kids encyclopedia robot

Edmunds County, South Dakota facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Edmunds County
U.S. county
Historic Bank of Bowdle
Map of South Dakota highlighting Edmunds 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 (founded)
1883 (organized)
Named for Newton Edmunds
Seat Ipswich
Largest city Ipswich
Area
 • Total 1,151 sq mi (2,980 km2)
 • Land 1,126 sq mi (2,920 km2)
 • Water 25 sq mi (60 km2)  2.2%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 3,986
 • Estimate 
(2023)
 4,057 Increase
 • Density 3.4631/sq mi (1.3371/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district At-large

Edmunds County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. It's like a special region within the state. In 2020, about 3,986 people lived here. The main town, or "county seat," is Ipswich.

The county was created in 1873 and officially started working in 1883. It is named after Newton Edmunds, who was an early governor of the Dakota Territory. Edmunds County is also part of the Aberdeen, SD Micropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography of Edmunds County

Edmunds County has rolling hills, and most of the land is used for farming. The highest point in the county is about 1,978 feet (603 meters) above sea level. The county covers a total area of about 1,151 square miles (2,981 square kilometers). Most of this is land, with about 25 square miles (65 square kilometers) being water.

Main Roads in the County

Here are some of the important highways that go through Edmunds County:

  • US 12.svg U.S. Highway 12
  • SD 45.svg South Dakota Highway 45
  • SD 47.svg South Dakota Highway 47
  • SD 247.svg South Dakota Highway 247
  • SD 253.svg South Dakota Highway 253

Neighboring Counties

Edmunds County shares its borders with these other counties:

Natural Areas and Lakes

Edmunds County has several protected natural areas where wildlife can thrive. There are also a few lakes:

  • Bowdle-Hosmer State Game Production Area
  • Heilman State Game Production Area
  • Hosmer State Game Production Area
  • Light State Game Production Area
  • Losee State Game Production Area
  • Mina Lake State Recreation Area
  • Mina State Game Production Area
  • North Scatterwood State Game Production Area
  • Rosette State Game Production Area
  • Schaber State Game Production Area
  • Shaner State Game Production Area
  • Steigelmier State Game Production Area

Lakes in Edmunds County

  • Alkali Lake
  • Bowdle-Hosmer Lake
  • Grass Lake
  • Lake Parmley
  • North Scatterwood Lake (partially in the county)

People of Edmunds County

The population of Edmunds County has changed over the years. Here's how it has grown and shrunk:

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1890 4,399 —
1900 4,916 11.8%
1910 7,654 55.7%
1920 8,336 8.9%
1930 8,712 4.5%
1940 7,814 −10.3%
1950 7,275 −6.9%
1960 6,079 −16.4%
1970 5,548 −8.7%
1980 5,159 −7.0%
1990 4,356 −15.6%
2000 4,367 0.3%
2010 4,071 −6.8%
2020 3,986 −2.1%
2023 (est.) 4,057 −0.3%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020

Population in 2020

In 2020, the county had 3,986 people living in 1,546 homes. There were also 1,052 families. On average, there were about 3.5 people per square mile.

Population in 2010

In 2010, there were 4,071 people in Edmunds County. Most people (97.8%) were white. A small number were American Indian, Black, or Asian. About 1.4% of the people were of Hispanic or Latino background.

Many people in the county have German roots (70.8%). Other common backgrounds include Norwegian, Russian, and English. The average age of people living here was about 45.7 years old.

Important Events

Main article: 1999 South Dakota Learjet crash

Edmunds County was the site of a notable event in 1999. A small jet carrying PGA golfer Payne Stewart and five other people crashed here. The accident happened near the community of Mina.

Towns and Communities

Edmunds County has several towns and smaller communities where people live.

Cities in Edmunds County

Other Communities

These are smaller places that are officially recognized:

  • Deerfield Colony
  • Mina
  • Pembrook Colony
  • Plainview Colony

Small Unincorporated Communities

These are even smaller places that don't have their own local government:

See also

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

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Edmunds County, South Dakota Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.