Tioga features a lakeside locale amid Texas horse country
Lakefront and horse country surround the small Texas town of Tioga. Located an hour’s drive north of Dallas, Tioga borders Lake Ray Roberts, while horse trainers and boarders dot the inland plains. The lake and equestrian activities define the rural community, but it’s still experiencing the population growth that’s present in similar communities across Grayson County. U.S. Route 377 runs through Tioga toward the heart of the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex, putting Tioga in the path of the growth that’s spilling out from the metro area’s two biggest cities.
New homes come to Tioga as population increases
Fewer than 2,000 people live in Tioga, but the small town’s population is growing. At least 70 homes have been built since 2020. Most of that growth has been concentrated in The Gables at Tioga, a subdivision of new Craftsman- and farmhouse-inspired single-family designs built by Red Gable Homes. Other new homes include infill construction on North Main Street and custom homes built along dirt roads in the countryside.
How much homes cost
Homes generally sell from the low $200,000s to the low $400,000s, though prices rise with the size of the property. A lakefront house with several acres of land can cost $1 million or more. Homeowners in Tioga’s city limits pay property taxes to Tioga and Grayson County. Residents outside the city limits only pay the latter.
Four-day week in the Tioga Independent School District
The Tioga Independent School District includes Tioga School, a top-rated school for kindergartners through eighth graders, and Tioga High School. Schools in the district operate on a four-day school week. Students and staff typically don’t have classes on Mondays.
Horses and lakefront define the Tioga lifestyle
Horses roam ranches and stables in the communities along Route 377, which include Tioga. “Highway 377 is known for the surrounding land, the sandy soil, and it’s our horse country,” says Stephanie Hudson, a Realtor at Monument Realty. “You’ll see a lot of the horse industry along there because [the soil] is better for the joints of the horses.” Dozens of homes come with at least 5 acres of land, and some are already fenced for keeping horses or other livestock. Lakefront properties are most common on the north side of Tioga. While lots may stretch to the lakefront, tree thickets buffers homes from the water and the flood zones that cover the lakeshore.
Next door to Lake Ray Roberts
Boaters and paddlers can access a 29,000-acre lake from the Buck Creek boat launch, which is also a common place for anglers to cast a line. “It’s known for bass fishing,” Hudson says of Lake Ray Roberts. Tioga is about 10 miles from the Greenbelt Corridor, 20 total miles of hiking, equestrian and birdwatching trails that cross through Ray Roberts Lake State Park.
In town, restaurants and coffee shops are clustered along Gene Autry Drive, named after the singer and actor who grew up in Tioga. Around the corner, Clark’s Outpost has served slow-smoked barbecue since 1974. There’s a Dollar General in Tioga, but the closest grocery store is Brookshire Brothers, about 5 miles to the south in Pilot Point.
The drive to Denton, Dallas and more
Tioga sits on the north side of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Distances to nearby jobs hubs and points of interest include:
- Denton: 25 miles
- Frisco: 30 miles
- Dallas: 60 miles
- Fort Worth: 65 miles
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport: 50 miles
Tioga isn’t very walkable, and public transit is limited to the Texoma Area Paratransit System. The point-to-point shuttle service operates in six Texas counties: Clay, Cooke, Fannin, Grayson, Montague and Wise.
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Written By
Alex Soderstrom
