Dewey County, South Dakota

Coordinates: 45°10′N 100°53′W / 45.16°N 100.88°W / 45.16; -100.88
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Dewey County
Forest City Bridge
Map of South Dakota highlighting Dewey 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.
Coordinates: 45°10′N 100°53′W / 45.16°N 100.88°W / 45.16; -100.88
Country United States
State South Dakota
Founded1883 (created)
1910 (organized)
Named forWilliam P. Dewey
SeatTimber Lake
Largest communityNorth Eagle Butte
Area
 • Total2,445 sq mi (6,330 km2)
 • Land2,302 sq mi (5,960 km2)
 • Water143 sq mi (370 km2)  5.8%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total5,239
 • Estimate 
(2022)
5,140 Increase
 • Density2.1/sq mi (0.83/km2)
Time zoneUTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional districtAt-large

Dewey County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,239.[1] Its county seat is Timber Lake.[2] The county was created in 1883 and organized in 1910.[3] It was named for William P. Dewey,[4] Territorial surveyor-general from 1873 to 1877.

Almost the entire county lies in the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. The balance of the county, along its extreme northern county line, lies in the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. It is one of five South Dakota counties that are contained within Indian reservations.

Geography[edit]

The Moreau River flows east-northeasterly through the upper central parts of Dewey County, discharging into the Missouri River near the county's NE corner. Smaller drainages move runoff water northward from the central-eastern portions to the Missouri River, discharging near the community of Promise. A significant arm of the Missouri River forms the county's southeastern border. The county terrain consists of rolling hills, sloping southeastward and dropping off into the Missouri River basin.[5]

The county has a total area of 2,445 square miles (6,330 km2), of which 2,302 square miles (5,960 km2) is land and 143 square miles (370 km2) (5.8%) is water.[6]

The eastern portion of South Dakota's counties (48 of 66) observe Central Time; the western counties (18 of 66) observe Mountain Time. Dewey County is the easternmost of the SD counties to observe Mountain Time.[7]

Major highways[edit]

Adjacent counties[edit]

Protected Areas[edit]

  • Firesteel Dam State Game Production Area
  • Isabel Lake State Game Production Area
  • Little Moreau State Game Production Area
  • Little Moreau State Recreation Area

Lakes[edit]

  • Lake Isabel
  • Lake Oahe (partial)
  • Little Moreau Lake

Demographics[edit]

Historical population
CensusPop.Note
19101,145
19204,802319.4%
19306,47634.9%
19405,709−11.8%
19504,916−13.9%
19605,2576.9%
19705,170−1.7%
19805,3663.8%
19905,5232.9%
20005,9728.1%
20105,301−11.2%
20205,239−1.2%
2023 (est.)5,208[8]−0.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]
1790-1960[10] 1900-1990[11]
1990-2000[12] 2010-2020[1]

2020 census[edit]

As of the census of 2020, there were 5,239 people.

2010 census[edit]

As of the census of 2010, there were 5,301 people, 1,730 households, and 1,239 families in the county. The population density was 2.3 inhabitants per square mile (0.89/km2). There were 2,002 housing units at an average density of 0.9 units per square mile (0.35 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 74.9% American Indian, 21.0% white, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.2% from other races, and 3.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 13.2% were German, 6.5% were Irish, and 0.6% were American.

Of the 1,730 households, 45.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.6% were married couples living together, 24.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.4% were non-families, and 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 3.05 and the average family size was 3.60. The median age was 30.0 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $33,255 and the median income for a family was $40,500. Males had a median income of $33,942 versus $28,594 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,632. About 20.5% of families and 30.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.5% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.

Communities[edit]

Cities[edit]

Town[edit]

Census-designated places[edit]

Unincorporated communities[edit]

Unorganized territories[edit]

The county is divided into two areas of unorganized territory: North Dewey and South Dewey.

Politics[edit]

Dewey has since the 1990s been a strongly Democratic county in solidly Republican South Dakota. The last Republican to carry the county was Ronald Reagan in his 1984 landslide when he came within 3,819 votes of claiming all fifty states. Before this period, by contrast, Dewey was a Republican-leaning county even for South Dakota. Between its formation and 1984, Dewey had voted Democratic only in the three landslide Democratic wins of 1964, 1936 and 1932, plus for Woodrow Wilson in 1916 when his anti-war policies had strong appeal in the West.

United States presidential election results for Dewey County, South Dakota[16]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 790 40.18% 1,131 57.53% 45 2.29%
2016 723 42.33% 888 51.99% 97 5.68%
2012 663 34.99% 1,207 63.69% 25 1.32%
2008 659 32.64% 1,328 65.78% 32 1.58%
2004 921 35.92% 1,606 62.64% 37 1.44%
2000 761 45.27% 880 52.35% 40 2.38%
1996 657 33.20% 1,114 56.29% 208 10.51%
1992 642 36.64% 766 43.72% 344 19.63%
1988 765 42.76% 1,007 56.29% 17 0.95%
1984 941 54.49% 772 44.70% 14 0.81%
1980 1,045 59.14% 600 33.96% 122 6.90%
1976 820 53.46% 706 46.02% 8 0.52%
1972 1,008 58.88% 699 40.83% 5 0.29%
1968 941 52.72% 721 40.39% 123 6.89%
1964 981 43.79% 1,259 56.21% 0 0.00%
1960 1,168 52.80% 1,044 47.20% 0 0.00%
1956 1,197 56.76% 912 43.24% 0 0.00%
1952 1,301 66.34% 660 33.66% 0 0.00%
1948 864 53.80% 727 45.27% 15 0.93%
1944 913 64.12% 511 35.88% 0 0.00%
1940 1,396 56.36% 1,081 43.64% 0 0.00%
1936 1,012 44.25% 1,216 53.17% 59 2.58%
1932 710 30.51% 1,591 68.37% 26 1.12%
1928 1,293 56.39% 996 43.44% 4 0.17%
1924 956 53.05% 222 12.32% 624 34.63%
1920 880 63.31% 335 24.10% 175 12.59%
1916 352 47.00% 379 50.60% 18 2.40%
1912 0 0.00% 411 42.20% 563 57.80%

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ "Dakota Territory, South Dakota, and North Dakota: Individual County Chronologies". Dakota Territory Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2006. Archived from the original on April 2, 2018. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  4. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 105.
  5. ^ ""Find an Altitude" Google Maps (accessed February 2, 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  6. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  7. ^ [1] Map of Time Zone Line through South Dakota (accessed January 30, 2019)]
  8. ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2023". Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  9. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  10. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  11. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  12. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
  13. ^ Bear Creek SD Google Maps (accessed February 2, 2019)
  14. ^ Parade SD Google Maps (accessed February 2, 2019)
  15. ^ Promise SD Google Maps (accessed February 2, 2019)
  16. ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 15, 2018.

45°10′N 100°53′W / 45.16°N 100.88°W / 45.16; -100.88