Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Coordinates: 43°41′N 96°47′W / 43.68°N 96.79°W / 43.68; -96.79
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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

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.

History[change | change source]

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[change | change source]

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[change | change source]

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[change | change source]

Lakes[change | change source]

Cities and towns[change | change source]

Settlement Population
Sioux Falls [A] 156,592
Brandon 8,908
Dell Rapids 3,684
Hartford 2,570
Crooks 1,285
Garretson 1,182
Baltic 1,104
Valley Springs 770
Colton 697
Humboldt 597
Sherman 78
2011 estimate population[7]

Other places in Minnehaha County[change | change source]

Historical Townsites[change | change source]

Sign marking the site of the former town of East Sioux Falls.

Notes[change | change source]

A. ^ Sioux Falls is located in both Minnehaha and Lincoln counties.

References[change | change source]

  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. 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. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in South Dakota". United States Census Bureau. 2013-03-16. Retrieved 2013-03-16.

Other websites[change | change source]

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