Aubrey sits about 12 miles north of Denton, tucked along US-377 in the fast-growing 76227 corridor of Denton County. For decades it was known mostly to two kinds of people: horse folks and lake folks. The nickname “Horse Country, U.S.A.” is real — more than 100 working horse ranches surround the town — and Ray Roberts Lake laps up against its northern edge. Today tens of thousands of new residents are discovering what those two groups already knew: there’s a lot to do out here. Here’s the local’s version.
Get on the water at Ray Roberts Lake State Park
The single biggest reason to love living near Aubrey is Ray Roberts Lake, a roughly 29,000-acre reservoir with a state park spread across several developed areas.
- Isle du Bois Unit, on the southern shore near Pilot Point, is the busy one. It has a sandy swim beach, a four-lane boat ramp, a fishing pier, a kiddie fishing pond, campgrounds, a playground, and an Interpretive Center.
- Johnson Branch Unit, on the northern shore, is the quieter alternative, with its own swimming beach, boating and fishing access, a Nature Center, and paved and unpaved hike-and-bike trails.
Ray Roberts is a genuinely good fishing lake for bass and catfish, and summer weekends fill up fast — reserve day-use and camping through Texas Parks & Wildlife before you drive out.
Walk, bike, or ride the Greenbelt Corridor
Connecting Ray Roberts down toward Lake Lewisville is the Greenbelt Corridor, a roughly 20-mile multi-use trail that follows the Elm Fork of the Trinity River. It’s a favorite for hikers and cyclists, and — fittingly for Horse Country — about 12 miles of it are open to horseback riders. It’s flat, shaded in stretches, and one of the most underrated trails in North Texas.
Spend a morning in historic downtown Aubrey
Aubrey’s old Main Street district traces back to 1881, the year the Texas and Pacific Railway reached town and the community traded the name “Onega” for “Aubrey” (the story goes that the new name was drawn from a hat). The town later swapped cotton for peanuts as its main cash crop — heritage you can still taste every October at the Peanut Festival. The walkable downtown is small, but it’s the real thing, and it anchors the town’s biggest gatherings.
Time your visit around a festival
Aubrey punches above its weight on community events. A few worth planning around:
- Aubrey Peanut Festival (early October) — the town’s flagship day, with a parade, live music, and food and craft vendors. The 2026 edition is the 40th annual.
- Fruit Jar Junction Farmers Market — downtown, on the first Saturday of the month through much of the year.
- Summer Music Series — free live-music nights across May through July.
- Main Street Motor Fest, the Haunted Harvest at Halloween, and the Christmas Tree Lighting in December round out the calendar.
See our Aubrey events calendar for the full year.
Explore the new communities
Even if you don’t live in one, Aubrey’s master-planned communities have quietly built some of the best public-feeling amenities around. Sandbrock Ranch centers on two catch-and-release fishing lakes (Lake Sadie and Lake Gertie), a splash pad, and a treehouse-style lookout amid about 150 acres of green space. Others like Silverado, ArrowBrooke, and Winn Ridge add resort-style pools, parks, and courts.
The bottom line
Aubrey is changing fast, but its two oldest identities — the lake and the horses — are still the best things about it. Pack a fishing pole or a pair of boots, pick a Saturday, and go find out why people keep moving here.
