.2 million acres
- Buck Family: 1.2 million acres
- Singleton Family: 1.1 million acres
- Brad Kelly: 1 million acres
- King Ranch Heirs: 900,000 acres
King Ranch Heirs
Down in South Texas, King Ranch got its start in 1853 when Capitan Richard King rode four days on horseback to the Lone State Fair.
After purchasing 15,500 acres of land, the ranch eventually grew into more than 900,000 acres–about the size of Rhode Island.
Today, the property is used for farming, cattle ranching, and recreational hunting.
There are 60 descendants of Captain King who now own the ranch.
Brad Kelly
Brad Kelly is a self-made billionaire who has put hundreds of millions of dollars into huge pieces of property in New Mexico, Texas, and Florida.
Most of the land is undeveloped, and Kelly often allows local cattle ranchers to utilize his property for a fee.
He has stated that he doesn’t want his land ownership to disrupt the locals’ way of life.
In Texas, much of the property is used for wildlife hunting.
Singleton Family
In 1986, Dr. Henry Singleton started the Singleton Ranches Empire when he acquired San Cristobal Ranch just outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
By the time Singleton passed away in 1999, he had accumulated a bit more than a million acres of land within California and New Mexico.
His five children now manage all the ranches, which is considered one of the largest operations in the country.
Buck Family
Peter Buck is the co-founder of Subway and the seventh-largest landowner in the U.S.
Buck is one of the newest members to the top landowners list.
In 2020, he purchased more than 900,000 acres of timberland in Maine and later added an additional 300,000+ acres.
Much of the land was acquired for conservation purposes.
Irving Family
The Irving Family is the largest landowner in Maine.
In addition to their 1.2 million acres on U.S. soil, their Canadian properties put their total acreage over 2 million.
The family is known for secrecy and having tight lips about the hundreds of businesses they own.
There has also been some controversy regarding Irving’s land when it was granted an exemption from clear-cutting, which involves chopping down most of the trees in an area at the same time.
Stan Kroenke
Stan Kroenke is an American businessman who made his fortune by starting a real estate development company.
His 1.6 million acres of land are spread out in Montana, Wyoming, and Arizona.
Most of the land is used for ranching and recreational purposes.
Kroenke is also famous for starting Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which has acquired multiple professional sports teams.
Some of the teams include the Denver Nuggets, Rams, and Avalanche.
Reed Family
Mark Edward Reed was a failed logger who married into the family that owned Simpson Logging Company in the Pacific Northwest.
He eventually gained control of the company, and the Reed Family grew their properties to a size of more than 1.6 million and started the Green Diamond Resource Company.
The organization focuses on conservation and the use of strict forest practices to enhance wildlife, plant life, water quality, cultural heritage, and archaeological sites.
Ted Turner
Ted Turner is the founder of CNN, who has put his fortune towards philanthropic projects.
His company Turner Enterprises, Inc, owns more than 2 million acres of land in New Mexico, Nebraska, and Montana, including over a dozen ranches.
Turner’s goal is to promote wildlife conservation in an economically sustainable way.
His properties are also used for sustainable timber harvesting, ecotourism, and hunting.
John Malone
John Malone is a multi-billionaire who acquired his fortune from operating and investing in successful cable television companies.
He owns 2.2 million acres of land, primarily located in Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Florida, and Maine.
Most of the land is used for cattle ranching and to fuel his beef company.
Emmerson Family
Archie Emmerson founded the logging company Sierra Pacific in 1949 and began accumulating the now 2.4 million acres of land.
The largest portion of the property is in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington. Sierra Pacific’s logging practices have been criticized over the years, resulting in several lawsuits.
However, Sierra Pacific remains one of the largest, most successful logging companies in the U.S., and it is still operated by the Emmerson Family.
2. How Did the Largest Landowners in U.S. Acquire Their Land?
The Emmerson Family tops the list of the largest landowners in U.S., but how exactly did they acquire the 2.4 million acres of land?
Archie Emmerson, who goes by the name Red, is the founder of the massive logging company Sierra Pacific.
The company started as a partnership between Red and his father in 1949, and it consisted of just a small sawmill in Northern California.
After the first year of success, it expanded its operations, adding a planning mill to its portfolio.
Major moves started to be made in 1965 when Red and his dad bought 36,000 acres of timberland in Humboldt.
Soon after, Sierra Pacific was formed, and it acquired tens of thousands of acres of land throughout the 70s.
A big part of the company’s success was its controversial logging practices.
The company uses a practice referred to as post-fire salvage logging.
Red is able to harvest massive amounts of timber at a huge discount and uses the salvaged wood to produce a variety of products, especially boards, and sells them to major lumber retailers such as Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Menards.
Today, Sierra Pacific does around $1.5 billion in sales, coming out to about $375 million in profit.
All that success has allowed the Emmerson Family to continue purchasing land and expanding their logging empire.
3. Do the Largest Landowners in U.S. Pay Property Taxes?
The largest landowners in U.S. are required to pay property taxes.
Property tax laws and regulations vary from state to state and county to county.
The total tax amount is determined by local authorities, who analyze each piece of land and assess its value, size, and improvements.
Because many of the largest landowners in the country use their properties for conservation efforts, they likely receive some exemptions and deductions.
Some states may implement tax caps and limitations to protect landowners from experiencing extreme increases in tax rates.
Tax caps are quite controversial because they limit the amount of revenue for local governments (tax caps are also controversial in residential areas as they can create an unfair playing field for impoverished communities).
Ted Turner, the third largest landowner, said in 2021 that he would give one of his ranches to a non-profit but continue paying the property taxes.
His reasoning was to ensure his money was going back into the community and supporting local services.
4. Are the Big Landowners Involved in Conservation Efforts?
Several of the largest landowners in U.S. are involved in robust conservation efforts.
Of all the major landowners, Ted Turner is arguably the most focused on conserving wildlife and plant life on his properties.
Bison conservation is one of Turner’s main practices.
He has one of the largest privately owned bison herds and has helped reintroduce bison back into their natural habitats.
In order for bison to survive and thrive, the overall environment also needs to be healthy.
So, Turner focuses on preserving, restoring, and monitoring the ecosystems on his land.
He is one of the most powerful private entities that is fighting to restore native wildlife in the United States.
It’s important to note that not all of the major landowners are focused on conservation.
The Emmerson Family’s logging company Sierra Pacific is notorious for dangerous practices that negatively impact the environment and wildlife.
5. Are the Big Landowners Involved in Agriculture or Farming?
Agriculture and farming are two of the most common activities practiced by the largest landowners in U.S.
Entities such as Stan Kroenke, King Ranch Heirs, Brad Kelly, and the Irving Family have some of the most significant agriculture and farming operations.
The practices primarily consist of cattle ranching and crop growing–some of the crops include grains, cotton, and citrus.
Keep in mind that each landowner uses different methods to achieve different goals.
People like Ted Turner solely focus on sustainable agricultural practices, while others use more standard strategies.
6. Can the Public Visit the Land Owned by the Largest Landowners in the U.S.?
The property of the largest landowners in U.S. is private.
That means the land is not necessarily open for the public to visit.
However, there are some owners who allow hunting on their properties, such as King Ranch Heirs.
Anyone interested in hunting at the ranch is required to submit a request, which the family will review and accept or deny.
Some owners are adamant about keeping people off certain parts of their land, such as Stan Kroenke.
In 2021, Kroenke won a legal battle that gave him the right to not let people cross his property in order to reach two public lakes.
Anyone interested in visiting these properties should do their research and request permission beforehand to avoid potential legal penalties.
7. Are There Any Controversies Surrounding the Largest Landowners in the U.S.?
Owning over a million acres of land gives these owners a lot of power.
So it’s unsurprising that some of the largest landowners in the U.S. have been involved in various controversies.
The Emmerson Family and Stan Kroenke have been some of the most criticized but for vastly different reasons.
Sierra Pacific, the Emmerson Family’s logging company, has been sued multiple times and forced to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements.
One of the largest lawsuits occurred in 2007 when a company’s bulldozer started a fire that burned around 65,000 acres.
The company paid a $122.5 million settlement after a long legal battle that involved allegations of misconduct on all sides, including the government.
Stan Kroenke’s controversy isn’t as severe as starting a massive fire, but he has won court cases to block the people from crossing his land to reach public lakes.
It’s important to note that there are a number of other smaller controversies that are nearly impossible to avoid when someone owns such huge pieces of land.
For example, there have been conflicts with indigenous communities, criticism over tax breaks, and concerns about deforestation.
8. Can the Land Owned by the Largest Landowners in the U.S. Be Developed or Used for Commercial Purposes?
The land owned by the largest landowners in the U.S. can certainly be developed and used for commercial purposes.
However, it’s not always a practical option.
Many of these pieces of land are in the countryside, which doesn’t make them the ideal location for commercial developments.
If the owners do wish to develop their properties, there are a number of hurdles that have to be dealt with.
Factors such as zoning laws, environmental disruptions, and obtaining licenses can complicate, if not prevent, development from ever happening.
As long as private landowners abide by local laws and regulations, they are virtually free to do whatever they want with their properties.
Of the ten largest landowners, they all primarily use their land for farming, agriculture, timber harvesting, and wildlife conservation.
These types of practices are typically more profitable and beneficial for the owners than large-scale commercial development projects.
Final Thoughts
Owning a piece of land is a part of the American dream, and there are a handful of private entities that took that dream to the next level.
The largest landowners in the U.S. are responsible for managing millions of acres of land, and each owner has a different method and purpose.
Some of them, like Ted Turner, want to do everything possible to restore the environment and protect wildlife, while others, like the Emmerson Family, are more interested in harvesting the land’s resources for profit.
Whether the public agrees or disagrees with the practices happening on these pieces of property, private owners are free to do as they would like.
With that being said, laws and regulations are constantly changing.
In the future, these mega-landowners may be forced to change certain practices to ensure that the environment is not being damaged or destroyed for future generations.
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Disclaimer: we are not lawyers, accountants or financial advisors and the information in this article is for informational purposes only. This article is based on our own research and experience and we do our best to keep it accurate and up-to-date, but it may contain errors. Please be sure to consult a legal or financial professional before making any investment decisions.
Prior to starting Gokce Capital, Erika received a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Southern California and a graduate degree in Urban Policy from Columbia University. She worked as both an architectural designer and engineer in New York before joining the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
Erika currently lives in the New York Metropolitan area with her spouse, daughter and cat. She is originally from Chicago and still considers herself a midwesterner at heart.
Erika also loves to read, write and travel (fun fact, she has visited all 50 states and more than 30 countries!). Her new book, Land Investing Mistakes: 11 True Stories You Need To Know Before Buying Land, is now available on Amazon.