Clark County, South Dakota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clark County
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Clark County Courthouse
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Location within the U.S. state of South Dakota
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 South Dakota's location within the U.S. |
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| 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)
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| • Total | 3,837 |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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3,948  |
| • 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.
Contents
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:
U.S. Highway 212
South Dakota Highway 20
South Dakota Highway 25
South Dakota Highway 28
Neighboring Counties
Clark County shares its borders with these other counties:
- Day County - to the north
- Codington County - to the east
- Hamlin County - to the southeast
- Kingsbury County - to the south
- Beadle County - to the southwest
- Spink County - to the west
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 | |||
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| 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 |
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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
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Clark County Courthouse
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Clark (Dakota del Sur) para niños
