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Land and Soil Stories & local character

McLennan County Sits on Two Distinct Prairie Zones

McLennan County The Great Outdoors

The Blackland Prairie in eastern McLennan County has some of the richest clay soils in Texas. Cotton dominated agriculture here from the 1880s through the mid-20th century. Today the county produces beef cattle, corn, wheat, hay, grain sorghum, soybeans, and dairy cattle.

Blackland clay soils can shrink and swell dramatically with rainfall changes. That affects building foundations, so it's something to look into before buying or building on this type of land. If you have specific ag questions, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension has a McLennan County office.

Content last revised 2026-07-11

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More stories and useful context near McLennan County

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Stories & local character

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Place pages in McLennan County

BellmeadBeverly HillsBruceville-EddyCrawfordGholsonGolinda

Nearby county shelves

Falls (6) Hill (12) Bosque (8) Limestone (7) Coryell (27) Bell (38)