Climate change increases the drought-affected areas, which challenge the breeders to develop adaptive and drought-tolerant rice cultivars. The study aimed to determine heritability, and gene action controlling of various traits in upland rice F4 populations derived from the cross, Sileso (high yielding and drought tolerant) × Ciherang (early maturing), and to obtain high-yielding and early-maturing rice lines. The upland rice F4 populations, along with parental and check cultivars, were planted in augmented design from July to November 2021 at the Faculty of Agriculture, Samudra University, Langsa, Indonesia. Analysis of variance showed significant differences among the check cultivars for the traits, such as, panicle length, productive tillers, filled grains per panicle, and grain yield per plant. The F4 population families revealed significant differences for the maturity, filled grain per panicle, and grain yield per plant, which confirmed greater genetic diversity, and proved potential to produce the best lines. The check vs. family interactions also exhibited significant differences for all the characters. Results revealed high heritability for the traits, i.e., maturity, filled grain per panicle, and grain yield per plant. The inheritance of all the characters was controlled by the additive gene action. Inheritance of the majority of the traits was polygenic except plant height and productive tillers. The selected and promising upland rice F4 populations revealed reduced plant height, maturity, and increased yield per plant compared with its rice parental cultivar ‘Sileso’.