KidzSearch Wiki

List of counties in South Dakota

There are 66 counties in the U.S. state of South Dakota.

Todd County and Oglala Lakota County are two counties in South Dakota that do not have their own county seat. Hot Springs in Fall River County is the administrative center of Oglala Lakota County. Winner in Tripp County is the administrative center of Todd County.[1]

South Dakota's postal abbreviation is SD and its FIPS state code is 46.

Table of counties

County
 FIPS code[2] County seat[3] Established[3] Formed from Meaning of name Population[4] Area[3] Map
Aurora County 003 Plankinton 1881 Cragin and Wetmore counties Aurora, Roman goddess of dawn 2,710 708 sq mi
(1,834 km2)		  
Beadle County 005 Huron 1879 Buchard, Clark, Kingsbury, and Spink counties William Henry Harrison Beadle, chief surveyor of Dakota Territory 17,398 1,259 sq mi
(3,261 km2)		  
Bennett County 007 Martin 1909 Lugenbeel, Shannon, Washabaugh, and Washington counties Granville G. Bennett, justice of the Supreme Court for the Dakota Territory 3,431 1,185 sq mi
(3,069 km2)		  
Bon Homme County 009 Tyndall 1862 Unorganized territory French word meaning "good man" 7,070 563 sq mi
(1,458 km2)		  
Brookings County 011 Brookings 1862 Unorganized territory Wilmot Brookings (1830 - 1905), Dakota Territory Supreme Court justice 31,965 794 sq mi
(2,056 km2)		  
Brown County 013 Aberdeen 1879 Beadle County Alfred Brown, territorial legislator 36,531 1,713 sq mi
(4,437 km2)		  
Brule County 015 Chamberlain 1875 Charles Mix County Brulé Sioux Native Americans 5,255 819 sq mi
(2,121 km2)		  
Buffalo County 017 Gann Valley 1873 Unorganized territory American Bison 1,912 471 sq mi
(1,220 km2)		  
Butte County 019 Belle Fourche 1883 Harding Buttes in the region 10,110 2,249 sq mi
(5,825 km2)		  
Campbell County 021 Mound City 1873 Buffalo Newton B. Campbell, territorial legislator 1,466 736 sq mi
(1,906 km2)		  
Charles Mix County 023 Lake Andes 1862 Unorganized territory Charles Eli Mix, commissioner of Indian Affairs 9,129 1,098 sq mi
(2,844 km2)		  
Clark County 025 Clark 1873 Hanson Newton Clark, territorial legislator 3,691 958 sq mi
(2,481 km2)		  
Clay County 027 Vermillion 1862 Unorganized territory Henry Clay (1777 - 1852), U.S. Senator from Kentucky and prominent 19th Century political figure 13,864 412 sq mi
(1,067 km2)		  
Codington County 029 Watertown 1877 Indian lands Reverend G.S. Codington, territorial legislator 27,227 688 sq mi
(1,782 km2)		  
Corson County 031 McIntosh 1909 Indian lands Dighton Corson, a Justice of the South Dakota Supreme Court 4,050 2,473 sq mi
(6,405 km2)		  
Custer County 033 Custer 1875 Indian lands General George Armstrong Custer (1839 - 1876), key figure in the Indian Wars 8,216 1,558 sq mi
(4,035 km2)		  
Davison County 035 Mitchell 1873 Hanson Henry C. Davison, prominent merchant and early settler 19,504 436 sq mi
(1,129 km2)		  
Day County 037 Webster 1879 Clark Merrit H. Day, territorial legislator 5,710 1,029 sq mi
(2,665 km2)		  
Deuel County 039 Clear Lake 1862 Brookings Jacob S. Deuel, territorial legislator 4,364 624 sq mi
(1,616 km2)		  
Dewey County 041 Timber Lake 1873 Armstrong County and Indian lands William P. Dewey, territorial surveyor-general 5,301 2,303 sq mi
(5,965 km2)		  
Douglas County 043 Armour 1873 Charles Mix Stephen A. Douglas (1813 - 1861), U.S. Senator from Illinois and advocate of popular sovereignty as a middle ground in the slavery debate 3,002 434 sq mi
(1,124 km2)		  
Edmunds County 045 Ipswich 1873 Buffalo Newton Edmunds, Governor of Dakota Territory 4,071 1,146 sq mi
(2,968 km2)		  
Fall River County 047 Hot Springs 1883 Custer Fall River 7,094 1,740 sq mi
(4,507 km2)		  
Faulk County 049 Faulkton 1873 Unorganized lands Andrew Jackson Faulk, Governor of Dakota Territory 2,364 1,000 sq mi
(2,590 km2)		  
Grant County 051 Milbank 1873 Codington and Deuel counties Ulysses S. Grant (1822 - 1885), U.S. President and American Civil War general 7,356 682 sq mi
(1,766 km2)		  
Gregory County 053 Burke 1862 Unorganized territory John Shaw Gregory, territorial legislator 4,271 1,016 sq mi
(2,631 km2)		  
Haakon County 055 Philip 1914 Stanley County King Haakon VII of Norway 1,937 1,813 sq mi
(4,696 km2)		  
Hamlin County 057 Hayti 1873 Deuel County Hannibal Hamlin, Vice-President and United States Senator from Maine 5,903 511 sq mi
(1,323 km2)		  
Hand County 059 Miller 1873 Buffalo County George H. Hand, territorial legislator 3,431 1,437 sq mi
(3,722 km2)		  
Hanson County 061 Alexandria 1873 Buffalo and Deuel counties Joseph R. Hanson, army major in the Indian Wars and early settler 3,331 435 sq mi
(1,127 km2)		  
Harding County 063 Buffalo 1909 Unorganized lands J.A. Harding, Speaker of the House for Dakota Territory 1,255 2,671 sq mi
(6,918 km2)		  
Hughes County 065 Pierre 1880 Buffalo County Alexander Hughes, territorial legislator 17,022 741 sq mi
(1,919 km2)		  
Hutchinson County 067 Olivet 1862 Unorganized territory John Hutchinson, territorial legislator 7,343 813 sq mi
(2,106 km2)		  
Hyde County 069 Highmore 1873 Buffalo County James Hyde, territorial legislator 1,420 861 sq mi
(2,230 km2)		  
Jackson County 071 Kadoka 1914 Stanley County J.R. Jackson, territorial legislator 3,031 1,869 sq mi
(4,841 km2)		  
Jerauld County 073 Wessington Springs 1883 Aurora County H.A. Jerauld, territorial legislator 2,070 530 sq mi
(1,373 km2)		  
Jones County 075 Murdo 1916 Lyman County George W. Jones, territorial legislator 1,006 971 sq mi
(2,515 km2)		  
Kingsbury County 077 De Smet 1873 Hanson County George W. Kingsbury and T.A. Kingsbury, brothers and territorial legislators 5,148 838 sq mi
(2,170 km2)		  
Lake County 079 Madison 1873 Brookings and Hanson counties Lakes within the county 11,200 563 sq mi
(1,458 km2)		  
Lawrence County 081 Deadwood 1875 Unorganized territory John Lawrence (1839 - 1889), territorial legislator 24,097 800 sq mi
(2,072 km2)		  
Lincoln County 083 Canton 1867 Unorganized territory Lincoln County, Maine 44,828 578 sq mi
(1,497 km2)		  
Lyman County 085 Kennebec 1873 Unorganized territory W.P. Lyman, territorial legislator 3,755 1,640 sq mi
(4,248 km2)		  
Marshall County 091 Britton 1885 Day County Marshall Vincent, Day County Commissioner 4,656 839 sq mi
(2,173 km2)		  
McCook County 087 Salem 1873 Hanson County Edwin McCook, Secretary of Dakota Territory 5,618 575 sq mi
(1,489 km2)		  
McPherson County 089 Leola 1873 Buffalo County James B. McPherson (1828 - 1864), Civil War general 2,459 1,137 sq mi
(2,945 km2)		  
Meade County 093 Sturgis 1889 Lawrence County George G. Meade (1815 - 1872), Civil War general 25,434 3,471 sq mi
(8,990 km2)		  
Mellette County 095 White River 1909 Lyman County Arthur C. Mellette, first Governor of South Dakota 2,048 1,307 sq mi
(3,385 km2)		  
Miner County 097 Howard 1873 Hanson County Nelson Miner and Ephriam Miner, brothers and territorial legislators 2,389 570 sq mi
(1,476 km2)		  
Minnehaha County 099 Sioux Falls 1862 Unorganized territory Sioux term for waterfall 169,468 809 sq mi
(2,095 km2)		  
Moody County 101 Flandreau 1873 Brookings and Minnehaha counties Gideon C. Moody, Speaker of the House for Dakota Territory 6,486 520 sq mi
(1,347 km2)		  
Oglala Lakota County 102 Hot Springs 1875 Fall River County Oglala Lakota tribe 13,586 2,094 sq mi
(5,423 km2)		  
Pennington County 103 Rapid City 1875 Unorganized territory John L. Pennington (1821 - 1900), Governor of Dakota Territory 100,948 2,776 sq mi
(7,190 km2)		  
Perkins County 105 Bison 1909 Butte and Harding counties Henry E. Perkins, state senator 2,982 2,872 sq mi
(7,438 km2)		  
Potter County 107 Gettysburg 1875 Buffalo County Joel A. Potter, territorial legislator 2,329 866 sq mi
(2,243 km2)		  
Roberts County 109 Sisseton 1883 Grant County S.G. Roberts, territorial legislator 10,149 1,101 sq mi
(2,852 km2)		  
Sanborn County 111 Woonsocket 1883 Miner County George W. Sanborn, president of the Milwaukee Railroad 2,355 569 sq mi
(1,474 km2)		  
Spink County 115 Redfield 1873 Hanson County S.L. Spink, Secretary of Dakota Territory 6,451 1,504 sq mi
(3,895 km2)		  
Stanley County 117 Fort Pierre 1873 Unorganized territory David S. Stanley, commander of Fort Sully 2,966 1,443 sq mi
(3,737 km2)		  
Sully County 119 Onida 1873 Potter County Fort Sully, itself named after General Alfred Sully 1,373 1,007 sq mi
(2,608 km2)		  
Todd County 121 Winner 1909 Meyer and Tripp counties John Blair Smith Todd, territorial delegate to Congress 9,612 1,388 sq mi
(3,595 km2)		  
Tripp County 123 Winner 1873 Unorganized territory Bartlett Tripp, Chief Justice of the Dakota Territorial Supreme Court 5,644 1,614 sq mi
(4,180 km2)		  
Turner County 125 Parker 1871 Lincoln County John W. Turner, territorial legislator 8,347 617 sq mi
(1,598 km2)		  
Union County 127 Elk Point 1862 Unorganized territory The union of the American states 14,399 460 sq mi
(1,191 km2)		  
Walworth County 129 Selby 1873 Buffalo County Walworth County, Wisconsin 5,438 708 sq mi
(1,834 km2)		  
Yankton County 135 Yankton 1862 Unorganized territory Yankton Sioux Native Americans 22,438 522 sq mi
(1,352 km2)		  
Ziebach County 137 Dupree 1911 Armstrong, Schnasse, and Sterling counties Frank M. Ziebach, publisher and army major during the Indian Wars 2,801 1,962 sq mi
(5,082 km2)		  

Former names

  • Shannon County: renamed Oglala Lakota County in 2015

Former counties

  • Armstrong County (1883–1952): Created by Dakota Territory as Pyatt County in 1883 from Cheyenne, Rusk (Dewey), and Stanely Counties. Renamed Armstrong in 1895. Dissolved into Dewey in 1952.
  • Boreman County (1873–1909): Created by Dakota Territory from unorganized lands in 1873. Lost territory to North Dakota when South Dakota became a state in 1889. Ended in 1909 when it became part of Corson County.
  • Lugenbeel County (1875–1909): Created by Dakota Territory from unorganized lands and Meyer and Pratt Counties in 1875. Ended in 1909 when it became part of Bennett and Todd Counties.
  • Nowlin County (1883–1898): Created by Dakota Territory in 1883 from Cheyenne and White River Counties. Ended in 1898 when it became part of Lyman and Stanley Counties.
  • Pyatt County (1883–1895): Created by Dakota Territory from unorganized lands in 1883. Renamed Armstrong in 1895.
  • Schnasse County (1883–1911): Created by Dakota Territory from unorganized lands and part of Boreman County in 1883. Lost territory to North Dakota when South Dakota became a state. Ended in 1911 when it became part of Ziebach County.
  • Sterling County (1883–1911): Created by Dakota Territory from Cheyenne County. Ended in 1911 when it became part of Ziebach County.
  • Washabaugh County (1883–1983): South Dakota's most recent county to be eliminated. Created by Dakota Territory in 1883. Endd in 1983 when it was merged with Jackson County.
  • Washington County (1888-1943): Ended in 1943 when it was merged into Jackson, Pennington and Shannon Counties.

List Of Counties In South Dakota Media

  • Map showing the density of South Dakota's counties

References

  1. ↑ [1] Archived 2006-01-02 at the Wayback Machine, accessed February 5, 2006.
  2. ↑ "EPA County FIPS Code Listing". EPA.gov. Retrieved 2008-05-01.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 National Association of Counties. "NACo - Find a county". Archived from the original on 2005-04-10. Retrieved 2008-05-01.
  4. ↑ South Dakota. https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/census/profile/sd. Retrieved 2011-04-02. 
Retrieved from "https://wiki.kidzsearch.com/w/index.php?title=List_of_counties_in_South_Dakota&oldid=5456391"