kids encyclopedia robot

Clark County, South Dakota facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Clark County
Clark County Courthouse
Clark County Courthouse
Map of South Dakota highlighting Clark 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 1873 (created)
1881 (organized)
Named for Newton Clark
Seat Clark
Largest city Clark
Area
 • Total 967 sq mi (2,500 km2)
 • Land 958 sq mi (2,480 km2)
 • Water 9.9 sq mi (26 km2)  1.0%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 3,837
 • Estimate 
(2023)
3,948 Increase
 • Density 3.9679/sq mi (1.5320/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district At-large
Website http://clark.sdcounties.org/

Clark County is a county located in the state of South Dakota, USA. As of the 2020 census, about 3,837 people lived there. The main town and county seat is Clark. The county was officially created in 1873 and started operating in 1881. It was named after Newton Clark, who was a lawmaker in the Dakota Territory back in 1873.

Exploring Clark County's Land

Clark County's land has rolling hills. You can see many lakes and ponds, especially in the eastern middle part. Most of the land is used for agriculture, which means farming. The county covers a total area of about 967 square miles. Out of this, 958 square miles is land, and 9.9 square miles (about 1.0%) is water.

Main Roads in Clark County

These are the most important roads that go through Clark County:

  • US 212.svg U.S. Highway 212
  • SD 20.svg South Dakota Highway 20
  • SD 25.svg South Dakota Highway 25
  • SD 28.svg South Dakota Highway 28

Neighboring Counties

Clark County shares its borders with these other counties:

Special Nature Areas

Clark County has several protected areas. These are often used for public shooting and enjoying nature:

  • Christopherson State Public Shooting Area
  • Dry Lake Number Two State Public Shooting Area
  • Fordham State Public Shooting Area
  • McPeek State Public Shooting Area
  • Stairs Slough State Public Shooting Area
  • Willow Lake State Public Shooting Area

Lakes and Water Bodies

You can find these lakes and reservoirs in Clark County:

  • Baileys Lake
  • Dry Lake Number One
  • Dry Lake Number Two
  • Mud Lake
  • Reid Lake
  • Swan Lake
  • Willow Lake

People of Clark County

The number of people living in Clark County has changed over the years. Here's how the population has grown and shrunk:

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 114
1890 6,728 5,801.8%
1900 6,942 3.2%
1910 10,901 57.0%
1920 11,136 2.2%
1930 11,022 −1.0%
1940 8,955 −18.8%
1950 8,369 −6.5%
1960 7,134 −14.8%
1970 5,515 −22.7%
1980 4,894 −11.3%
1990 4,403 −10.0%
2000 4,143 −5.9%
2010 3,691 −10.9%
2020 3,837 4.0%
2023 (est.) 3,948 7.0%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020

Population in 2020

According to the 2020 census, there were 3,837 people living in Clark County. There were 1,361 households, which are groups of people living together. The average number of people per square mile was about 4.0.

Population in 2010

In the 2010 census, Clark County had 3,691 residents. Most people living there were white (98.1%). About 52.0% of the people had German family backgrounds. The average age of people in the county was 45.7 years old.

Towns and Cities

Clark County has several communities. These are places where people live and work.

Cities in Clark County

  • Clark (This is the main town and where the county government is located.)
  • Willow Lake

Towns in Clark County

Other Communities

These are smaller communities or places that are not officially cities or towns:

  • Collins Colony
  • Crocker
  • Fordham Colony
  • Hillcrest Colony
  • Mayfield Colony
  • Silver Lake Colony
  • Carpenter (This is an unincorporated community, meaning it's not part of a city or town.)
  • Elrod (This is also an unincorporated community.)

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Clark (Dakota del Sur) para niños

kids search engine
Clark County, South Dakota Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.