The town of Ransom Canyon, featured in Netflix’s new Western drama series, is based on a real location in Northern Texas—but with several creative liberties. Released on Netflix on Thursday, April 17, 2025, the show has already drawn comparisons to Yellowstone, with some viewers and critics suggesting it could rival Taylor Sheridan’s hit series. However, critical reception is mixed, with the show holding a 50% score on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing.
One of Ransom Canyon’s strongest points is its cast, led by Josh Duhamel, Minka Kelly, James Brolin, and others. Upon its release, the series quickly climbed Netflix’s Top 10 TV Shows list, even surpassing the critically acclaimed Black Mirror season 7. Like Yellowstone, which initially filmed in Utah before moving to Montana for later seasons, Ransom Canyon was filmed in a location different from its Texas setting.
Ransom Canyon Is a Real Town in Texas—But Nothing Like the Netflix Series
Ransom Canyon is indeed a real place just outside Lubbock, Texas, but it bears little resemblance to the idyllic, romance-filled town depicted in Netflix’s series. The characters, drama, and Southern charm of the show were invented for the adaptation of Jodi Thomas’s 2015 novel.
While scenic in its own way, the actual Ransom Canyon is a mostly desolate desert area with a population of fewer than 1,200 people. To match the passion and community spirit shown in the series, Netflix had to create a more lively and visually appealing version of the town. The real Ransom Canyon does feature a sizable lake, but otherwise, it’s far quieter than its fictional counterpart.
Netflix’s Ransom Canyon Was Filmed in New Mexico, Not Texas
Though set in North Texas, most of Ransom Canyon was filmed around Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico, with some scenes in Las Vegas, New Mexico—not Nevada. Series creator April Blair told Tudum, “Most of New Mexico is adobe architecture, and there’s this little old mining town near the Texas border called Las Vegas that just looks like an old Texas town.”
So while saying the show was filmed in “Las Vegas” isn’t wrong, it’s definitely not the real Texas town of Ransom Canyon.
