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McCook County, South Dakota facts for kids

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McCook County
McCook County Courthouse
McCook County Courthouse
Map of South Dakota highlighting McCook 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 January 8, 1873 (created)
June 15, 1878 (organized)
Named for Edwin Stanton McCook
Seat Salem
Largest city Salem
Area
 • Total 577 sq mi (1,490 km2)
 • Land 574 sq mi (1,490 km2)
 • Water 2.7 sq mi (7 km2)  0.5%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 5,682
 • Estimate 
(2023)
5,809 Increase
 • Density 9.847/sq mi (3.802/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district At-large

McCook County is a place in South Dakota, a state in the United States. It's like a big district or region within the state. In 2020, about 5,682 people lived here. The main town, or "county seat," is Salem.

McCook County was created in 1873 and officially started working in 1878. It got its name from Edwin Stanton McCook, who was a general during the American Civil War and also a governor of the Dakota Territory a long time ago. McCook County is also part of the larger Sioux Falls area.

Geography of McCook County

McCook County has gentle, rolling hills. Most of the land is used for farming. The land slopes down towards the south and southwest. The highest point in the county is in its northeast corner. It is about 1,798 feet (548 meters) above sea level.

The county covers a total area of 577 square miles (1,494 square kilometers). Most of this area, 574 square miles (1,487 square kilometers), is land. Only a small part, about 2.7 square miles (7 square kilometers), is water.

Main Roads in McCook County

  • I-90.svg Interstate 90
  • US 81.svg U.S. Highway 81
  • SD 38.svg South Dakota Highway 38
  • SD 42.svg South Dakota Highway 42

Neighboring Counties

McCook County shares borders with several other counties.

Parks and Natural Areas

McCook County has several protected areas. These places help to keep nature safe.

  • Ediger State Game Production Area
  • Forsch Lake State Game Production Area
  • Lake Vermillion State Recreation Area
  • Lehrman Slough State Game Production Area
  • Tschetter Slough State Game Production Area

Lakes in McCook County

You can find a few lakes in the county.

People in McCook County (Demographics)

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 1,283
1890 6,448 402.6%
1900 8,689 34.8%
1910 9,589 10.4%
1920 9,990 4.2%
1930 10,316 3.3%
1940 9,793 −5.1%
1950 8,828 −9.9%
1960 8,268 −6.3%
1970 7,246 −12.4%
1980 6,444 −11.1%
1990 5,688 −11.7%
2000 5,832 2.5%
2010 5,618 −3.7%
2020 5,682 1.1%
2023 (est.) 5,809 3.4%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2020

Every ten years, the United States counts its population. This is called a census. It helps us understand how many people live in different areas.

2020 Census Information

According to the 2020 United States census, 5,682 people lived in McCook County. There were 2,159 households, which means groups of people living together. About 1,505 of these were families. On average, there were about 9.9 people per square mile. The county also had 2,448 housing units.

2010 Census Information

The 2010 United States census showed that 5,618 people lived in McCook County. There were 2,168 households and 1,535 families. The population density was about 9.8 people per square mile.

Most people in the county were white (98.0%). A small number were American Indian (0.4%), Asian (0.1%), Black (0.1%), or Pacific Islander (0.1%). About 1.8% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino origin.

In 2010, the average age of people in McCook County was 42.7 years old.

Communities in McCook County

McCook County has several towns and smaller communities.

Cities

These are the main cities in the county:

Census-Designated Places

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

  • Golden View Colony
  • Orland Colony

Unincorporated Communities

These are small settlements that are not part of any city or town.

Townships

The county is divided into sixteen smaller areas called townships.

  • Benton
  • Bridgewater
  • Brookfield
  • Canistota
  • Emery
  • Grant
  • Greenland
  • Jefferson
  • Pearl
  • Montrose
  • Union
  • Ramsey
  • Richland
  • Salem
  • Spring Valley
  • Sun Prairie

Other Places

  • Laurent - (This was a planned housing development that was not completed.)

See also

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

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