South Dakota Counties and County Seats
Counties are the backbone of local administration in South Dakota. They shape records, elections, taxes, courts, and road planning. If you are looking up land details, planning a visit, or comparing places across the state, knowing the right county saves time and prevents mix ups.
Quick Facts
- Total Counties: 66
- Postal Abbreviation: SD
- State FIPS Code: 46
Why The County Level Matters
- Courthouse records are kept by county
- Property tax is billed by county
- Local elections are managed by county offices
Complete List Of South Dakota Counties With Seats and Codes
The table below lists every county in South Dakota, alongside its FIPS county code, a county seat (or an administrative center), and the year the county was established.
| County | FIPS | County Seat Or Administrative Center | Established |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora | 003 | Plankinton | 1881 |
| Beadle | 005 | Huron | 1879 |
| Bennett | 007 | Martin | 1909 |
| Bon Homme | 009 | Tyndall | 1862 |
| Brookings | 011 | Brookings | 1862 |
| Brown | 013 | Aberdeen | 1879 |
| Brule | 015 | Chamberlain | 1875 |
| Buffalo | 017 | Gann Valley | 1873 |
| Butte | 019 | Belle Fourche | 1883 |
| Campbell | 021 | Mound City | 1873 |
| Charles Mix | 023 | Lake Andes | 1862 |
| Clark | 025 | Clark | 1873 |
| Clay | 027 | Vermillion | 1862 |
| Codington | 029 | Watertown | 1877 |
| Corson | 031 | McIntosh | 1909 |
| Custer | 033 | Custer | 1875 |
| Davison | 035 | Mitchell | 1873 |
| Day | 037 | Webster | 1879 |
| Deuel | 039 | Clear Lake | 1862 |
| Dewey | 041 | Timber Lake | 1873 |
| Douglas | 043 | Armour | 1873 |
| Edmunds | 045 | Ipswich | 1873 |
| Fall River | 047 | Hot Springs | 1883 |
| Faulk | 049 | Faulkton | 1873 |
| Grant | 051 | Milbank | 1873 |
| Gregory | 053 | Burke | 1862 |
| Haakon | 055 | Philip | 1914 |
| Hamlin | 057 | Hayti | 1873 |
| Hand | 059 | Miller | 1873 |
| Hanson | 061 | Alexandria | 1873 |
| Harding | 063 | Buffalo | 1909 |
| Hughes | 065 | Pierre | 1880 |
| Hutchinson | 067 | Olivet | 1862 |
| Hyde | 069 | Highmore | 1873 |
| Jackson | 071 | Kadoka | 1914 |
| Jerauld | 073 | Wessington Springs | 1883 |
| Jones | 075 | Murdo | 1916 |
| Kingsbury | 077 | De Smet | 1873 |
| Lake | 079 | Madison | 1873 |
| Lawrence | 081 | Deadwood | 1875 |
| Lincoln | 083 | Canton | 1867 |
| Lyman | 085 | Kennebec | 1873 |
| Marshall | 091 | Britton | 1885 |
| McCook | 087 | Salem | 1873 |
| McPherson | 089 | Leola | 1873 |
| Meade | 093 | Sturgis | 1889 |
| Mellette | 095 | White River | 1909 |
| Miner | 097 | Howard | 1873 |
| Minnehaha | 099 | Sioux Falls | 1862 |
| Moody | 101 | Flandreau | 1873 |
| Oglala Lakota | 102 | Administrative Center: Hot Springs | 1875 |
| Pennington | 103 | Rapid City | 1875 |
| Perkins | 105 | Bison | 1909 |
| Potter | 107 | Gettysburg | 1875 |
| Roberts | 109 | Sisseton | 1883 |
| Sanborn | 111 | Woonsocket | 1883 |
| Spink | 115 | Redfield | 1873 |
| Stanley | 117 | Fort Pierre | 1873 |
| Sully | 119 | Onida | 1873 |
| Todd | 121 | Administrative Center: Winner | 1909 |
| Tripp | 123 | Winner | 1873 |
| Turner | 125 | Parker | 1871 |
| Union | 127 | Elk Point | 1862 |
| Walworth | 129 | Selby | 1873 |
| Yankton | 135 | Yankton | 1862 |
| Ziebach | 137 | Dupree | 1911 |
Note: Oglala Lakota County and Todd County do not have a separate county seat. For practical tasks, use the administrative center shown in the table.
How Counties Work In South Dakota
County Seat Basics
A county seat is the main service hub for county government. It is where you typically find the courthouse and core offices. If you are filing a record, requesting a certificate, or searching a public index, the county seat is the starting point.
- Courthouse: court services and official filings
- Register Of Deeds: property records and land documents
- Treasurer: tax billing and payment processing
County Offices You Will See Often
Office names can vary slightly, yet the functions are familiar. These offices are the daily engine of the county systm, especially outside the larger cities.
- Auditor: budgets, elections, meeting records
- Assessor Or Equalization: property valuation and classifications
- Sheriff: public safety and civil process
When The County Name Is More Useful Than The City Name
City names repeat across the United States, and some mailing addresses do not match the nearest courthouse location. The county name adds clarity, especially for official searches.
- Property work: deeds, plats, liens, and parcel references
- Family history: vital records and historical registers
- Planning trips: distances between county seats and regional hubs
FIPS Codes And Clean Identification
FIPS codes are widely used in data tables, maps, and public datasets. For South Dakota, the state FIPS code is 46. County codes are commonly written as three digits. When combined, they create a consistent identifier for each county.
Fast Example
- State: 46
- County: 099 (Minnehaha)
- Combined: 46099
A Practical County Lookup Workflow
If you want consistent results, treat county as the first filter. This is especially true for land, court, and tax topics.
- Start with the county name and confirm the matching county seat (table above).
- Note the FIPS code if you are working with spreadsheets or GIS layers.
- Keep a short list of the offices you need: Register Of Deeds, Treasurer, Auditor.
- When a county has an administrative center, use that location for practical contact and record navigation.
Regional Patterns You Can Notice On A County Map
Even without a map on the page, the county list tells a story. Many eastern counties are smaller and closer together. Large western counties tend to cover broader land areas. That shapes travel time, service distance, and how people group places in everyday talk.
For Trip Planning
- Use county seats as service waypoints
- Expect longer drives in large counties
- Keep both city and county names in notes
For Data Work
- Prefer FIPS to avoid name mismatches
- Store county seat as a reference field
- Keep established year for historical grouping
Common Questions About South Dakota Counties
How Many Counties Are In South Dakota
South Dakota has 66 counties. Each county has its own local administration structure, with county seats listed in the table.
What Should I Use If A County Has No Separate Seat
Use the administrative center. In the list above, Oglala Lakota uses Hot Springs and Todd uses Winner for practical county administration tasks.
Why Do Some County Names Look Unusual
County names can come from people, local geography, or older terms. The key for clean lookup is to match the county name with its FIPS code.
What Is The Most Reliable Identifier For Spreadsheets
Use the combined FIPS format: state code 46 plus the three digit county code. It stays stable and is widely supported in public datasets.