Ranger, Texas
Ranger is a small city in Eastland County, roughly 63 miles east of Abilene in the rolling ranch and brush country of north central Texas. It is best known for the oil boom that transformed the town in the early twentieth century, when a major strike drew a rush of drilling and prospectors to the area. After the boom faded, Ranger settled back into a quiet ranching and small-town economy.
Place essentials
Official Census snapshot- Census place type
- City
- July 2025 population
- 2,335
- Change from 2020 base
- +1.3%
- Land area
- 7 sq. mi.
- County footprint
- Eastland County
Place type, county footprint, and land area use the Census Bureau's January 1, 2025 geography. Population uses Vintage 2025 estimates through July 1, 2025; change compares that estimate with the April 1, 2020 estimates base. Geography file | Population file
Property here runs through the appraisal district and tax office for Eastland County. The homestead exemption, appraisal cap, protests, and any MUD, PID, or special districts all sit at the parcel level.
Official routes
Use the office for the parcel address; a mailing city is not always the governing city.
County context
What to know around Ranger
County lines carry much of the property, land, water, and outdoors context around Ranger.
Local History
The Eastland County Courthouse and Old Rip
Eastland's courthouse holds the preserved remains of Old Rip, a horned lizard that became a national story in 1928.
Property Tax
Who handles your property taxes in Eastland County
Two separate offices handle property taxes here — the appraisal district sets your value, and the tax office collects what you owe.
Oil Boom History
The 1917 Ranger oil strike transformed Eastland County
An oil strike near the town of Ranger in 1917 flooded the county with workers and money, briefly making it one of the most active places in Texas.
Nearby
Places near Ranger
Nearby counties
Local notes for nearby counties
Next steps for Ranger
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