Readers of the Big Bend Times generated more than 327,000 page views over the past 12 months, underscoring the continued growth of independent digital journalism covering Far West Texas and the Trans-Pecos region.
Site analytics covering April 2025 through early March 2026 show nearly 200,000 visitors reading stories on Big Bend Times during the past year.
Much of that readership is driven by how people discover stories online. Facebook remains the largest source of traffic, sending more than 106,000 visits to the site during the past year as readers share and discuss regional news across social media.
Search engines generated more than 54,000 visits, reflecting continued interest in Big Bend Times reporting from readers searching for information about the region.
Additional traffic came from news aggregation and discovery platforms, including newsbreakapp.com, which sent more than 43,000 visits to the publication.
Readers also arrive through a variety of smaller referral sources, including Google search tools, the WordPress Reader and other regional websites.
The audience growth highlights the role social media and digital discovery now play in connecting readers with news in rural regions where traditional print circulation has declined.
Several stories over the past year drew particularly strong readership.
A report about a lawyer arrested after allegedly driving 120 miles per hour in a 70 mph zone on a Far West Texas highway became one of the most-read stories of the year.
Investigative reporting also resonated with readers, including coverage examining public information law compliance issues involving the Terrell County Sheriff’s Office and reporting on a petition opposing a proposed border wall in the Big Bend region.
Stories focusing on government accountability also drew strong engagement, including coverage of a deputy accused of assaulting a journalist at a public meeting and reporting examining local officials appearing in connection with an anonymous smear website targeting the publication.
Looking across the entire history of the publication, several stories have continued to attract readers long after their initial publication.
Among the most widely read pieces are:
- “Historic Ghost Town and Lost Mine of Terlingua Now on the Market”
- “Massive 324,345-Acre Dove Mountain Ranch in Texas Hits the Market”
- “Mysterious Marfa Lights Capture Attention on Social Media”
- “Indian Lodge at Davis Mountains State Park Gearing Up for 2024 Reopening”
- “Marfa Unveils ‘Sleeping Giant’: A 150-Foot Sculpture Made of Shipping Containers”
Those stories illustrate the wide range of topics drawing readers to the site, from ranch land and real estate developments to regional history, tourism and the natural mysteries of the Big Bend.
Since launching in 2020, Big Bend Times has grown into the largest digital news outlet focused on the Big Bend and Trans-Pecos region, covering communities including Alpine, Fort Davis, Marfa, Marathon, Presidio, Terlingua, Van Horn, Sanderson, Fort Stockton, Balmorhea and Ojinaga, Mexico.
The publication’s audience now extends far beyond the region, with readers across Texas and internationally following coverage of Far West Texas.
And as the numbers show, that audience continues to grow — one story, one share and one reader at a time.
