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Beadle County, South Dakota facts for kids

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Beadle County
U.S. county
Chicago and Northwestern roundhouse in Huron, South Dakota.
Chicago and Northwestern roundhouse in Huron, South Dakota.
Map of South Dakota highlighting Beadle County
Location within the U.S. state of South Dakota
Map of the United States highlighting South Dakota
South Dakota's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  South Dakota
Founded 1879 (created)
1880 (organized)
Named for William Henry Harrison Beadle
Seat Huron
Largest city Huron
Area
 • Total 1,265 sq mi (3,280 km2)
 • Land 1,259 sq mi (3,260 km2)
 • Water 6.1 sq mi (16 km2)  0.5%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 19,149
 • Estimate 
(2023)
 19,591 Increase
 • Density 15.138/sq mi (5.8446/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district At-large

Beadle County is a county located in the state of South Dakota in the United States. In 2020, about 19,149 people lived there. This makes it the 11th largest county in South Dakota by population.

The main city and county seat of Beadle County is Huron. The county was officially started in 1879 and began operating in 1880. Beadle County is part of the Huron, SD area, which is a smaller city area.

History

Beadle County is named after William Henry Harrison Beadle. He was a Brigadier General and an important figure in education. The area was made a county by the Dakota Territory Legislature in 1879.

In 1880, the county was officially set up. Three county commissioners were chosen by Governor Nehemiah G. Ordway. These commissioners help manage the county. The first town in Beadle County was Cavour. However, Huron became the county seat when the commissioners first met there in July 1880.

Geography

The James River flows through the eastern part of Beadle County. The land in the county has gentle, rolling hills. These hills slope down towards the river valley.

The highest point in the county is in its southwest corner. It is about 1,841 feet (561 meters) above sea level. The lowest point is where the James River leaves the county. This is on the southern border, about 1,230 feet (375 meters) above sea level.

Beadle County covers a total area of 1,265 square miles (3,276 square kilometers). Most of this area, 1,259 square miles (3,261 square kilometers), is land. Only a small part, 6.1 square miles (16 square kilometers), is water.

Major Roads

  • US 14.svg U.S. Highway 14
  • US 281.svg U.S. Highway 281
  • SD 28.svg South Dakota Highway 28
  • SD 37.svg South Dakota Highway 37

Neighboring Counties

Protected Natural Areas

Beadle County has several areas set aside to protect nature and wildlife. These are often called State Game Production Areas. They help keep the local environment healthy.

  • Bob Roe Memorial State Game Production Area
  • Brecken Slough State Game Production Area
  • Cavour Lake State Game Production Area
  • James River School State game Production Area
  • Lake Byron Hogsback State Game Production Area
  • Mallard Slough State Game Production Area
  • Mud Lake State Game Production Area
  • North Byron State Game Production Area
  • Norwegian/Borden State Game Production Area
  • Pheasant Country State Game Production Area
  • Sand Creek State Game Production Area
  • South Byron State Game Production Area
  • South James River State Game Production Area
  • Staum Dam State Game Production Area
  • Third Street Dam State Game Production Area
  • Upper Cain Creek State Game Production Area

Population Information

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1880 1,290 —
1890 9,586 643.1%
1900 8,081 −15.7%
1910 15,776 95.2%
1920 19,273 22.2%
1930 22,917 18.9%
1940 19,648 −14.3%
1950 21,082 7.3%
1960 21,682 2.8%
1970 20,877 −3.7%
1980 19,195 −8.1%
1990 18,253 −4.9%
2000 17,023 −6.7%
2010 17,398 2.2%
2020 19,149 10.1%
2023 (est.) 19,591 12.6%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020

The population of Beadle County has changed over the years. In 2020, the county had 19,149 people living there. There were 7,369 households, which are groups of people living together. The average number of people in each household was about 2.31.

About 28.6% of households had children under 18 living with them. The median age of people in the county was 41.2 years. This means half the people were older than 41.2 and half were younger.

Communities

Beadle County has several cities, towns, and other communities.

Cities

Towns

Census-Designated Places

These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated.

  • Huron Colony
  • Morningside
  • Pearl Creek Colony
  • Riverside Colony
  • Shamrock Colony

Townships

Townships are smaller local government areas within the county.

  • Allen
  • Altoona
  • Banner
  • Barrett
  • Belle Prairie
  • Bonilla
  • Broadland
  • Burr Oak
  • Carlyle
  • Cavour
  • Clifton
  • Clyde
  • Custer
  • Dearborn
  • Fairfield
  • Foster
  • Grant
  • Hartland
  • Huron
  • Iowa
  • Kellogg
  • Lake Byron
  • Liberty
  • Logan
  • Milford
  • Nance
  • Pearl Creek
  • Pleasant View
  • Richland
  • Sand Creek
  • Theresa
  • Valley
  • Vernon
  • Wessington
  • Whiteside
  • Wolsey

Education

Beadle County is served by several school districts. These districts manage the public schools in different areas of the county.

  • Doland School District 56-2
  • Hitchcock-Tulare School District 56-6
  • Huron School District 02-2
  • Iroquois School District 02-3
  • Miller Area School District 29-4
  • Wessington Springs School District 36-2
  • Willow Lake School District 12-3
  • Wolsey-Wessington School District 02-6

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Beadle para niños

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