Mr. Arness died of natural causes at his home in Brentwood, family spokeswoman Ginny Fazer said.
"Gunsmoke" debuted on CBS on Sept. 10, 1955, and, with the start of "The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" on ABC four days earlier, a new era in television horse operas was launched: the adult Western.
But whereas "Wyatt Earp," starring Hugh O'Brian, ended its run in 1961, "Gunsmoke" ran until 1975, far outdistancing its many competitors and becoming one of the longest-running prime-time series in network TV history.
In the process, Mr. Arness became one of television's most enduring stars, returning as Dillon in a handful of "Gunsmoke" TV movies in the late '80s and early '90s.
At 6-foot-7, Mr. Arness was a bigger-than-life actor who filled the boots of the mythic Dodge City lawman in the series, which earned praise for breaking TV Western-genre conventions with its strong dramatic stories and psychologically complex characters.
"Matt," Mr. Arness once said, "is very human and has all the failings and drives common to anyone who is trying to do a difficult job the best he knows how."
"Gunsmoke" had been a groundbreaking hit radio show, with William Conrad providing the authoritative voice of Dillon, for three years when CBS began looking for an actor to star in the TV version.
At the time, Mr. Arness, a Minnesota native and World War II Army combat veteran, had amassed a string of film credits, including playing the alien monster in the 1951 science-fiction classic, "The Thing From Another World." He also co-starred in the 1954 sci-fi thriller, "Them!"
Then under contract to John Wayne's production company, Mr. Arness also had appeared in four pictures starring Wayne: "Big Jim McLain," "Island in the Sky," "Hondo" and "The Sea Chase."
Fearful that starring in a television series would damage his fledgling movie career, Mr. Arness only reluctantly agreed to test for the part of Dillon.
When CBS offered him the part, he hesitated, but Wayne urged him to take the role.
Mr. Arness became a welcome visitor in the homes of millions of viewers — as did the show's supporting cast members: Dennis Weaver as Dillon's stiff-legged deputy, Chester Goode; his replacement, Ken Curtis, as Deputy Festus Haggen; Amanda Blake as Kitty Russell, the proprietress of the Long Branch Saloon; and Milburn Stone as the weathered and wise Doc Adams.
Of Norwegian descent, Mr. Arness was born James Aurness in Minneapolis on May 26, 1923. His brother, future actor Peter Graves, was born three years later.
After an honorable discharge from the Army, Mr. Arness used the GI Bill to join the acting program where he was discovered by an agent.
That led to his being introduced to producer Dore Schary. The result: His 1947 screen debut playing a small part as one of Loretta Young's three Scandinavian brothers in "The Farmer's Daughter." Small roles followed.
On the "Gunsmoke" set, Mr. Arness was known for his sense of humor. He enjoyed practical jokes.
Off the set, he was known to avoid the Hollywood scene, preferring the company of stagehands and fellow pilots. A surfer since he arrived in California, he learned to fly in the late '60s so he could easily get to remote surf breaks in Baja. Mr. Arness, who also skied and sailed, flew his own plane to "Gunsmoke" locations; his buzzing of the sets became legendary.
Despite his desire for privacy, a rocky domestic life landed him in the news more than once.
He met future wife Virginia Chapman while both were studying at Southern California's Pasadena Playhouse. They wed in 1948 and had two children, Jenny and Rolf. Chapman's son from her first marriage, Craig, was adopted by Mr. Arness.
The marriage foundered and in 1963 Mr. Arness sought a divorce and custody of the three children, which he was granted.
The emotionally troubled Virginia Arness attempted suicide twice, in 1959 and in 1960. In 1975, Jenny Arness died of an apparently deliberate drug overdose. Two years later, an overdose police deemed accidental killed her mother.
Mr. Arness is survived by his wife, Janet; two sons, Rolf and Jimmy; and six grandchildren. His brother, actor Peter Graves, died in March 2010. Craig Aurness, a photographer, died in 2004.
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