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How deep are water wells in Fort Worth, Texas?

Home water wells in and around Fort Worth, Texas are typically 286 to 420 feet deep (median 395 ft, 1,262 wells drilled in the last 10 years). Nearly all draw from the upper Trinity (Paluxy and Glen Rose, 93%), according to the state's Northern Trinity and Woodbine model (TWDB). New wells run about 19% deeper than 20 years ago (median 335 ft in 2003 to 2007, 400 ft in 2021 to 2025). Estimated cost of a complete well at the median depth: $12,500 to $30,000.

Updated every day from Texas Water Development Board driller reports. Last update: November 11, 2026, using the state file of November 10, 2026.

See the wells and layers at an exact pointTarrant County
What is under Fort Worth, TexasUnderground column at the center of Fort Worth: median well 395 ft, middle half 286 to 420 ft, water at 260 ft, and the layers of the state's model with their thickness.Washita and Fredericksburg: 0 to 205 ftWashita and Frederick…Upper Trinity: 205 to 691 ftUpper Trinitycontinues to 988 ft0200400600ftGround level · 584 ft above sea levelMedian well: 395 ftWater standing in the well from 260 ftWater level260 ftMiddle half286–420 ftMedian well395 ft

Under Fort Worth, Tarrant County

Layers at the center of Fort Worth from TWDB's Northern Trinity and Woodbine model (quarter mile cells, summarized here to about 1.3 miles), at true depth scale. The well and the water are the median of 1,262 real wells.

Home wells in and around Fort Worth

Each dot is a home well from a state driller report, colored by depth. Tap one for its details and official report. Tap an empty spot to see what is under that point.

See underground

Well depth (ft)

  • <100
  • 100
  • 200
  • 300
  • 400
  • 600
  • 800+

Dashed line: Fort Worth and about 2 miles around it

Key figures

Typical depth (middle half)
286 to 420 feet
Median depth
395 feet
Deepest 10% are past
540 feet
Water level (median)
260 feet
884 wells
Yield (median)
15 gpm
1,119 wells, gallons per minute
Wells used
1,262
In the last 10 years
Inside the city limits
397
the rest within 2 miles
All years on file
4,272
median 355 ft, since 2001
Confidence
Standard (30 or more wells)

When the wells were finished, the water stood a median 260 feet below the surface (884 wells).

What is under Fort Worth, TexasUnderground column at the center of Fort Worth: median well 395 ft, middle half 286 to 420 ft, water at 260 ft, and the layers of the state's model with their thickness.Washita and Fredericksburg: 0 to 205 ftWashita and Frederick…Upper Trinity: 205 to 691 ftUpper Trinitycontinues to 988 ft0200400600ftGround level · 584 ft above sea levelMedian well: 395 ftWater standing in the well from 260 ftWater level260 ftMiddle half286–420 ftMedian well395 ft
Layers at the center of Fort Worth from TWDB's Northern Trinity and Woodbine model (quarter mile cells, summarized here to about 1.3 miles), at true depth scale. The well and the water are the median of 1,262 real wells.

Which formation do wells in Fort Worth draw from?

Nearly all draw from the upper Trinity (Paluxy and Glen Rose, 93%), according to the state's Northern Trinity and Woodbine model (TWDB).

Layer (state's model)ShareWellsTypical depth (ft)
Upper TrinityPaluxy and Glen Rose93%1,168300–420
Washita and Fredericksburg3%43165–300
Lower TrinityTwin Mountains and Travis Peak3%42608–660
Woodbine1%8120–200
Near or below the base of the Trinity<1%1—

For 98% of these wells the report says where the water enters (the screen or the open hole), and we use the middle of that interval.

The layers under the center of Fort Worth

From the state's model, at 584 feet above sea level. These are the model's depths at that one point, not those of any particular lot.

Depths in feet below ground.
Layer (state's model)Top (ft)Bottom (ft)Thickness (ft)
Washita and Fredericksburglimestone, marl and clay0205205
Upper Trinitysandstone, limestone and marl205691487
Lower Trinitysandstone with shale and limestone691988297

Depth over time

New home wells in and around Fort Worth are deeper than 20 years ago: the median went from 335 feet (2003 to 2007) to 400 feet (2021 to 2025), 19% more. Deeper wells do not always mean the water dropped: a driller may be going for another layer, better water or more reserve.

PeriodMedian depth (ft)Wells
2001–20053601,036
2006–20102801,064
2011–2015350762
2016–2020375646
2021–2025400696
202638068

What a well costs in Fort Worth

At the median depth for Fort Worth (395 feet), a complete home well would cost roughly $12,500 to $30,000: $25 to $60 per foot for drilling, casing and seal, plus $2,500 to $6,500 for the pump, pressure tank, controls and hookup at the well. Across the whole middle half of depths (286 to 420 feet) the range runs from $9,500 to $31,500. This is TerraFunded's estimate from published Texas prices, not a quote, and it leaves out trenching and the line to the house. Get prices from at least two licensed drillers.

Where it sits

Nearby places

Median depth of home wells in each place.

All Texas cities and towns

Common questions

How deep do you have to drill a well in Fort Worth, Texas?

Home water wells in and around Fort Worth, Texas are typically 286 to 420 feet deep (median 395 ft, 1,262 wells drilled in the last 10 years). One in ten goes past 540 feet. The depth a given tract needs depends on where it sits and what layers the driller hits.

What aquifer or formation do wells in Fort Worth draw from?

Nearly all draw from the upper Trinity (Paluxy and Glen Rose, 93%), according to the state's Northern Trinity and Woodbine model (TWDB). This is an estimate from the state's regional model, not a survey of the lot.

How much does a water well cost in Fort Worth?

At the median depth (395 feet), a complete well would cost roughly $12,500 to $30,000, by TerraFunded's estimate from published Texas driller prices. The real price comes from a licensed driller's quote.

How deep is the water in Fort Worth?

When the wells were finished, the water stood a median 260 feet below the surface (884 wells). The level moves with drought and from one well to the next.

Do I need a permit to drill a well in Fort Worth?

Fort Worth is inside the Northern Trinity Groundwater Conservation District. Groundwater conservation districts in Texas can require registering or permitting a new well, keeping set distances from property lines and other wells, and paying fees. Rules differ from district to district: ask the district before drilling.

How these numbers are made

We count new and replacement domestic (home) wells whose coordinates fall inside the place boundary or within 2 miles of it. We use the last 10 years when there are at least 30 wells; otherwise all since 2001. The median is the middle well and the middle half runs from the 25th to the 75th percentile.

To tell which layer a well draws from, we take the ground elevation at its location, subtract the depth of the interval where water enters (or the bottom of the hole when the report does not give one) and see which layer of the state's model that point falls in.

For 98% of these wells the report says where the water enters (the screen or the open hole), and we use the middle of that interval.

How well it works: In 7,977 wells in the area of the state's Northern Trinity and Woodbine model (North and Central Texas) where the State of Texas recorded the aquifer, our estimate of the formation the well draws from names the same layer of the state's model in about 74% of them, and that layer or the one next to it in at least 95%; among the 3,130 of those wells that the state places in a Trinity layer (Paluxy to Hosston) it is about 56%.

  • The layers come from the Texas Water Development Board's Northern Trinity and Woodbine model, with quarter mile cells, summarized here to about 1.3 miles. It is a regional model, not a survey of any lot: between one model point and the next, the real depth of each layer can differ.
  • In this model every layer is at least 30 feet thick, even where the real rock is thinner or missing. Thin layers and the edges of the model are approximate.
  • Inside the Trinity this atlas does not name single model layers: it groups the Paluxy and Glen Rose (upper Trinity) and groups the Hensell, Pearsall and Hosston (lower Trinity, Twin Mountains and Travis Peak), because the check against the state's codes shows the method cannot separate them reliably.
  • "Near or below the base of the Trinity" means the well reaches the bottom of the model or passes it, often by tens of feet. Older rock that the model does not include may lie there.
  • We never use the model's water levels. The water level on this page is the one each driller measured when the well was finished.

These are depths of real wells drilled nearby, not a promise about any property. Groundwater can change over short distances and with drought. A licensed water well driller can tell you what to expect on a specific tract.

Read the full methodology · Download the data (CSV, CC BY 4.0)

How to cite

TerraFunded (2026). Texas Well Atlas: Underground. From Texas Water Development Board driller reports and groundwater availability models (data as of November 10, 2026). https://terrafunded.com/wells/places/fort-worth-tx. License CC BY 4.0. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24126380.

Sources