One of the advantages of living in North Texas is space.

Although the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area ranks as the country's fourth largest, a 30-minute drive away take you to infinite, pastoral plains, launching a boat onto a vast, peaceful lake, or trotting out a beloved equine at a local equestrian center.

To the north especially, the juxtaposition between the vibrancy of the DFW metroplex and the rustic, bucolic settings of the northernmost sections of Collin and Denton counties brings to mind one of the essential adages of county living—it's nice to be close to the big city, but not too close.

For those dreaming of a large luxurious home occupying acres of land, amid a small town, with the bright lights of the big city remaining at arm's length, many North Texas towns will fit that description. One of the best is 40 minutes due north of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport—the town of Aubrey, Texas.

If you find yourself in search of a change of pace while keeping your ties to DFW close at hand, below are four reasons why Aubrey, Texas is a good place to live.

While it's understandable that remote, rural living may not be for everyone, Aubrey offers an incredible compromise for many home buyers. If you've longed for more space but want to keep the advantages afforded by living near a major metropolitan area, few places meet that demand like Aubrey.

Foremost, when locating Aubrey on a map, it's impossible to overlook the town's centralized location. As we noted, the town is directly north of DFW Airport. Even on heavy traffic days, the 40-mile trip takes less than an hour. A perfect scenario for those who travel for business or pleasure but want a home beyond the shadow of the world's third busiest airport.

Though possessing different needs, local commuters will also find Aubrey a satisfying spot to lay down roots. Especially true for those who only need to travel to an office sparingly, the town sits nearly equal distance from both Dallas and Fort Worth. As Aubrey is mere minutes away from Interstate 35 and the Dallas North Tollway, you can reach both downtowns in under an hour.

Should your profession require your presence in the major suburban employment centers of Plano or Irving, you're 45 minutes from both.

Denton, the closest major city to Aubrey and one of the nation's fastest-growing areas, is a 20-minute drive to the southwest. But with just over 130,000 residents, which makes it the 12th largest city in North Texas, it remains small enough to not infringe on Aubrey's tranquil setting. But it's nice knowing that every convenience you can imagine is a short drive from home.

Now, don't mistake the remote location for being isolated. While it requires you to travel anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to reach much of DFW, Aubrey has enough happening in its backyard to fulfill even the most restless souls.

The food scene is incredibly eclectic for a town of just over 5,000 residents. Featuring everything from authentic Mexican to richly prepared Italian to an outstanding Lebanese food truck, you need not venture far for great international fare. On the domestic side, the South Main Street trifecta of World Famous MOMs, Upper Park Cafe, and Ruby Cates bake+shop means you can get breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert within 15 feet of each other.

Dining in Aubrey is, by design, a low-stakes endeavor. Great food, close to home, without any of the fuss of more populated food districts. Of course, when you want to get out in the thick of the action, you're not far from many of DFW's most celebrated shopping, dining, and entertainment districts.

Nearby Denton is a college town, home to the University of North Texas and Texas Woman's University. The city's pedestrian-friendly downtown square includes more than 50 boutique shops and specialty stores, over 40 restaurants, and nearly 25 bars and live music venues, including two breweries. Fry Street, Denton's answer to Austin's vaunted 6th Street, features boisterous nightlife at the northeastern edge of the UNT campus.

Trek a bit further south, and you find more than 60 shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues at The Shop at Highland Village.

And for those looking for a little sports or gaming action, Aubrey is surprisingly convenient to Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Toyota Stadium in Frisco, and WinStar World Casino, the world's largest, in Thackerville, Oklahoma.

You can access it all from Aubrey, whether it's low-key dining, upscale shopping, or entertainment and nightlife falling somewhere in between.

When aiming for a rural, rustic lifestyle, one of the expectations is to surround yourself with abundant outdoor recreational activities. Aubrey does not disappoint.

Denton County is DFW's horse country. And Aubrey is at the center of the region's largest concentration of equestrian centers and boarding stables. Rivaled only by the facilities between Argyle and Flower Mound (also in Denton County), Aubrey is within a ten-minute drive of 15 training, riding, and stabling centers, including Aubrey Park Equestrian, Hopper Ranch, and KB Ranch.

Situated between two of the region's favorite recreational lakes, you don't need to love the water to appreciate living in Aubrey, but it will undoubtedly enhance your experience.

To the north is Ray Roberts Lake State Park. The most remote of DFW's recreational water bodies, the 29,000-acre lake is surrounded by 3,777 acres of park space. The area provides year-round recreation, including fishing, horseback riding, camping, hiking, backpacking, and geocaching. Boating enthusiasts will appreciate the two marinas—Lake Ray Roberts Marina and Lone Star Lodge Marina—and seven boat ramps.

The 20-mile-long Greenbelt Corridor is a multi-use trail that follows the Elm Fork Branch of the Trinity River from the southern tip of Ray Roberts Lake to a trailhead along US Highway 380. The trail, which has an access point on FM 428, three miles from Aubrey, features 12 miles of trail set aside for horseback riding and ten miles dedicated to hikers and bikers.

To the south, the 29,000-acre Lewisville Lake is one of the region's most popular recreational destinations. The lake includes 9,000 acres of protected green space around its 233-mile shoreline.

A genuine treasure in the heart of the metroplex, the lake is popular with visitors for its many recreational uses. Favorite activities include boating (rentals are available throughout the area), fishing, jet-skiing, kayaking, camping, and miles hike and bike trails. By the numbers, Lewisville Lake includes 15 parks, 12 boat ramps, seven campgrounds, five marinas, and five restaurants.

Our final reason Aubrey, Texas is a good place to live in the town's abundant luxury real estate. As its popularity has grown, high-end developments have cropped up to the east of town, while large plots of open space are available to the northeast and west.

Sandrock Ranch is typical of the new luxury communities gaining favor with current DFW residents and those relocating from outside of Texas. Situated to the east of Aubrey's town center, Sandbrock Ranch features a large lot living with a number of community amenities.

Due to its commitment to the outdoor and equestrian lifestyles mentioned above, many new developments are carving large outdoor recreational areas or ensuring residents have access to outdoor activities. For example, Sandbrock Ranch features two lakes, walking and biking paths, green spaces, and pocket parks.

Union Park, another large, planned luxury neighborhood between Aubrey and Little Elm developed by Hillwood Communities, created a "Central Park" with a great lawn, fishing pond, aerobic track, walking trails, pickleball courts, and an area designed to host food trucks.

The real prize, however, is the builders and the grand homes they are putting up in and around Aubrey. Notable builders include American Legend Homes, Coventry, David Weekley Homes, Drees Custom Homes, and Highland Homes.

In addition to the new construction, many more resales present an even greater opportunity for those seeking extra breathing space. A hallmark of much of Aubrey's existing inventory is prominent, custom-built homes on acres of land. It's not uncommon for well-appointed ranch homes, estate-sized houses, or properties with barns or equestrian facilities to come available with anywhere from five to 15 acres of and as part of the sale.

Contact Darla Chapman Ripley today to start your search for homes, ranches, or land in North Denton County. From luxury Aubrey, Texas real estate to land for sale in neighboring Pilot Point, allow Darla and her years of experience and local expertise to be your guide to DFW's luxury real estate market. Wherever you are in the process of buying (or selling) a North Texas home, Darla and her team can help.