Minnehaha County, South Dakota

county in South Dakota, United States of America

Minnehaha County is a county in South Dakota in the United States. As of the 2020 census, 197,214 people lived there.[1] It is the most populous county in South Dakota. The county seat of Minnehaha County is Sioux Falls.[2] The county took its name from the Sioux Indian word "Mnihaha" which means "rapid water" or "waterfall." The word is often incorrectly translated as "laughing water." The word was changed to its current spelling to make it easier to pronounce. Minnehaha County is part of the Sioux Falls, SD, Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Minnehaha County
Minnehaha County Courthouse in Sioux Falls
Minnehaha County Courthouse in Sioux Falls
Map of South Dakota highlighting Minnehaha 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: 43°41′N 96°47′W / 43.68°N 96.79°W / 43.68; -96.79
Country United States
State South Dakota
Founded1862 (created)
1868 (organized)
Named for"rapid water"
SeatSioux Falls
Largest citySioux Falls
Area
 • Total814 sq mi (2,110 km2)
 • Land807 sq mi (2,090 km2)
 • Water6.7 sq mi (17 km2)  0.8%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total197,214
 • Density239/sq mi (92/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districtAt-large
Websitewww.minnehahacounty.org

History

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Historical population
Census Pop.
1870355
18808,2512,224.2%
189021,879165.2%
190023,9269.4%
191029,63123.8%
192042,49043.4%
193050,87219.7%
194057,69713.4%
195070,91022.9%
196086,57522.1%
197095,20910.0%
1980109,43514.9%
1990123,80913.1%
2000148,28119.8%
2010169,46814.3%
2020197,21416.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[3]
1790-1960[4] 1900-1990[5]
1990-2000[6] 2010-2020[1]

In the 1870 census there were 355 people living in the county.

Geography

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The county has a total area of 814 square miles (2,110 km2). Of this, 810 square miles (2,100 km2) is land and 4 square miles (10 km2) (0.49%) is water. The Big Sioux River flows through the county.

Townships

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The county is divided into twenty-four townships: Brandon, Benton, Buffalo, Burk, Clear Lake, Dell Rapids, Edison, Grand Meadow, Hartford, Highland, Humboldt, Logan, Lyons, Mapleton, Palisade, Red Rock, Sioux Falls, Split Rock, Sverdrup, Taopi, Valley Springs, Wall Lake, Wayne, Wellington.

Adjacent Counties

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Cities and towns

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Settlement Population
Sioux Falls[a] 192,517
Brandon 11,048
Dell Rapids 3,996
Hartford 3,354
Crooks 1,362
Baltic 1,246
Garretson 1,228
Valley Springs 885
Colton 738
Humboldt 579
Sherman 81
2020 United States Census[7]

Other places in Minnehaha County

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Historical Townsites

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Sign marking the site of the former town of East Sioux Falls.
  1. Sioux Falls is located in both Minnehaha and Lincoln counties.

References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 "QuickFacts: Minnehaha County, South Dakota". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  3. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  4. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  5. Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  6. "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 28, 2015.
  7. "Census Data Explorer". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 1, 2024.

Other websites

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43°41′N 96°47′W / 43.68°N 96.79°W / 43.68; -96.79