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Grant County, South Dakota facts for kids

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Grant County
U.S. county
County Courthouse
County Courthouse
Map of South Dakota highlighting Grant 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)
January 8, 1878 (organized)
Named for Ulysses S. Grant
Seat Milbank
Largest city Milbank
Area
 • Total 688 sq mi (1,780 km2)
 • Land 681 sq mi (1,760 km2)
 • Water 6.1 sq mi (16 km2)  0.9%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 7,556
 • Estimate 
(2023)
 7,553 Decrease
 • Density 10.983/sq mi (4.240/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district At-large

Grant County is a place in the state of South Dakota, United States. It's like a big neighborhood or district. In 2020, about 7,556 people lived here. The main town, or county seat, is Milbank.

Grant County was started in 1873 and officially organized in 1878. It is named after Ulysses S. Grant, who was the 18th President of the United States.

Geography

Grant County is on the eastern side of South Dakota. Its eastern border touches the state of Minnesota. The land here has rolling hills that gently slope towards the northeast. Most of the land is used for farming. The highest spot in the county is about 2,014 feet (614 meters) above sea level.

The total area of Grant County is about 688 square miles (1,782 square kilometers). Most of this, 681 square miles (1,764 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 6.1 square miles (16 square kilometers), is water.

The lowest point in the entire state of South Dakota is found in Grant County. It's on Big Stone Lake near Big Stone City. This is where the lake flows into the Minnesota River.

Main Roads

  • I-29.svg Interstate 29
  • US 12.svg U.S. Route 12
  • US 81.svg U.S. Route 81
  • SD 15.svg South Dakota Highway 15
  • SD 20.svg South Dakota Highway 20
  • SD 109.svg South Dakota Highway 109
  • SD 123.svg South Dakota Highway 123
  • SD 158.svg South Dakota Highway 158

Neighboring Counties

Nature Areas

  • Mazeppa State Public Shooting Area
  • Mud Lake State Public Shooting Area

Lakes in Grant County

  • Big Stone Lake (next to the county)
  • Crooked Lake
  • LaBolt Lake
  • Lake Albert
  • Lake Farley
  • Lonesome Lake (part of it)
  • Mud Lake
  • Myers Lake
  • Summit Lake
  • Twin Lakes

People and Population

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1880 3,010 —
1890 6,814 126.4%
1900 9,103 33.6%
1910 10,303 13.2%
1920 10,880 5.6%
1930 10,729 −1.4%
1940 10,552 −1.6%
1950 10,233 −3.0%
1960 9,913 −3.1%
1970 9,005 −9.2%
1980 9,013 0.1%
1990 8,372 −7.1%
2000 7,847 −6.3%
2010 7,356 −6.3%
2020 7,556 2.7%
2023 (est.) 7,553 2.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020

2020 Population Count

In 2020, a count of the population (called a census) showed that 7,556 people lived in Grant County. There were 3,103 households, which are like homes where people live. About 2,014 of these were families.

2010 Population Count

In 2010, the census showed 7,356 people living in the county. There were 3,089 households. Most people were white (97.1%). Smaller groups included American Indian, Asian, and Black people. About 2.3% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino background.

Many people in Grant County have German (49.9%) or Norwegian (16.8%) family backgrounds. Other backgrounds include Irish, Swedish, and English.

Towns and Cities

Cities

  • Big Stone City
  • Milbank (This is the county seat, meaning it's the main town for the county government.)

Towns

Other Communities

  • Troy (This is a small community not officially a city or town.)

Townships

  • Adams
  • Alban
  • Big Stone
  • Blooming Valley
  • Farmington
  • Georgia
  • Grant Center
  • Kilborn
  • Lura
  • Madison
  • Mazeppa
  • Melrose
  • Osceola
  • Stockholm
  • Troy
  • Twin Brooks
  • Vernon

Schools

Here are some of the school districts that serve students in Grant County:

  • Big Stone City School District 25-1
  • Deuel School District 19-4
  • Florence School District 14-1
  • Milbank School District 25-4
  • Summit School District 54-6
  • Watertown School District 14-4
  • Waubay School District 18-3
  • Waverly School District 14-5
  • Wilmot School District 54-7

See also

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

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