Drake Gaines: The Rare Times We've Seen Chip & Joanna's Oldest Son

Five-time parents Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines first started growing their family in 2005 when they welcomed their eldest son, Drake Gaines. According to their 2016 book "The Magnolia Story," his name was inspired by the historic Drake Hotel in New York City, where the Magnolia Network founders stayed during their honeymoon. Growing up, Drake spent much of his time in his parents' home decor and apparel store, Magnolia Market, in Waco, Texas, which is where Chip and Joanna first met. "I took him to the shop with me every single day. Some people might see that as a burden, but I have to admit I loved it," Joanna gushed. "Having him in that BabyBjörn was the best feeling in the world." She also remarked, "Drake was a shop baby. He would come home every night smelling like [a] candle." 

After skyrocketing to fame as hosts of HGTV's "Fixer Upper" in 2013, the home renovation experts made a conscious effort to keep Drake and his siblings — Ella, Duke, Emmie, and Crew — out of the spotlight. In 2014, Joanna shared their reasoning in an interview with Waco's Magazine. "We want to protect them from all this," she said. "I just don't think they're able to take in the amount, the weight of it."

However, she and Chip have occasionally offered peeks into their family life over the years — including a major announcement in 2022, when Joanna revealed that Drake was preparing to leave the nest to start a new chapter. "Soon, our oldest son, Drake, will be leaving home for college," she dished in the fall edition of Magnolia Journal. They've also shared rare glimpses of Drake on social media.

Before Chip Gaines found fame on HGTV as a home renovator, he was a promising baseball player. After playing in junior college, he earned a spot on the Baylor Bears team at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, but his dreams of playing professionally some day were dashed when the coach who scouted him retired. Though he never had the chance to go pro, his oldest son inherited his athleticism and passion for sports. In 2016, Chip shared a rare photo of Drake Gaines standing on an indoor field as he shook hands with Baylor University's former head football coach. "Me and the boys had a blast yesterday and can't wait to watch our Bears rock and roll!" Chip captioned the snapshot. Behind Drake stood his father and little brother, Crew Gaines, who was dressed in a similar Baylor baseball T-shirt and hat.

Following in his father's athletic footsteps, Drake took up baseball and spent four years as a varsity outfielder while attending high school at Valor Preparatory Academy in Texas. After graduating, he joined the team at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. CRU Athletics listed him at 5 feet, 10 inches tall and 180 lbs. as of 2025, highlighting Drake's athletic build. Over the years, he has dabbled in other sports as well, including jet skiing and golf — despite his father's disdain for it. "I'm not going to lie... I absolutely HATE golf," Chip joked in a 2018 Instagram post, showing his sons out on the course. "My nemesis sport, the anti-baseball. But you know what I don't hate, time well spent with these beautiful boys. #DoSomething." 

By 2020, Drake Gaines was old enough to finally drive with adult supervision. His mother shared the proud moment to Instagram along with a rare snap of Drake getting his learner's permit. "Drake waited in line for an hour and finally got called up to get his driver's permit," Joanna Gaines captioned the photo. "And then my 15 year old little boy drove home with Chip and all of a sudden he is all grown up." The snap was taken with Drake's back to the camera as he walked toward the desk to claim his license. He was wearing a blue and gray baseball T-shirt with a cap hanging on the belt loop of his jeans. Reflecting on that moment, Joanna couldn't help but be overcome with emotion. "So many hard and beautiful moments of beginnings and ends," the mom-of-five added. "Parenthood is all about training these babies up to eventually let them go."

Speaking with People, Chip Gaines shared his excitement about the next milestone, Drake getting his actual driver's license, saying he and Joanna had been looking forward to that day. "Then we get this kid his license, and the first morning he goes to drive, Jo bawls her eyes out," he shared with a laugh. As a father, seeing his kids grow and experience different milestones in life gives him a deep sense of joy and pride. "I just remember great experiences as a kid, you know? Driving your car for the first time, picking up a young lady on a date for the first time," he told People in 2018. "All those were little milestones to some extent."

Speaking of milestones, Drake Gaines graduated from high school in 2023 when he was 16 years old. To honor the occasion, Joanna Gaines posted a heartfelt tribute to her son on Instagram, showing pictures of Drake with Tracy Lawrence's song "Time Marches On" playing in the background. "It feels like just yesterday that we were cheering him on as he took his first steps," wrote the Magnolia Network star. "But last weekend, as he walked across the stage to receive his high school diploma (!!) we were cheering him on as he took his first steps into a world beyond what he's known. We're so proud of you Drake."

The clip captured sweet moments of Drake with his parents — from his first walk to him playing baseball to him dressed as a cowboy. Joanna also uploaded a snap of Drake at his graduation ceremony, showing him hugging his brother Crew with his back to the camera. "Melt. My. Heart," Joanna captioned the photo.

Though he teased his wife about being an "emotional wreck" when Drake started his final year of high school, Chip Gaines acknowledged it was a huge moment for their family. "She sees Drake off to his first day of school, which in kindergarten, it makes sense that you get really emotional. Your senior year, this is a celebratory moment," he told People. Meanwhile, Joanna explained why it's hard for her to let go of her kids. "I think for us, it's the realization that we're this tight little family unit and we're a bigger family," she said. "There's seven of us, but knowing the second that one baby leaves, it changes that dynamic." 

Drake Gaines is officially an adult; he celebrated his 20th birthday on February 5, 2025. Although his parents didn't share anything about the occasion, Joanna Gaines had previously given him a sweet shoutout on his 16th birthday in 2021. Sharing an adorable throwback of baby Drake in a Santa Claus costume on Instagram, she wrote, "This cutie is 16 today." She also reflected on those early years, saying, "Drake was my little shop baby and he came to work with me every day. I was either wearing him on me or he was sleeping in the pack 'n play behind the counter." 

She went on by sharing the one piece of advice she used to get from other mothers who would come to their store: "'Cherish this time and hold him tight, because before you know it, he will be driving one day and then off to college,'" recalled Joanna. "[And] dang they were right, it happened so fast!"

Even longtime fans of the Gaines family were surprised by how much Drake had grown since they last saw him on "Fixer Upper." In 2020, he made a rare appearance alongside his siblings — Ella, Duke, and Emmie — in a special Father's Day video where Chip Gaines read them dad jokes. One fan noted how shy and reserved Drake seemed, while another chimed in, "Typical of a teen growing into manhood!" Others pointed out how much the then-15-year-old takes after both of his parents: whereas one viewer thought he looked like Joanna, another said he resembled Chip. "Drake is a duplicate of his dad," they said of the teen. 

In 2022, Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines shared that their eldest was preparing to leave home for college. "In the grand scheme of heartbreaking things, this one comes with a lot of gratitude and excitement," Joanna penned in the Fall 2022 edition of the Magnolia Journal. "But, still, my first child is moving away, and our family dynamic will change because of it, and that can feel like a loss of its own."

In 2024, Drake Gaines started his sophomore year at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas, where he is pursuing a degree in business entrepreneurship. Ahead of his sophomore year, Joanna shared an emotional moment with her son as she prepared to send him off once again. "Saying goodbye doesn't get easier," she captioned the snap on Instagram. She also opened up about her son leaving in an interview on "The Kelly Clarkson Show," admitting it took her a full year to adjust. "I'm not really an emotional person," stressed Joanna. "[But] I turned into a different woman. So, then I just cried in the quiet. Nobody knew, but I'm better."

Now that Drake is in his 20s and is in college, he no longer has to follow the strict rules Chip and Joanna have set for their kids, one of which is staying off social media until they turn 18 years old. The pair discussed their approach while appearing on "TODAY with Hoda and Jenna" in 2024. "Our house rule is you get social media the summer before you go to college ... so 18," explained Joanna. For his part, Chip admitted, "It's a challenge. You can tell these kids want it before that."