Who Owns America? The Largest Landowners in Every State

Land is the original American asset class, and its concentration tells a story that spreadsheets rarely capture. In some states, a single family name appears on deeds stretching farther than some European nations. In others, media moguls quietly diversified into ranches generations ago. Across the country, timber companies, cattle dynasties, and government agencies hold titles to territories most Americans will never set foot on.

We've pulled ownership data to map out the largest landowners in every state in 2026 and what they're doing with all those acres.

The Largest Landowners in Every State

Across the United States, land ownership is as diverse as the landscapes themselves. While the federal government is by far the largest landowner in the United States, the story of private landownership is just as fascinating. From sprawling ranches in Texas to timber empires in the Northwest, and historic estates in the Northeast, a handful of private owners control massive swaths of land that shape local economies, conservation efforts, and the very geography of their regions.

Curious to see who owns land across the entire country? With LandApp Pro, you can explore nationwide ownership, uncover mega-landholders, and get detailed insights on any property. Search by name or explore by map to find out who owns land, anywhere.

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The Midwest

State	Name	Acreage Owned
Colorado	John Malone	~200,000 acres in CO, 2.2M acres total
Iowa	Kent Kiburz	47,300 acres in IA
Kansas	Phillip Anschutz	250,000 acres in KS
Minnesota	Molpus Woodlands Group	286,000 acres in MN
Missouri	Pioneer Forest	150,000 acres in MO
Nebraska	Ted Turner	400,000 acres in NE, 2M acres total
North Dakota	The Offut Family	190,000 acres in ND
South Dakota	Ted Turner	148,000 acres in SD, 2M acres total

Midwestern land is defined by productivity- corn, soybeans, wheat, and hogs. The largest landholders here are often corporations, investment funds, and family farming empires that have quietly accumulated for decades. These states contain some of the largest private land holdings in the nation, shaped by the Homestead era, railroad land grants, and decades of cattle and timber wealth accumulating in the same family lines.

The largest landowner in the Midwest is Ted Turner. He owns over 400,000 acres in Nebraska, and 148,000 acres in South Dakota, making him one of the largest landowners in the US overall. Turner is a major conservationist: roughly 2.2 million acres of his land are managed as wildlife habitat. He’s a pioneer in preserving native prairie and forest ecosystems, often restoring land that had been overgrazed or overdeveloped.

The Northwest

State	Name	Acreage Owned
Idaho	The Simplot Family	~422,000 acres in ID
Montana	The Wilks Brothers	~350,000 acres in MT, ~700,000 acres total
Oregon	Weyerhaeuser Company	~1M acres in OR, 10.4M acres total
Washington	Weyerhaeuser Company	~900,000 acres in WA, 10.4M acres total
Wyoming	Stan Kroenke	~560,000 acres in WY, 2.7M acres total

In the Northwest, private land ownership is dominated by a few heavyweights, and Stan Kroenke is impossible to ignore. His holdings stretch into Wyoming, where he manages vast ranches that combine livestock grazing, recreational use, and conservation. Kroenke’s lands aren’t just about acreage- they’re carefully managed for long-term sustainability, supporting cattle operations while preserving wildlife habitat and open space. Alongside corporate giants like Weyerhaeuser, Kroenke shapes the region’s landscape, balancing economic use with environmental stewardship and leaving a lasting mark on the Northwest’s forests and ranch lands.

Other timber companies like Green Diamond, Weyerhaeuser, and Stimson Lumber stand out among smaller competitors own thousands of acres of forestland in the Northwest, often emphasizing sustainable harvests and ecological stewardship. Stimson manages its forests as “working forests,” meaning the land is actively cared for, harvested, and replanted to balance commercial use with ecological health. Trees are grown and harvested in cycles (often 40–50 years) to produce lumber and wood products, supplying logs directly to Stimson’s own mills and other markets.

Map of Stimson Lumber's Land Ownership in Idaho from LandApp Pro

The Southwest

State	Name	Acreage Owned
Arizona	Babbitt Ranches	~750,000 acres in AZ
California	Sierra Pacific Industries/ Emmerson Family	~1.9M acres in CA, 2.4M acres total
Nevada	New Nevada Resources	~500,000 acres in NV
New Mexico	Stan Kroenke	~937,000 acres in NM
Utah	The LDS Church	~201,000 acres in UT

The largest landowner in the Southwest is Sierra Pacific Industries. Sierra Pacific Industries (SPI) is one of the largest private landowners in the United States, owned by the Emmerson family and managing roughly 2.3 -2.4 million acres of timberland across California, Oregon, and Washington- making them the biggest private forestland owner in North America.

The LDS Church stands out as one of the largest landowners in the Southwest for its massive, multi-purpose holdings, while Babbitt Ranches manages one of the nation’s largest ranches. The LDS Church owns hundreds of thousands of acres in the Southwest (around 201,000 acres in Utah alone), largely used for agriculture, ranching, and long-term investment. These lands support livestock, farming operations, and sometimes conservation initiatives. Their holdings are some of the largest church-owned properties in the country.

The South

State	Name	Acreage Owned
Louisana	Weyerhaeuser Company	~1.39M acres in LA
Oklahoma	The Drummond Family	~443,000 acres in OK
Texas	Texas Pacific Land Corporation (TPL)	~900,000 acres in TX

Down in the South, land reigns big and bold. In Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma, sprawling ranches, timberlands, and oil‑rich properties define the landscape, and a handful of private owners hold massive sway. Texas Pacific Land Corporation is the largest private landowner in the region, holding roughly 880,000 acres across ~20 West Texas counties, primarily in the Permian Basin. Most of this land is undeveloped desert and oil-rich acreage, historically acquired for ranching and speculation. Their business model revolves around leasing mineral rights for oil and gas development to drilling companies.

The Southeast

State	Name	Acreage Owned
Arkansas	Weyerhaeuser Company	~1.2M acres in AR, 10.4M acres total
Alabama	Weyerhaeuser Company	~600,000 acres in AL, 10.4M acres total
Florida	The LDS Church	~670,000 acres in FL, 1.7M acres total
Georgia	Weyerhauser Company	~750,000 acres in GA, 10.4M acres total
Mississippi	Weyerhaeuser Company	~1.15M acres in MS, 10.4M acres total
North Carolina	Weyerhaeuser Company	~570,000 acres in NC, 10.4M acres total
South Carolina	Weyerhaeuser Company	~300,000 acres in NC, 10.4M acres total
Tennessee	Weyerhaeuser Company	~290,000 acres in NC, 10.4M acres total

In the Southeast, it’s hard not to notice who’s calling the shots when it comes to land. One name dominates the map: Weyerhaeuser, the timber giant with sprawling forests across Washington, Oregon, and beyond. Weyerhaeuser owns approximately 10.4 million acres of land in the US total, making it one of the largest institutional landowners in the country. They manage forests for sustainable timber production, growing and harvesting trees while maintaining long-term forest health. Their operations supply lumber, paper, and wood products across the country.

Another notable landowner in the Southeast is The LDS Church. The LDS Church owns over 670,000 acres of land in Florida centered in Osceola and Brevard Counties under the name Deseret Ranches- part of its for-profit investment firm, Farmland Reserve Inc. The LDS Church also owns timberland in Panhandle.

Map of The LDS Church's Land Ownership in Florida from LandApp Pro

The Great Lakes

State	Name	Acreage Owned
District of Columbia	Catholic Church	173 acres in DC
Illinois	The LDS Church	~53,000 acres in IL, 1.7M acres total
Indiana	The Martin Family	~580,000 acres in IN
Kentucky	Brad Kelley	~675,000 acres in KY, ~1M acres total
Ohio	Escanaba Timber	~150,000 acres in OH
Maryland	US Department of Defense	~108,000 acres in MD
Michigan	Weyerhaeuser (formerly Plum Creek Timber Company)	~650,000 acres in MI, 10.4M acres total
Wisconsin	Weyerhaeuser (formerly Plum Creek Timber Company)	~550,000 acres in W1, 10.4M acres total

The Great Lakes region is a mix of dense forests, farmland, and recreational lands, and its largest private landowners reflect that diversity. While Brad Kelley and Escanaba Timber control substantial tracts in Michigan and Wisconsin, and the U.S. Department of Defense holds around 108,000 acres of land in Maryland for military training and testing, other names loom large on the map. 

The Martin family manages one of the region’s most significant private holdings, while timber companies like Plum Creek (now part of Weyerhaeuser) and Molpus Woodlands Group operate hundreds of thousands of acres of productive timberland. Together, these owners are defining how land is used from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to northern Wisconsin and Minnesota.

The Northeast

State	Name	Acreage Owned
Connecticut	Northwest Connecticut Land Conservancy	~13,400 acres in CT
Delaware	Delaware Wild Lands	~22,000 acres in DE
Maine	Irving Family	~1.27M acres, 3.2M acres total
New Jersey	William Haines Jr.	~114,000 acres in NJ
New Hampshire	John Malone	~23,000 acres in NH, 2.2M acres total
New York	Molpus Woodlands	~239,000 acres in NY
Pennsylvania	The Collins Family	~118,000 acres in PA
Rhode Island	Audubon Society	~10,000 acres in RH
Vermont	Weyerhaeuser Company	~86,000 acres in VT, 10.4M acres total

In the Northeast, private land ownership is a mix of historic estates, timberlands, and conservation properties, but one name towers above the rest: John Malone. Often called the largest private landowner in the U.S., Malone controls vast tracts in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, managing them for timber production, conservation, and recreation. Alongside Malone, the region is dotted with corporate forest owners, conservation trusts, and multi-generational estates that maintain forests, wildlife habitat, and open space. Malone’s holdings set the standard for responsible, large-scale land management, shaping the forests and rural landscapes of the Northeast while balancing economic use with long-term stewardship.

Alaska and Hawaii

State	Name	Acreage Owned
Alaska	Alaska Native Corporations (Sealaska, CIRI, Doyon)	~44M acres in AK
Hawaii	Kamahemeha Schools (Bishop Estate)	~365,000 acres in OK

Under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971, regional and village corporations collectively hold over 44 million acres or land- by far the largest private landholders in the nation's largest state. Meanwhile, the charitable trust established by Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop holds approximately 365,000 acres of land in Hawaii- roughly 9% of Hawaii's total land area -  making it the state's largest private landowner by a wide margin.

How to Find Out Who Owns Land

The profiles above are just the headline names. LandApp Pro gives you the complete picture of land ownership in the US with searchable, map-layered ownership records for every county in the country, updated continuously from deed filings and county assessor data.

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