List of counties in South Dakota
# List of counties in South Dakota

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

Todd County and Oglala Lakota County are the only counties in South Dakota which do not have their own county seats. Hot Springs in Fall River County serves as the administrative center for Oglala Lakota County. Winner in Tripp County serves as the administrative center for Todd County. These are two of six counties in South Dakota which are entirely within an Indian reservation. (The other four counties are Bennett, Corson, Dewey, and Ziebach.)

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

## Table of counties

| County | FIPS code | County seat | Est. | Formed from | Etymology | Population | Area |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Aurora County | 003 | Plankinton | 1881 | Cragin and Wetmore Counties | Aurora, Roman goddess of dawn | 2,755 | 708 sq mi (1,834 $km^2)$ |
| Beadle County | 005 | Huron | 1879 | Buchard, Clark, Kingsbury, and Spink Counties | William Henry Harrison Beadle, chief surveyor of Dakota Territory | 19,376 | 1,259 sq mi (3,261 $km^2)$ |
| Bennett County | 007 | Martin | 1909 | Lugenbeel, Oglala Lakota, Washabaugh, and Washington Counties | Granville G. Bennett, justice of the Supreme Court for the Dakota Territory | 3,336 | 1,185 sq mi (3,069 $km^2)$ |
| Bon Homme County | 009 | Tyndall | 1862 | Unorganized territory | French phrase meaning "good man" | 7,062 | 563 sq mi (1,458 $km^2)$ |
| Brookings County | 011 | Brookings | 1862 | Unorganized territory | Wilmot Brookings (1830 - 1905), Dakota Territory Supreme Court justice | 35,484 | 794 sq mi (2,056 $km^2)$ |
| Brown County | 013 | Aberdeen | 1879 | Beadle County | Alfred Brown, territorial legislator | 37,972 | 1,713 sq mi (4,437 $km^2)$ |
| Brule County | 015 | Chamberlain | 1875 | Charles Mix County | Brulé Sioux Native Americans | 5,321 | 819 sq mi (2,121 $km^2)$ |
| Buffalo County | 017 | Gann Valley | 1873 | Unorganized territory | American Bison | 1,861 | 471 sq mi (1,220 $km^2)$ |
| Butte County | 019 | Belle Fourche | 1883 | Harding County | Buttes in the region | 10,774 | 2,249 sq mi (5,825 $km^2)$ |
| Campbell County | 021 | Mound City | 1873 | Buffalo County | Norman B. Campbell, territorial legislator | 1,349 | 736 sq mi (1,906 $km^2)$ |
| Charles Mix County | 023 | Lake Andes | 1862 | Unorganized territory | Charles Eli Mix, commissioner of Indian Affairs | 9,213 | 1,098 sq mi (2,844 $km^2)$ |
| Clark County | 025 | Clark | 1873 | Hanson County | Newton Clark, territorial legislator | 3,912 | 958 sq mi (2,481 $km^2)$ |
| Clay County | 027 | Vermillion | 1862 | Unorganized territory | Henry Clay (1777 - 1852), U.S. Senator from Kentucky and prominent 19th Century political figure | 15,280 | 412 sq mi (1,067 $km^2)$ |
| Codington County | 029 | Watertown | 1877 | Indian lands | Reverend G.S. Codington, territorial legislator | 28,721 | 688 sq mi (1,782 $km^2)$ |
| Corson County | 031 | McIntosh | 1909 | Indian lands | Dighton Corson, a Justice of the South Dakota Supreme Court | 3,826 | 2,473 sq mi (6,405 $km^2)$ |
| Custer County | 033 | Custer | 1875 | Indian lands | General George Armstrong Custer (1839 - 1876), key figure in the Indian Wars | 9,006 | 1,558 sq mi (4,035 $km^2)$ |
| Davison County | 035 | Mitchell | 1873 | Hanson County | Henry C. Davison, prominent merchant and early settler | 19,973 | 436 sq mi (1,129 $km^2)$ |
| Day County | 037 | Webster | 1879 | Clark County | Merritt H. Day, territorial legislator | 5,479 | 1,029 sq mi (2,665 $km^2)$ |
| Deuel County | 039 | Clear Lake | 1862 | Brookings County | Jacob S. Deuel, territorial legislator | 4,352 | 624 sq mi (1,616 $km^2)$ |
| Dewey County | 041 | Timber Lake | 1873 | Armstrong County and Indian lands | William P. Dewey, territorial surveyor-general | 5,140 | 2,303 sq mi (5,965 $km^2)$ |
| Douglas County | 043 | Armour | 1873 | Charles Mix County | Stephen A. Douglas (1813 - 1861), U.S. Senator from Illinois and advocate of popular sovereignty as a middle ground in the slavery debate | 2,776 | 434 sq mi (1,124 $km^2)$ |
| Edmunds County | 045 | Ipswich | 1873 | Buffalo County | Newton Edmunds, Governor of Dakota Territory | 4,065 | 1,146 sq mi (2,968 $km^2)$ |
| Fall River County | 047 | Hot Springs | 1883 | Custer County | Fall River | 7,370 | 1,740 sq mi (4,507 $km^2)$ |
| Faulk County | 049 | Faulkton | 1873 | Unorganized territory | Andrew Jackson Faulk, Governor of Dakota Territory | 2,126 | 1,000 sq mi (2,590 $km^2)$ |
| Grant County | 051 | Milbank | 1873 | Codington and Deuel Counties | Ulysses S. Grant (1822 - 1885), U.S. President and American Civil War general | 7,463 | 682 sq mi (1,766 $km^2)$ |
| Gregory County | 053 | Burke | 1862 | Unorganized territory | John Shaw Gregory, territorial legislator | 3,962 | 1,016 sq mi (2,631 $km^2)$ |
| Haakon County | 055 | Philip | 1914 | Stanley County | King Haakon VII of Norway | 1,826 | 1,813 sq mi (4,696 $km^2)$ |
| Hamlin County | 057 | Hayti | 1873 | Deuel County | Hannibal Hamlin, Vice-President and United States Senator from Maine | 6,352 | 511 sq mi (1,323 $km^2)$ |
| Hand County | 059 | Miller | 1873 | Buffalo County | George H. Hand, territorial legislator | 3,140 | 1,437 sq mi (3,722 $km^2)$ |
| Hanson County | 061 | Alexandria | 1873 | Buffalo and Deuel Counties | Joseph R. Hanson, army major in the Indian Wars and early settler | 3,461 | 435 sq mi (1,127 $km^2)$ |
| Harding County | 063 | Buffalo | 1909 | Unorganized territory | J.A. Harding, Speaker of the House for Dakota Territory | 1,330 | 2,671 sq mi (6,918 $km^2)$ |
| Hughes County | 065 | Pierre | 1880 | Buffalo County | Alexander Hughes, territorial legislator | 17,692 | 741 sq mi (1,919 $km^2)$ |
| Hutchinson County | 067 | Olivet | 1862 | Unorganized territory | John Hutchinson, territorial legislator | 7,368 | 813 sq mi (2,106 $km^2)$ |
| Hyde County | 069 | Highmore | 1873 | Buffalo County | James Hyde, territorial legislator | 1,184 | 861 sq mi (2,230 $km^2)$ |
| Jackson County | 071 | Kadoka | 1914 | Stanley County | J.R. Jackson, territorial legislator | 2,821 | 1,869 sq mi (4,841 $km^2)$ |
| Jerauld County | 073 | Wessington Springs | 1883 | Aurora County | H.J. Jerauld, territorial legislator | 1,650 | 530 sq mi (1,373 $km^2)$ |
| Jones County | 075 | Murdo | 1916 | Lyman County | George Wallace Jones, territorial legislator | 884 | 971 sq mi (2,515 $km^2)$ |
| Kingsbury County | 077 | De Smet | 1873 | Hanson County | George W. Kingsbury and T.A. Kingsbury, brothers and territorial legislators | 5,294 | 838 sq mi (2,170 $km^2)$ |
| Lake County | 079 | Madison | 1873 | Brookings and Hanson counties | Lakes within the county | 10,972 | 563 sq mi (1,458 $km^2)$ |
| Lawrence County | 081 | Deadwood | 1875 | Unorganized territory | John Lawrence (1839 - 1889), territorial legislator | 27,214 | 800 sq mi (2,072 $km^2)$ |
| Lincoln County | 083 | Canton | 1867 | Unorganized territory | Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, or, possibly, Lincoln County, Maine. | 70,987 | 578 sq mi (1,497 $km^2)$ |
| Lyman County | 085 | Kennebec | 1873 | Unorganized territory | W.P. Lyman, territorial legislator | 3,692 | 1,640 sq mi (4,248 $km^2)$ |
| Marshall County | 091 | Britton | 1885 | Day County | Marshall Vincent, Day County Commissioner | 4,374 | 839 sq mi (2,173 $km^2)$ |
| McCook County | 087 | Salem | 1873 | Hanson County | Edwin McCook, Secretary of Dakota Territory | 5,778 | 575 sq mi (1,489 $km^2)$ |
| McPherson County | 089 | Leola | 1873 | Buffalo County | James B. McPherson (1828 - 1864), Civil War general | 2,395 | 1,137 sq mi (2,945 $km^2)$ |
| Meade County | 093 | Sturgis | 1889 | Lawrence County | George Meade (1815 - 1872), Civil War general | 30,698 | 3,471 sq mi (8,990 $km^2)$ |
| Mellette County | 095 | White River | 1909 | Lyman County | Arthur C. Mellette, first Governor of South Dakota | 1,892 | 1,307 sq mi (3,385 $km^2)$ |
| Miner County | 097 | Howard | 1873 | Hanson County | Nelson Miner and Ephriam Miner, brothers and territorial legislators | 2,304 | 570 sq mi (1,476 $km^2)$ |
| Minnehaha County | 099 | Sioux Falls | 1862 | Unorganized territory | Sioux term for waterfall | 203,971 | 809 sq mi (2,095 $km^2)$ |
| Moody County | 101 | Flandreau | 1873 | Brookings and Minnehaha Counties | Gideon C. Moody, Speaker of the House for Dakota Territory | 6,349 | 520 sq mi (1,347 $km^2)$ |
| Oglala Lakota County | 102 | | 1875 | Fall River County | Oglala Lakota tribe | 13,519 | 2,094 sq mi (5,423 $km^2)$ |
| Pennington County | 103 | Rapid City | 1875 | Unorganized territory | John L. Pennington (1829 - 1900), Governor of Dakota Territory | 114,461 | 2,776 sq mi (7,190 $km^2)$ |
| Perkins County | 105 | Bison | 1909 | Butte and Harding Counties | Henry E. Perkins, state senator | 2,804 | 2,872 sq mi (7,438 $km^2)$ |
| Potter County | 107 | Gettysburg | 1875 | Buffalo County | Joel A. Potter, territorial legislator | 2,438 | 866 sq mi (2,243 $km^2)$ |
| Roberts County | 109 | Sisseton | 1883 | Grant County | S.G. Roberts, territorial legislator | 10,163 | 1,101 sq mi (2,852 $km^2)$ |
| Sanborn County | 111 | Woonsocket | 1883 | Miner County | George W. Sanborn, president of the Milwaukee Railroad | 2,415 | 569 sq mi (1,474 $km^2)$ |
| Spink County | 115 | Redfield | 1873 | Hanson County | Solomon Spink, Secretary of Dakota Territory | 6,235 | 1,504 sq mi (3,895 $km^2)$ |
| Stanley County | 117 | Fort Pierre | 1873 | Unorganized territory | David S. Stanley, commander of Fort Sully | 2,999 | 1,443 sq mi (3,737 $km^2)$ |
| Sully County | 119 | Onida | 1873 | Potter County | Fort Sully, itself named after General Alfred Sully | 1,471 | 1,007 sq mi (2,608 $km^2)$ |
| Todd County | 121 | | 1909 | Meyer and Tripp Counties | John Blair Smith Todd, territorial delegate to Congress | 9,220 | 1,388 sq mi (3,595 $km^2)$ |
| Tripp County | 123 | Winner | 1873 | Unorganized territory | Bartlett Tripp, Chief Justice of the Dakota Territorial Supreme Court | 5,565 | 1,614 sq mi (4,180 $km^2)$ |
| Turner County | 125 | Parker | 1871 | Lincoln County | John W. Turner, territorial legislator | 8,856 | 617 sq mi (1,598 $km^2)$ |
| Union County | 127 | Elk Point | 1862 | Unorganized territory | The union of the American states | 17,063 | 460 sq mi (1,191 $km^2)$ |
| Walworth County | 129 | Selby | 1873 | Buffalo County | Walworth County, Wisconsin, itself named for Reuben Walworth | 5,265 | 708 sq mi (1,834 $km^2)$ |
| Yankton County | 135 | Yankton | 1862 | Unorganized territory | Yankton Sioux Native Americans | 23,373 | 522 sq mi (1,352 $km^2)$ |
| Ziebach County | 137 | Dupree | 1911 | Armstrong, Schnasse, and Sterling Counties | Frank M. Ziebach, publisher and army major during the Indian Wars | 2,395 | 1,962 sq mi (5,082 $km^2)$ |

## Former names

* Shannon County: renamed Oglala Lakota County in 2015
* Boreman County: Renamed Corson County in 1909
* Mandan County: Renamed Lawrence County
* Pratt County: Renamed Jones County

## Former counties

* Armstrong County (1883–1952): Created by Dakota Territory as Pyatt County in 1883 from Cheyenne, Rusk (Dewey), and Stanley Counties. Renamed Armstrong in 1895. The western half was annexed to form part of the second Ziebach County, in 1911. The remainder was annexed into Dewey in 1952.
* Ashmore County
* Big Sioux County
* Bramble County
* Bruguier County
* Burchard County
* Burdick County
* Cheyenne County
* Choteau County: Abolished when it merged into Perkins County along with Martin, Rinehart and Wagner Counties.
* Cole County: organized in 1862, was named for Austin Cole, who was a member of the first Territorial Legislature. Two years later, the boundaries were rearranged and the name changed to Union because of sentiment for the Union side of the civil war.
* Cragin County
* Delano County: Absorbed by Meade County
* Ewing County (1889–1890): Created upon statehood. Abolished one year later, when it became the northern half of Harding County.
* Forsythe County
* Greely County, South Dakota
* Jayne County
* Lugenbeel County (1875–1909): Created by Dakota Territory from unorganized lands and Meyer and Pratt Counties in 1875. Abolished in 1909 when it became part of Bennett and Todd Counties.
* Martin County: Abolished when it merged into Perkins County along with Choteau, Rinehart and Wagner Counties.
* Meyer County
* Midway County
* Mills County
* Nowlin County (1883–1898): Created by Dakota Territory in 1883 from Cheyenne and White River Counties. Abolished in 1898 when it became part of Haakon County.
* Presho County: Absorbed by Lyman County
* Pyatt County (1883–1895): Created by Dakota Territory from unorganized lands in 1883. Renamed Armstrong in 1895. Later divided between the revived Ziebach County and Dewey County.
* Rinehart County: Abolished when it merged into Perkins County along with Choteau, Martin, and Wagner Counties.
* Rusk County
* Schnasse County (1883–1911): Created by Dakota Territory from unorganized lands and part of Boreman County in 1883. Later absorbed into Boreman and the revived Ziebach Counties
* Scobey County: Absorbed by Meade County
* Sterling County (1883–1911): Created by Dakota Territory from Cheyenne County. Abolished in 1911 when it became part of Haakon and Ziebach Counties
* Stone County
* Thompson County
* Wagner County: Abolished when it merged into Perkins County along with Choteau, Martin, and Rinehart Counties.
* Washabaugh County (1883–1983): South Dakota's most recent county to be eliminated. Created by Dakota Territory in 1883. Abolished in 1983 when it was merged with Jackson County.
* Washington County (1888–1943): Abolished in 1943 when it was divided between Pennington and Shannon Counties.
* Wetmore County
* White River County
* Wood County
* Ziebach County (1889–1890): Created in 1889, upon statehood. Abolished in 1890, becoming the eastern portion of Pennington County. The name was revived in 1911, when a second Ziebach County was created from parts of Sterling, Schnasse and Pyatt Counties.

## Population density map

Darker colors indicate heavier density.

