About

Stephenville, Texas

If you want the comfort and casualness of a small town and an intimate campus life - Tarleton has it!  We're in the heart of Stephenville, a town of about 17,000 that is the hub of an area circled by Fort Worth, Dallas, Waco, and Abilene.  You'll live and learn in a warm, friendly, caring community ranked as one of the 100 best small towns in America. Stephenville was part of a tract of land located on the upper Bosque River Valley in Central Texas in 1854 and became the county seat of Erath County in 1856.   The first land patent was secured by John M. Stephen on February 24, 1853.   Stephenville is located 100 miles southwest of Dallas and 65 miles southwest of Fort Worth.  Visit the Virtual Tour page to find out driving directions from anywhere in North America.

The first permanent school in Stephenville was erected by John Tarleton.  There are now seven public school districts in Erath County.  Stephenville Independent School District has a total enrollment of over 3,350 students. The one college in the area, Tarleton, has an enrollment of over 9,600 students.

Stephenville offers a variety of recreational areas including two public parks, two public swimming pools, two golf courses, 14 tennis courts, a movie theater, six football stadiums, two rodeo arenas, a bowling alley, a youth center, and a historical museum.  There are also two major lakes within a 40-mile radius and many excellent areas for hunting and fishing.   Stephenville offers many annual events including livestock shows, arts & crafts festivals, rodeos, basketball tournaments and the Tarleton homecoming.

Major manufacturers and employers in Stephenville include AMPI, Saint-Gobain, FMC, Harris Methodist Hospital, HEB Grocers, Medical & Surgical Clinic, Norton Company, Pecan Valley Medical, Rayloc Industries, Stephenville ISD, Tarleton State University, and Wal-Mart.