The area that would become South Dakota was added to the United States in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase. The first permanent American settlement was established at Fort Pierre by the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1804.
White settlement of the area in the 19th century led to clashes with the Sioux, as some of the land had been granted to the tribe by an earlier treaty. Nevertheless, on November 2, 1889, the territory was incorporated into the union along with North Dakota.
Due to a controversy over which state would be admitted to the union first, President Benjamin Harrison shuffled the papers and signed one at random, not including the choice, although North Dakota is traditionally listed first.
Today, much of South Dakota’s economy is fueled by tourism – visitors flock to the state to see Mt. Rushmore, featuring 200-foot sculptures of the faces of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln.
Famous South Dakotans include newscaster Tom Brokaw, Senator and Vice President Hubert Humphrey, and model-actress Cheryl Ladd.
Geography
South Dakota lies in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by North Dakota to the north, Minnesota to the east, Iowa to the southeast, Nebraska to the south, and Wyoming and Montana to the west. The state is composed of two major land regions—the Missouri Plateau in the east and the Great Plains in the west. It is home to a variety of diverse landscapes ranging from rolling hills and prairies to badlands and rocky mountains.
The Missouri Plateau covers most of eastern South Dakota, extending from its border with North Dakota southward into Nebraska. This region is characterized by rolling hills and fertile soil—perfect for agriculture. The Missouri River serves as a natural boundary between this area and other parts of South Dakota. It also provides recreational opportunities like fishing, boating, and swimming.
The Great Plains make up most of western South Dakota. This region is made up mostly of flat grasslands with occasional patches of rolling hills or rocky outcroppings. It is much drier than other parts of South Dakota due to its location in an area known as “the Great American Desert” which includes parts of five states including South Dakota. Despite its dryness, it still contains several rivers including the Cheyenne River and White River that provide water for irrigation purposes as well as recreational activities like canoeing or kayaking on their white-water rapids.
Other areas worth mentioning are Badlands National Park located in southwestern South Dakota near Rapid City; Wind Cave National Park located near Hot Springs; Bear Butte State Park located near Sturgis; Black Hills National Forest located across western South Dakota; Custer State Park located near Custer; Lake Oahe along the Missouri River; Lewis & Clark Lake along the border with Nebraska; Devil’s Tower National Monument located in northeastern Wyoming but visible from much of western South Dakota; Mount Rushmore National Memorial carved into a granite face near Keystone; Jewel Cave National Monument located near Custer; Harney Peak—the highest point in South Dakota at 7242 feet above sea level—located within Black Hills National Forest near Keystone; Black Elk Peak—formerly known as Harney Peak—located within Black Hills National Forest near Custer; plus many more parks, monuments, lakes, rivers, creeks, caves and other attractions that make up this unique state’s geography!.
Cities in South Dakota
Below are the top 15 cities by population in South Dakota. For all cities and towns in the state, please see South Dakota cities list.
| Rank | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sioux Falls | 189,258 |
| 2 | Rapid City | 73,942 |
| 3 | Aberdeen | 28,500 |
| 4 | Brookings | 23,432 |
| 5 | Watertown | 22,577 |
| 6 | Mitchell | 15,677 |
| 7 | Yankton | 15,332 |
| 8 | Pierre | 14,126 |
| 9 | Huron | 14,060 |
| 10 | Spearfish | 12,031 |
| 11 | Box Elder | 11,527 |
| 12 | Vermillion | 11,506 |
| 13 | Brandon | 10,745 |
| 14 | Rapid Valley | 7,875 |
| 15 | Sturgis | 7,088 |
Counties in South Dakota
The State of South Dakota consists of 66 counties. They are:
- Aurora County, South Dakota
- Beadle County, South Dakota
- Bennett County, South Dakota
- Bon Homme County, South Dakota
- Brookings County, South Dakota
- Brown County, South Dakota
- Brule County, South Dakota
- Buffalo County, South Dakota
- Butte County, South Dakota
- Campbell County, South Dakota
- Charles Mix County, South Dakota
- Clark County, South Dakota
- Clay County, South Dakota
- Codington County, South Dakota
- Corson County, South Dakota
- Custer County, South Dakota
- Davison County, South Dakota
- Day County, South Dakota
- Deuel County, South Dakota
- Dewey County, South Dakota
- Douglas County, South Dakota
- Edmunds County, South Dakota
- Fall River County, South Dakota
- Faulk County, South Dakota
- Grant County, South Dakota
- Gregory County, South Dakota
- Haakon County, South Dakota
- Hamlin County, South Dakota
- Hand County, South Dakota
- Hanson County, South Dakota
- Harding County, South Dakota
- Hughes County, South Dakota
- Hutchinson County, South Dakota
- Hyde County, South Dakota
- Jackson County, South Dakota
- Jerauld County, South Dakota
- Jones County, South Dakota
- Kingsbury County, South Dakota
- Lake County, South Dakota
- Lawrence County, South Dakota
- Lincoln County, South Dakota
- Lyman County, South Dakota
- Marshall County, South Dakota
- McCook County, South Dakota
- McPherson County, South Dakota
- Meade County, South Dakota
- Mellette County, South Dakota
- Miner County, South Dakota
- Minnehaha County, South Dakota
- Moody County, South Dakota
- Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota
- Pennington County, South Dakota
- Perkins County, South Dakota
- Potter County, South Dakota
- Roberts County, South Dakota
- Sanborn County, South Dakota
- Spink County, South Dakota
- Stanley County, South Dakota
- Sully County, South Dakota
- Todd County, South Dakota
- Tripp County, South Dakota
- Turner County, South Dakota
- Union County, South Dakota
- Walworth County, South Dakota
- Yankton County, South Dakota
- Ziebach County, South Dakota
