List of counties in South Dakota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Counties of South Dakota |
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| Location | State of South Dakota |
| Number | 66 |
| Populations | 855 (Jones) – 206,930 (Minnehaha) |
| Areas | 412 square miles (1,070 km2) (Clay) – 3,471 square miles (8,990 km2) (Meade) |
| Government | County government |
| Subdivisions | cities, towns, townships, unincorporated territories, unorganized territories, census designated place |
South Dakota is a state in the United States. Like many states, it is divided into smaller areas called counties. These counties help organize the state and provide local services. South Dakota has 66 counties. Each county has a special code called a FIPS code.
Most counties have a main town or city called a county seat. This is where the county government offices are located. However, two counties in South Dakota are different: Todd County and Oglala Lakota County. They do not have their own county seats. Instead, nearby towns serve as their administrative centers. For Oglala Lakota County, the town of Hot Springs in Fall River County handles its administration. For Todd County, the town of Winner in Tripp County does the same.
These two counties, along with Bennett, Corson, Dewey, and Ziebach, are special because they are completely inside an Indian reservation. This means they are on land set aside for Native American tribes.
South Dakota's short name is SD. Its FIPS state code is 46.
Contents
Counties of South Dakota
Counties are important parts of how states are organized. They help manage local services like schools, roads, and law enforcement. Here is a list of all 66 counties in South Dakota. You can see when each county was created and how it got its name.
| County |
FIPS code | County seat | Est. | Formed from | Etymology | Population | Area | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora County | 003 | Plankinton | 1881 | Cragin and Wetmore Counties | Aurora, the Roman goddess of dawn | 2,782 | 708 sq mi (1,834 km2) |
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| Beadle County | 005 | Huron | 1879 | Buchard, Clark, Kingsbury, and Spink Counties | William Henry Harrison Beadle, a chief surveyor of Dakota Territory | 19,591 | 1,259 sq mi (3,261 km2) |
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| Bennett County | 007 | Martin | 1909 | Lugenbeel, Oglala Lakota, Washabaugh, and Washington Counties | Granville G. Bennett, a justice of the Supreme Court for the Dakota Territory | 3,305 | 1,185 sq mi (3,069 km2) |
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| Bon Homme County | 009 | Tyndall | 1862 | Unorganized territory | A French phrase meaning "good man" | 7,065 | 563 sq mi (1,458 km2) |
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| Brookings County | 011 | Brookings | 1862 | Unorganized territory | Wilmot Brookings (1830 - 1905), a Dakota Territory Supreme Court justice | 35,980 | 794 sq mi (2,056 km2) |
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| Brown County | 013 | Aberdeen | 1879 | Beadle County | Alfred Brown, territorial legislator | 37,733 | 1,713 sq mi (4,437 km2) |
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| Brule County | 015 | Chamberlain | 1875 | Charles Mix County | The Brulé Sioux Native Americans | 5,311 | 819 sq mi (2,121 km2) |
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| Buffalo County | 017 | Gann Valley | 1873 | Unorganized territory | The American Bison (often called buffalo) | 1,884 | 471 sq mi (1,220 km2) |
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| Butte County | 019 | Belle Fourche | 1883 | Harding County | The buttes (isolated hills) in the region | 10,863 | 2,249 sq mi (5,825 km2) |
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| Campbell County | 021 | Mound City | 1873 | Buffalo County | Norman B. Campbell, a territorial legislator | 1,340 | 736 sq mi (1,906 km2) |
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| Charles Mix County | 023 | Lake Andes | 1862 | Unorganized territory | Charles Eli Mix, a commissioner of Indian Affairs | 9,240 | 1,098 sq mi (2,844 km2) |
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| Clark County | 025 | Clark | 1873 | Hanson County | Newton Clark, a territorial legislator | 3,948 | 958 sq mi (2,481 km2) |
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| Clay County | 027 | Vermillion | 1862 | Unorganized territory | Henry Clay (1777 - 1852), an important U.S. Senator from Kentucky | 15,431 | 412 sq mi (1,067 km2) |
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| Codington County | 029 | Watertown | 1877 | Indian lands | Reverend G.S. Codington, a territorial legislator | 28,971 | 688 sq mi (1,782 km2) |
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| Corson County | 031 | McIntosh | 1909 | Indian lands | Dighton Corson, a Justice of the South Dakota Supreme Court | 3,782 | 2,473 sq mi (6,405 km2) |
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| Custer County | 033 | Custer | 1875 | Indian lands | General George Armstrong Custer (1839 - 1876), a key figure in the Indian Wars | 9,117 | 1,558 sq mi (4,035 km2) |
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| Davison County | 035 | Mitchell | 1873 | Hanson County | Henry C. Davison, an important merchant and early settler | 19,922 | 436 sq mi (1,129 km2) |
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| Day County | 037 | Webster | 1879 | Clark County | Merritt H. Day, a territorial legislator | 5,451 | 1,029 sq mi (2,665 km2) |
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| Deuel County | 039 | Clear Lake | 1862 | Brookings County | Jacob S. Deuel, a territorial legislator | 4,354 | 624 sq mi (1,616 km2) |
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| Dewey County | 041 | Timber Lake | 1873 | Armstrong County and Indian lands | William P. Dewey, a territorial surveyor-general | 5,208 | 2,303 sq mi (5,965 km2) |
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| Douglas County | 043 | Armour | 1873 | Charles Mix County | Stephen A. Douglas (1813 - 1861), a U.S. Senator who believed people in a territory should decide on slavery | 2,838 | 434 sq mi (1,124 km2) |
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| Edmunds County | 045 | Ipswich | 1873 | Buffalo County | Newton Edmunds, a Governor of Dakota Territory | 4,057 | 1,146 sq mi (2,968 km2) |
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| Fall River County | 047 | Hot Springs | 1883 | Custer County | The Fall River | 7,393 | 1,740 sq mi (4,507 km2) |
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| Faulk County | 049 | Faulkton | 1873 | Unorganized territory | Andrew Jackson Faulk, a Governor of Dakota Territory | 2,151 | 1,000 sq mi (2,590 km2) |
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| Grant County | 051 | Milbank | 1873 | Codington and Deuel Counties | Ulysses S. Grant (1822 - 1885), a U.S. President and Civil War general | 7,553 | 682 sq mi (1,766 km2) |
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| Gregory County | 053 | Burke | 1862 | Unorganized territory | John Shaw Gregory, a territorial legislator | 4,018 | 1,016 sq mi (2,631 km2) |
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| Haakon County | 055 | Philip | 1914 | Stanley County | King Haakon VII of Norway | 1,851 | 1,813 sq mi (4,696 km2) |
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| Hamlin County | 057 | Hayti | 1873 | Deuel County | Hannibal Hamlin, a Vice-President and U.S. Senator from Maine | 6,451 | 511 sq mi (1,323 km2) |
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| Hand County | 059 | Miller | 1873 | Buffalo County | George H. Hand, a territorial legislator | 3,107 | 1,437 sq mi (3,722 km2) |
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| Hanson County | 061 | Alexandria | 1873 | Buffalo and Deuel Counties | Joseph R. Hanson, an army major in the Indian Wars and early settler | 3,471 | 435 sq mi (1,127 km2) |
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| Harding County | 063 | Buffalo | 1909 | Unorganized territory | J.A. Harding, a Speaker of the House for Dakota Territory | 1,324 | 2,671 sq mi (6,918 km2) |
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| Hughes County | 065 | Pierre | 1880 | Buffalo County | Alexander Hughes, territorial legislator | 17,624 | 741 sq mi (1,919 km2) |
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| Hutchinson County | 067 | Olivet | 1862 | Unorganized territory | John Hutchinson, territorial legislator | 7,394 | 813 sq mi (2,106 km2) |
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| Hyde County | 069 | Highmore | 1873 | Buffalo County | James Hyde, territorial legislator | 1,186 | 861 sq mi (2,230 km2) |
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| Jackson County | 071 | Kadoka | 1914 | Stanley County | J.R. Jackson, territorial legislator | 2,776 | 1,869 sq mi (4,841 km2) |
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| Jerauld County | 073 | Wessington Springs | 1883 | Aurora County | H.J. Jerauld, a territorial legislator | 1,660 | 530 sq mi (1,373 km2) |
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| Jones County | 075 | Murdo | 1916 | Lyman County | George Wallace Jones, a territorial legislator | 855 | 971 sq mi (2,515 km2) |
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| Kingsbury County | 077 | De Smet | 1873 | Hanson County | George W. Kingsbury and T.A. Kingsbury, brothers and territorial legislators | 5,276 | 838 sq mi (2,170 km2) |
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| Lake County | 079 | Madison | 1873 | Brookings and Hanson counties | The many lakes within the county | 11,031 | 563 sq mi (1,458 km2) |
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| Lawrence County | 081 | Deadwood | 1875 | Unorganized territory | John Lawrence (1839 - 1889), a territorial legislator | 28,053 | 800 sq mi (2,072 km2) |
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| Lincoln County | 083 | Canton | 1867 | Unorganized territory | Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, or possibly Lincoln County, Maine | 73,238 | 578 sq mi (1,497 km2) |
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| Lyman County | 085 | Kennebec | 1873 | Unorganized territory | W.P. Lyman, a territorial legislator | 3,705 | 1,640 sq mi (4,248 km2) |
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| Marshall County | 091 | Britton | 1885 | Day County | Marshall Vincent, a Day County Commissioner | 4,390 | 839 sq mi (2,173 km2) |
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| McCook County | 087 | Salem | 1873 | Hanson County | Edwin McCook, the Secretary of Dakota Territory | 5,809 | 575 sq mi (1,489 km2) |
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| McPherson County | 089 | Leola | 1873 | Buffalo County | James B. McPherson (1828 - 1864), a Civil War general | 2,334 | 1,137 sq mi (2,945 km2) |
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| Meade County | 093 | Sturgis | 1889 | Lawrence County | George Meade (1815 - 1872), a Civil War general | 30,954 | 3,471 sq mi (8,990 km2) |
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| Mellette County | 095 | White River | 1909 | Lyman County | Arthur C. Mellette, the first Governor of South Dakota | 1,851 | 1,307 sq mi (3,385 km2) |
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| Miner County | 097 | Howard | 1873 | Hanson County | Nelson Miner and Ephriam Miner, brothers and territorial legislators | 2,280 | 570 sq mi (1,476 km2) |
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| Minnehaha County | 099 | Sioux Falls | 1862 | Unorganized territory | A Sioux term for waterfall | 206,930 | 809 sq mi (2,095 km2) |
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| Moody County | 101 | Flandreau | 1873 | Brookings and Minnehaha Counties | Gideon C. Moody, a Speaker of the House for Dakota Territory | 6,450 | 520 sq mi (1,347 km2) |
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| Oglala Lakota County | 102 | 1875 | Fall River County | The Oglala Lakota tribe | 13,434 | 2,094 sq mi (5,423 km2) |
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| Pennington County | 103 | Rapid City | 1875 | Unorganized territory | John L. Pennington (1829 - 1900), a Governor of Dakota Territory | 115,903 | 2,776 sq mi (7,190 km2) |
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| Perkins County | 105 | Bison | 1909 | Butte and Harding Counties | Henry E. Perkins, a state senator | 2,834 | 2,872 sq mi (7,438 km2) |
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| Potter County | 107 | Gettysburg | 1875 | Buffalo County | Joel A. Potter, a territorial legislator | 2,413 | 866 sq mi (2,243 km2) |
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| Roberts County | 109 | Sisseton | 1883 | Grant County | S.G. Roberts, a territorial legislator | 10,206 | 1,101 sq mi (2,852 km2) |
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| Sanborn County | 111 | Woonsocket | 1883 | Miner County | George W. Sanborn, president of the Milwaukee Railroad | 2,399 | 569 sq mi (1,474 km2) |
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| Spink County | 115 | Redfield | 1873 | Hanson County | Solomon Spink, the Secretary of Dakota Territory | 6,166 | 1,504 sq mi (3,895 km2) |
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| Stanley County | 117 | Fort Pierre | 1873 | Unorganized territory | David S. Stanley, commander of Fort Sully | 3,043 | 1,443 sq mi (3,737 km2) |
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| Sully County | 119 | Onida | 1873 | Potter County | Fort Sully, which was named after General Alfred Sully | 1,494 | 1,007 sq mi (2,608 km2) |
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| Todd County | 121 | 1909 | Meyer and Tripp Counties | John Blair Smith Todd, a territorial delegate to Congress | 9,199 | 1,388 sq mi (3,595 km2) |
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| Tripp County | 123 | Winner | 1873 | Unorganized territory | Bartlett Tripp, the Chief Justice of the Dakota Territorial Supreme Court | 5,621 | 1,614 sq mi (4,180 km2) |
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| Turner County | 125 | Parker | 1871 | Lincoln County | John W. Turner, a territorial legislator | 9,027 | 617 sq mi (1,598 km2) |
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| Union County | 127 | Elk Point | 1862 | Unorganized territory | The union of the American states | 17,183 | 460 sq mi (1,191 km2) |
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| Walworth County | 129 | Selby | 1873 | Buffalo County | Walworth County, Wisconsin, which was named for Reuben Walworth | 5,269 | 708 sq mi (1,834 km2) |
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| Yankton County | 135 | Yankton | 1862 | Unorganized territory | The Yankton Sioux Native Americans | 23,517 | 522 sq mi (1,352 km2) |
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| Ziebach County | 137 | Dupree | 1911 | Armstrong, Schnasse, and Sterling Counties | Frank M. Ziebach, a publisher and army major during the Indian Wars | 2,322 | 1,962 sq mi (5,082 km2) |
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Former County Names
Some counties in South Dakota have changed their names over time. Here are a few examples:
- Shannon County: This county was renamed Oglala Lakota County in 2015.
- Boreman County: This county was renamed Corson County in 1909.
- Mandan County: This county was renamed Lawrence County.
- Pratt County: This county was renamed Jones County.
Former Counties
Over the years, some counties in South Dakota no longer exist. They were either combined with other counties or their land was used to create new ones.
- Armstrong County (1883–1952): This county was first called Pyatt County. It was renamed Armstrong in 1895. Later, parts of it became Ziebach County, and the rest joined Dewey County in 1952.
- Ashmore County
- Big Sioux County
- Bramble County
- Bruguier County
- Burchard County
- Burdick County
- Cheyenne County
- Choteau County: This county was combined with Martin, Rinehart, and Wagner Counties to form Perkins County.
- Cole County: Created in 1862, this county was named after Austin Cole. Two years later, its borders changed, and it was renamed Union County. This was because people supported the Union side during the Civil War.
- Cragin County
- Delano County: This county was absorbed into Meade County.
- Ewing County (1889–1890): This county was created when South Dakota became a state. It lasted only one year before becoming the northern part of Harding County.
- Forsythe County
- Greely County, South Dakota
- Jayne County
- Lugenbeel County (1875–1909): This county was created from unorganized lands and parts of Meyer and Pratt Counties. It was later divided and became part of Bennett and Todd Counties.
- Martin County: This county was combined with Choteau, Rinehart, and Wagner Counties to form Perkins County.
- Meyer County
- Midway County
- Mills County
- Nowlin County (1883–1898): This county was created from Cheyenne and White River Counties. It was later absorbed into Haakon County.
- Presho County: This county was absorbed into Lyman County.
- Pyatt County (1883–1895): This county was created from unorganized lands. It was renamed Armstrong in 1895. Later, it was divided between Ziebach County and Dewey County.
- Rinehart County: This county was combined with Choteau, Martin, and Wagner Counties to form Perkins County.
- Rusk County
- Schnasse County (1883–1911): This county was created from unorganized lands and part of Boreman County. It was later absorbed into Boreman and Ziebach Counties.
- Scobey County: This county was absorbed into Meade County.
- Sterling County (1883–1911): This county was created from Cheyenne County. It was later divided and became part of Haakon and Ziebach Counties.
- Stone County
- Thompson County
- Wagner County: This county was combined with Choteau, Martin, and Rinehart Counties to form Perkins County.
- Washabaugh County (1883–1983): This is the most recent county in South Dakota to be removed. It was combined with Jackson County in 1983.
- Washington County (1888–1943): This county was divided between Pennington and Shannon Counties in 1943.
- Wetmore County
- White River County
- Wood County
- Ziebach County (1889–1890): This county was created when South Dakota became a state. It was removed in 1890 and became the eastern part of Pennington County. The name "Ziebach County" was used again in 1911 for a new county created from parts of Sterling, Schnasse, and Pyatt Counties.
Population Density Map
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Condados de Dakota del Sur para niños
- List of US counties
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List of counties in South Dakota Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.