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Fall River County, South Dakota facts for kids

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Fall River County
U.S. county
Battle Mountain Sanitarium in Hot Springs.
Map of South Dakota highlighting Fall River 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 April 3, 1883
Named for Fall River
Seat Hot Springs
Largest city Hot Springs
Area
 • Total 1,749 sq mi (4,530 km2)
 • Land 1,740 sq mi (4,500 km2)
 • Water 9.2 sq mi (24 km2)  0.5%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 6,973
 • Estimate 
(2023)
 7,393 Increase
 • Density 3.9868/sq mi (1.5393/km2)
Time zone UTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district At-large

Fall River County is a county in South Dakota. In 2020, about 6,973 people lived there. Its main town, called the county seat, is Hot Springs. The county started in 1883. It's named after the Fall River, which flows through the area.

Exploring Fall River County's Geography

Fall River County is in the southwest corner of South Dakota. It shares borders with Nebraska to the south and Wyoming to the west. The county has mountains in its north-central part. The rest of the county has rolling hills.

The highest point in the county is in the southwest corner. It is about 3,970 feet (1,210 meters) above sea level. One mountain peak in the northeast part of the county is about 4,646 feet (1,416 meters) high. The land generally slopes down towards the north and east. The Cheyenne River flows through the upper part of the county. It leaves the county to the north, going into Custer County.

Fall River County covers a total area of about 1,749 square miles (4,530 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 1,740 square miles (4,500 square kilometers), is land. Only a small part, about 9.2 square miles (24 square kilometers), is water.

Major Roads in Fall River County

These are the main highways that run through Fall River County:

  • US 18
  • US 385
  • SD 71
  • SD 79
  • SD 89
  • SD 471

Neighboring Counties

Fall River County shares its borders with these other counties:

Protected Natural Areas

Fall River County is home to several protected areas. These places help keep nature safe and offer outdoor activities:

  • Angostura Reservoir State Game Production Area
  • Angostura State Recreation Area
  • Bailey State Lakeside Use Area
  • Battle Mountain State Game Production Area
  • Black Hills National Forest (part of it)
  • Buffalo Gap National Grassland (part of it)
  • Friendshuh State Game Production Area (part of it)
  • Hill Ranch State Game Production Area
  • Oral State Game Production Area
  • Romey State Game Production Area
  • Scherbarth State Game Production Area
  • Sheps Canyon State Lakeside Use Area
  • Sheps Canyon State Recreation Area
  • Williams Dam State Game Production

Lakes and Water Bodies

You can find these lakes in Fall River County:

  • Angostura Reservoir
  • Coldbrook Lake
  • Cottonwood Springs Lake

Understanding Fall River County's Population

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1890 4,478 —
1900 3,541 −20.9%
1910 7,763 119.2%
1920 6,985 −10.0%
1930 8,741 25.1%
1940 8,089 −7.5%
1950 10,439 29.1%
1960 10,688 2.4%
1970 7,505 −29.8%
1980 8,439 12.4%
1990 7,353 −12.9%
2000 7,453 1.4%
2010 7,094 −4.8%
2020 6,973 −1.7%
2023 (est.) 7,393 4.2%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020
Demography Fall River County
A graph showing how the population of Fall River County has changed over the years.

Population in 2020

According to the 2020 census, 6,973 people lived in Fall River County. There were 3,226 households and 1,891 families. This means there were about 4.0 people per square mile. There were also 4,081 housing units, which are homes or apartments.

Population in 2010

In the 2010 census, Fall River County had 7,094 people. There were 3,272 households and 1,899 families. The population density was about 4.1 people per square mile. Most people (88.6%) were white. About 7.1% were Native American. A small number of people were from other racial backgrounds. About 2.2% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino origin.

Many people in the county had German (39.7%) or Irish (12.6%) backgrounds. Other common ancestries included English, Norwegian, and Dutch.

About 20.4% of households had children under 18 living with them. About 46.2% of households were married couples. The average household had 2.10 people. The average family had 2.74 people. The average age of people in the county was 50.5 years old.

The average income for a household was $35,833. For families, the average income was $53,750. About 17.4% of all people in the county lived below the poverty line. This included 11.3% of those under 18 and 21.3% of those aged 65 or older.

Communities in Fall River County

Fall River County has several towns and communities.

Cities

Town

Census-Designated Places

These are areas that are like towns but are not officially incorporated as cities or towns:

Other Communities

Some other places in the county include:

  • Burdock (a ghost town, meaning it's mostly abandoned)
  • Cascade Springs (another ghost town)
  • Heppner (also a ghost town)
  • Rumford

Townships

Townships are smaller local government areas:

  • Argentine
  • Provo
  • Robins

Unorganized Territories

These are areas that do not have their own local government:

  • Northeast Fall River
  • Southwest Fall River

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Fall River para niños

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