Cole Ranch broke ground on June 3, 2026, launching a 3,100-acre master-planned community in southwest Denton that will eventually hold 4,365 homes. Houston-based Johnson Development is leading the roughly $5 billion project on land the Cole family has held since the 1930s. First homes are expected to reach the market in late 2027 (Community Impact, June 2026).
Key takeaways
- Cole Ranch is a 3,100-acre master-planned community in southwest Denton, west of Interstate 35W, with a total buildout value near $5 billion (The Real Deal, June 2026).
- Plans call for 4,365 single-family homes, about 1,200 acres of preserved green space, and more than 26 miles of trails (Johnson Development, 2026).
- The developer set aside 206 acres for Denton ISD, enough for two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school (Denton Record-Chronicle, 2026).
- Groundbreaking was June 3, 2026. Infrastructure and model-home work starts in fall 2026, with first home sales in late 2027 (Community Impact, June 2026).
- Cole Ranch sits next to Hillwood's 3,200-acre Landmark community, concentrating more than 10,000 planned homes into one southwest Denton corridor.
What is Cole Ranch and who is building it?
Cole Ranch is a 3,100-acre master-planned community in southwest Denton, developed by Johnson Development, the Houston-based firm behind Viridian in Arlington and Trinity Falls in McKinney. This is Johnson's third community in the Dallas-Fort Worth area (Cross Timbers Gazette, June 2026).
The land carries deep local history. Miner Thomas Cole bought it in the 1930s, and one of the community's two lakes was built by hand with mule-drawn plows. The founding family stayed involved through The Cole Ranch Company, which partnered with Johnson Development and Silvestri Investments in a partnership formed in October 2025 (Builder Magazine, 2026).
"Cole Ranch has all the elements to become one of North Texas' most defining master-planned communities," said Michael Smith, president and CEO of Johnson Development (Builder Magazine, 2026). The project moved slowly through approvals for nearly two decades. Denton annexed the land in 2006 and rezoned it as a master-planned community in 2008, and the Texas Legislature authorized a municipal management district for it in 2019.
What will Cole Ranch include at full buildout?
At full buildout, Cole Ranch pairs 4,365 homes with roughly 1,200 acres of open space, close to 40 percent of the site. The design keeps the heavily treed Hickory Creek corridor as the spine for more than 26 miles of trails (Johnson Development, 2026).
The community also reserves land for schools, retail, and jobs, which is what separates a master-planned community from a standard subdivision.
Cole Ranch by the numbers
| Component | Plan |
|---|---|
| Total acreage | About 3,100 acres |
| Single-family homes | 4,365 planned |
| Preserved green space | About 1,200 acres (roughly 40 percent) |
| Trails | More than 26 miles |
| Lakes | Two, including a 32-acre waterway and a historic 13-acre lake |
| Schools (Denton ISD) | 206 acres for two elementary, one middle, one high school |
| Commercial and retail | 156 acres, plus a 55-acre business park |
| Total buildout value | About $5 billion over several decades |
When will the first Cole Ranch homes be available?
First home sales are expected in late 2027. Infrastructure and model-home construction begin in fall 2026, following the June 3, 2026 groundbreaking (The Real Deal, June 2026).
Homebuilders, price points, lot sizes, and phasing have not been announced yet. For a sense of the tier this corridor attracts, the neighboring Landmark community has already named builders including Toll Brothers, David Weekley, Perry Homes, Highland, and Tri Pointe. Cole Ranch's own roster remains open as of this writing.
Why does Cole Ranch matter for the Denton land market?
Because it does not stand alone. Cole Ranch sits directly next to Hillwood's Landmark, formerly Hunter Ranch, a 3,200-acre community planned for about $10 billion, 6,000 single-family homes, 3,000 apartments, and Denton's first H-E-B (Denton Record-Chronicle, 2026). Landmark broke ground in November 2025.
Together the two projects put more than 6,300 acres and over 10,000 planned homes side by side in southwest Denton within roughly a year of each other. That concentration pulls rooftops, retail, schools, and road and utility investment into a single corridor. For land professionals, that is a classic value-lift setup for the raw and infill land around it.
The demand is real. Denton County passed one million residents in early 2023 and adds roughly 86 people a day, and the city of Denton gained nearly 7,914 residents in a single year, landing it on the Census Bureau's list of fastest-growing large cities (NBC DFW, 2023; Denton Record-Chronicle, 2023). Cole Ranch is built to capture that northward migration along Interstate 35.
What should land owners and investors watch near Cole Ranch?
Watch the timing window between now and late 2027. Infrastructure spending at Cole Ranch starts in fall 2026, and that 12-to-18-month runway before homes sell is when adjacent frontage, feeder-road parcels, and commercial pads typically reprice ahead of the rooftops.
Three things carry the most weight for nearby owners. First, proximity to the new arterial roads and utility extensions serving both Cole Ranch and Landmark. Second, frontage along the routes connecting the two communities to Interstate 35W. Third, any commercially zoned or convertible tracts near the planned retail and the coming H-E-B anchor.
The pattern in southwest Denton is straightforward. Two mega-communities are building the roads, water, and rooftops that raise the value of everything around them. Owners who understand where the infrastructure lands first hold the timing advantage.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Cole Ranch located?
Cole Ranch sits in southwest Denton, Texas, west of Interstate 35W, on roughly 3,100 acres the Cole family has owned since the 1930s. It is adjacent to Hillwood's Landmark community.
Who is developing Cole Ranch?
Johnson Development, a Houston-based master-planned community developer, is leading the project in partnership with The Cole Ranch Company and Silvestri Investments. It is Johnson's third community in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
How many homes will Cole Ranch have?
Plans call for 4,365 single-family homes at full buildout, along with 156 acres of commercial space and a 55-acre business park. Total buildout value is estimated near $5 billion.
When will homes go on sale at Cole Ranch?
First home sales are expected in late 2027. Infrastructure and model-home construction begin in fall 2026, after the June 3, 2026 groundbreaking.
Which school district serves Cole Ranch?
Denton ISD. The developer reserved 206 acres inside the community for two elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.
References
- Community Impact. "Cole Ranch breaks ground on 3,100-acre master-planned community in Denton." June 25, 2026. link
- Johnson Development. "Cole Ranch, Denton, TX." 2026. link
- The Real Deal. "Johnson Development lines up first phase of $5B Cole Ranch." June 23, 2026. link
- Builder Magazine. "Johnson Development to Transform Cole Ranch into 4,365-Home MPC." 2026. link
- Denton Record-Chronicle. "First of Cole Ranch's homes expected to start in 2027, developers say." 2026. link
- Denton Record-Chronicle. "Hillwood details Phase 1 of Landmark, a $10B Denton mega-development near Argyle." 2026. link
- Cross Timbers Gazette. "Ground breaks on 4,000-home development in southwest Denton." June 25, 2026. link
- NBC DFW. "Denton County population soars past one million." 2023. link
- Denton Record-Chronicle. "Denton gained nearly 8,000 residents in a year, putting city on US Census list." 2023. link
