Properties For Rent in Stephenville, TX

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Stephenville is the county seat of Erath County, Texas, situated in the rolling cross-timbers and prairie country of north-central Texas, about seventy miles southwest of Fort Worth. It is the principal city of the Stephenville Micropolitan Statistical Area and the cultural and economic hub of a region long defined by ranching and agriculture. The town was founded in the mid-1850s and takes its name from John M. Stephen, an early settler who patented the land in 1853. Stephenville grew as a market and government center for Erath County, and agriculture became its lifeblood — first cotton and livestock, and later dairying, which remains the area's signature industry. Erath County is Texas's leading milk producer, and Stephenville proudly calls itself both the "Cowboy Capital of the World" and the "Dairy Capital of Texas." The arrival of higher education transformed the town. John Tarleton Agricultural College was established in 1917 as a branch of Texas A&M, and it evolved into Tarleton State University, a founding member of the Texas A&M University System that now enrolls more than 15,000 students. The university fields NCAA Division I athletics and a rodeo team that has won multiple national championships, reinforcing the town's cowboy identity with genuine competitive pedigree. Stephenville today is a vibrant small city that balances ranch tradition with college-town dynamism. Its economy rests on agriculture, the university, healthcare, and regional retail, and its historic downtown square anchors shopping, dining, and live music. Residents enjoy the Bosque River Trail, nearby lakes Proctor and Palo Pinto, and a friendly, community-centered pace of life, all within about ninety minutes of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. It suits families, students, ranchers, and anyone drawn to authentic Texas western culture.

Population 20,847

County Erath County

Active Listings 488

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Frequently Asked Questions

What county is Stephenville in?

Stephenville is the county seat of Erath County, Texas, located in the north-central part of the state about seventy miles southwest of Fort Worth. It is the principal city of the Stephenville Micropolitan Statistical Area.

What is Stephenville known for?

Stephenville is known as the self-proclaimed "Cowboy Capital of the World" and the "Dairy Capital of Texas." Erath County is the state's leading milk producer, and the city's western heritage is expressed through rodeo, ranching, and Tarleton State University's championship rodeo program.

What university is in Stephenville?

Tarleton State University, a founding member of the Texas A&M University System, is located in Stephenville. It enrolls more than 15,000 students, competes in NCAA Division I athletics, and fields a rodeo team that has won multiple national championships.

What school district serves Stephenville?

Stephenville is served by the Stephenville Independent School District, which operates elementary, middle, and high schools including Stephenville High School. The city's status as a college town also places a wide range of educational and cultural resources within easy reach of local families.

How far is Stephenville from Fort Worth?

Stephenville sits about seventy miles southwest of Fort Worth, roughly a ninety-minute drive by car. That distance gives residents access to the Dallas-Fort Worth metro and its major airport while maintaining a distinct small-town, ranching-oriented character.

What is there to do in Stephenville?

Stephenville offers the Bosque River Trail, rodeo events, Tarleton State University's planetarium and athletics, a water park, and nearby lakes Proctor and Palo Pinto for fishing and boating. The historic downtown square anchors shopping, dining, and live-music events.

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