Tommy Lee Jones, the acclaimed Oscar-winning actor celebrated for his roles in The Fugitive and No Country for Old Men, stands apart from the conventional Hollywood elite. Although he commands attention on the big screen, his heart remains deeply tethered to the rugged charm of Texas ranch life. Born in San Saba, Texas, Jones makes his home in the Lone Star State, where he manages an expansive 3,000-acre cattle ranch in San Saba County. Here, he divides his time between tending livestock, indulging in the sport of polo, and relishing the tranquility of country living, far removed from Hollywood’s glittering allure.

Tommy Lee Jones owns a 3,000-acre cattle ranch in San Saba County, Texas

Jones’ ranch is a testament to his enduring connection to Texas and his preference for a more private existence over the glitzy Hollywood lifestyle. This sprawling 3,000-acre property in San Saba County serves as a working cattle ranch where Jones dedicates much of his time when he’s not immersed in filming, according to Wide Open Country.

The ranch is grounded in historical significance and practicality rather than opulence. The main residence is described as a century-old ranch house, highlighting Jones’ dedication to preserving history and authenticity. Beyond its cattle operations, the ranch also nurtures his long-standing love for polo, a sport in which he has been an active competitor for decades.

In an interview with Texas Monthly, Jones shared, “In the summers, we’ll work cattle, and then at about 7 o’clock at night, we’ll start playing polo. We’ll play until about 9, and then when we’re done, we put the meat on the fire and watch the dark come. It’s a good life. Everyone is happy.”

As Texas Monthly reports, the entrance to Jones’ cattle ranch features an automatic electronic gate, leading visitors to two meticulously maintained polo fields visible from the first turn. The property boasts a two-story, 150-year-old limestone ranch house and includes several guest cottages nestled near a creek, along with a saddle house.

“The gates are locked,” Jones also said. “We keep it shut down.”

The actor also reportedly owns a ranch in Van Horn, Texas

Tommy Lee Jones’ ties to Van Horn, Texas, go beyond casual land ownership. The West Texas landscape played a pivotal role in one of his most personal film projects. Jones used his own ranch near Van Horn as a primary shooting location for The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005), the neo‑Western he directed and starred in, according to the Texas Film Commission. The rugged ranchland and surrounding desert terrain provided the authentic backdrop that the story required.

The wide‑open expanses near Van Horn, located in Culberson County in far West Texas, are characteristic of the state’s dramatic high‑desert environments. Jones chose these locales deliberately for their unforgiving, remote terrain. The actor was drawn to the area’s harsh weather patterns, from blistering heat to sudden storms, because they visually reinforced the emotional core of the film’s story, the publication states.

The specific details of Jones’ Van Horn ranch, like acreage and livestock operations, aren’t widely publicized.

Tommy Lee Jones has a deep connection to the Lone Star State

Tommy Lee Jones was born on Sept. 15, 1946, in San Saba, Texas, to working‑class parents. Growing up in Texas deeply influenced him. He spent part of his youth in Midland and later attended St. Mark’s School of Texas in Dallas on scholarship. The transition from rural life to an elite prep school broadened his horizons but also strengthened his Texas identity.

“I am a child of West Texas, and whether anybody admitted it in the 1950s or not, it’s a bicultural society,” Jones said in 2005, according to the New York Post. He then explained how he spent his school years studying Spanish, as he “employs a lot of cowboys” who don’t speak English.

In another interview with The Telegraph in 2008, he described Texas’s unforgiving landscape.

“It can be a hostile country,” he said. “There’s nothing living in those mountains that won’t sting or bite or stab you. … If you disrespect the country, it will cripple you.”