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Jackson County, South Dakota facts for kids

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Jackson County
Minuteman Missile National Historic Site
Map of South Dakota highlighting Jackson 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 1883 (created)
1915 (organized)
Seat Kadoka
Largest community Kadoka
Area
 • Total 1,871 sq mi (4,850 km2)
 • Land 1,864 sq mi (4,830 km2)
 • Water 7.4 sq mi (19 km2)  0.4%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 2,806
 • Estimate 
(2023)
2,776 Decrease
 • Density 1.4997/sq mi (0.57905/km2)
Time zone UTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district At-large
Washabaugh County was merged into Jackson County in 1983
Calcite-165292
An unusual calcite rock with sand grains, found in Jackson County.
Jackson County SD on I90
A sign for Jackson County on Interstate 90.

Jackson County is a special area, called a county, located in the state of South Dakota, USA. In 2020, about 2,806 people lived here. The main town, or county seat, is Kadoka. Jackson County was first created in 1883. It officially started working as a county in 1915. Another county, Washabaugh County, joined with Jackson County in 1983.

Exploring Jackson County's Geography

The land in Jackson County has mountains that rise from rolling hills. The ground is often dry and has many natural ditches and valleys. The White River flows east through the middle of the county. The land generally slopes towards the northeast. The highest point is a ridge in the southwest corner, about 3,274 feet (998 meters) above sea level.

Jackson County covers a total area of about 1,871 square miles. Most of this, 1,864 square miles, is land. Only a small part, about 7.4 square miles, is water. About 57 percent of the land, which is south of the White River, is part of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The county also includes the eastern edge of Badlands National Park.

Badlands National Park - Interior, SD
A view of Badlands National Park near the town of Interior.

South Dakota has two time zones. Most eastern counties use Central Time. Western counties, including Jackson County, use Mountain Time. Jackson County is the most eastern county in South Dakota to observe Mountain Time.

Main Roads in Jackson County

  • I-90.svg Interstate 90
  • US 14.svg U.S. Highway 14
  • SD 44.svg South Dakota Highway 44
  • SD 63.svg South Dakota Highway 63
  • SD 73.svg South Dakota Highway 73
  • SD 377.svg South Dakota Highway 377

Neighboring Counties

Jackson County shares borders with several other counties:

Lakes in the Area

  • Kadoka Lake
  • Wanblee Lake

Protected Natural Areas

People of Jackson County

Historical population
Census Pop.
1920 2,472
1930 2,636 6.6%
1940 1,955 −25.8%
1950 1,768 −9.6%
1960 1,985 12.3%
1970 1,531 −22.9%
1980 3,437 124.5%
1990 2,811 −18.2%
2000 2,930 4.2%
2010 3,031 3.4%
2020 2,806 −7.4%
2023 (est.) 2,776 −8.4%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020

Population in 2020

In 2020, the census counted 2,806 people living in Jackson County. There were 887 households and 637 families. This means there were about 1.5 people per square mile. There were also 1,064 housing units available.

Population in 2010

According to the 2010 census, 3,031 people lived in the county. There were 996 households and 703 families. The population density was about 1.6 people per square mile.

The people living in Jackson County were from different backgrounds:

About 1.3% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino origin.

Many households had children under 18 living with them (40.2%). About 45.8% were married couples. The average household had 3.00 people, and the average family had 3.65 people. The average age of people in the county was 31.5 years.

Communities in Jackson County

City

  • Kadoka (This is the county seat, with about 543 people.)

Towns

Census-designated place

Other Small Communities

These places are not officially organized as cities or towns:

Townships

Townships are smaller local government areas:

  • Grandview II
  • Interior
  • Jewett
  • Wall
  • Weta

Unorganized Territories

These areas do not have their own local government:

  • East Jackson
  • Northwest Jackson
  • Southeast Jackson
  • Southwest Jackson

See also

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

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