Small North Texas city gets the spotlight in ‘Yellowstone’ spinoff ‘Dutton Ranch’

As millions of people tuned into the series premiere of “Dutton Ranch” over the weekend, they caught a glimpse of a small North Texas city with a big history.

The “Yellowstone” spinoff follows Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler as they move from Montana to the fictional South Texas town of Rio Paloma. Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser reprise their roles alongside new cast members Ed Harris, Annette Bening and many more.

“Dutton Ranch” filmed all across North Texas during its 8-month-long shoot, including in Boyd, Cleburne, Weatherford, Dallas, Rio Vista, Fort Worth and Mineral Wells.

A key location for the show is the small community of Ferris, about 20 miles south of downtown Dallas.

“We absolutely thought it would bring some name recognition, some notoriety to the city,” City Manager Brooks Williams told the Star-Telegram at Ferris City Hall. “We are a town that has been sleepy and small, but we are a town that is absolutely growing, and we have a lot to offer.”

Big production, small town

On Aug. 7, 2025, the City of Ferris posted a news release stating that a new “Yellowstone” spinoff had selected the town as a primary filming location.

The city was contacted not long before the announcement about the possibility of filming in Ferris, Williams said. However, at the time, they were told it was simply a “Yellowstone” spinoff and the reveal of it actually being a Beth and Rip show came later on.

As for why Taylor Sheridan’s King Street Productions selected Ferris, Williams said everything lined up.

Ferris is home to the 5,200-acre property of the late W. Ray Wallace, CEO of Dallas-based Trinity Industries. Last year, the Wallace family sold the property to real estate developer Cawley Partners, which plans to develop the land in phases.

As “Dutton Ranch” was coming together, King Street was looking for a home for Annette Bening’s rival ranch owner in the show. The production found the Wallace property and contacted Cawley, who said they didn’t have immediate plans for the actual home and that they would be happy to help.

“Dutton Ranch” filmed all of its Ferris scenes on the Wallace property.

“It all worked out perfectly,” Williams said.

Over the show’s multi-month shoot in North Texas, Williams said the production would visit Ferris in spurts. They would be there for several days, and then it would be quiet for days at a time.

Working with the show’s production staff was one of the “easiest” and “most pleasant” experiences, Williams said. The production came in with the community in mind and wanted to make it a simple process for the city.

When it came to the city and the more than 5,100 residents that call Ferris home, Williams said the sense he got from the public was that the show was a positive thing for the area.

“I think it was to them proof that, like I said, we’re coming out of that sleepy age that we’ve been in and maybe attracting some really neat things,” Williams said.

‘Dutton Ranch’ rolls into Ferris

Over at the Ol’ Queen Theatre Vendor Mall, owners Linda and Dale Batey said a couple of “Dutton Ranch” actors stopped by the store while in town shooting.

The actors were bullish about who the actors were, but the Bateys said they shopped around the store and purchased a few shirts. The actors, two men, were dressed in cowboy attire when they visited.

“They said, ‘Is there anything else to do in the city?’ I said, ‘You’re looking at it,’” Linda Batey joked.

The Bateys said they’re looking forward to watching “Dutton Ranch” and hopes it brings more attention to their small town.

“Ferris needs some exposure,” David Batey said.

At Samiches Bar & Grill, co-owner Tenaj Miller said it was a “pretty big deal” to have the show film in Ferris.

She hopes that “Dutton Ranch” will bring people to the city to check out where filming took place, which in turn will help spur local business. While Samiches itself didn’t see an increase in business when the show was in town, Miller said the after-effects could be impactful.

“I’m looking forward to watching it and truly can’t wait to see if I can figure out where some of the landmarks are that they use in the series,” Miller said.

One brick at a time

Ferris has seen significant growth over the last few years and Williams hopes “Dutton Ranch” helps continue the trend.

The city, which was established in 1874 and incorporated in 1882, is nicknamed “The City that Bricked the World” after its many brick factories that once operated there. “Dutton Ranch” could prove to be the next object that opens up Ferris to the rest of the world.

Williams likens the hopeful exposure to Ferris to that of Guy Fieri’s show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” The restaurants were cooking well enough to get Fieri in the door, and after he leaves, they see business go through the roof as viewers want to see what all the fuss is about.

As “Dutton Ranch” airs its first season over the next month and half, Williams said Ferris is ready and open to welcoming anyone that comes its way. Maybe someone will want to open a business or move to the city.

The “mortar” the merrier.

“We’ve spent the last seven years being very intentional about what we’ve built this community into, and we have a long way to go, we know that,” Williams said. “But we love telling our story, and we’d love for people to come be a part of the story.”

“Dutton Ranch” airs Fridays on Paramount+ and the Paramount Network.

Brayden Garcia

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Brayden Garcia is a service journalism reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He is part of a team of local journalists who answer reader questions and write about life in North Texas. Brayden mainly writes about weather and all things Taylor Sheridan-related.