Pennington County, South Dakota

Last updated

Pennington County
County
Pennington County Courthouse 2017.JPG
Pennington County Courthouse in Rapid City
Map of South Dakota highlighting Pennington County.svg
Location within the U.S. state of South Dakota
South Dakota in United States.svg
South Dakota's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 44°01′N102°49′W / 44.01°N 102.82°W / 44.01; -102.82
CountryFlag of the United States.svg United States
StateFlag of South Dakota.svg  South Dakota
Founded1875 (created)
1877 (organized)
Named for John L. Pennington
Seat Rapid City
Largest cityRapid City
Area
 • Total2,784 sq mi (7,210 km2)
 • Land2,777 sq mi (7,190 km2)
 • Water7.8 sq mi (20 km2)  0.3%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total109,222
 • Estimate 
(2023)
115,903 Increase2.svg
 • Density40/sq mi (20/km2)
Time zone UTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional district At-large
Website www.co.pennington.sd.us

Pennington County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 109,222, [1] making it the second most populous county in South Dakota. Its county seat is Rapid City. [2] The county was created in 1875, and was organized in 1877. [3] It is named for John L. Pennington, fifth Governor of Dakota Territory, who held office in 1875 when the county was formed. [4]

Contents

Pennington County is included in the Rapid City metropolitan statistical area. It is also the location of Mount Rushmore.

History

In 1874, US Army commander George A. Custer led a group into the Black Hills area. He and some of his officers climbed the crest now called Black Elk Peak, and made a toast to US General William S. Harney. They named the peak for Harney, and this name was used until 2016. This expedition reported that gold could be found in the Black Hills, which spurred a gold rush into the future county area. The mining settlements that sprang up were in violation of the second Treaty of Fort Laramie signed with the Sioux Nation in 1868. By 1875, settlement was sufficient to justify creation of a local governing organization, so Pennington County was created on January 11, 1875, and it was fully organized by April 19, 1877. The county's boundaries were adjusted in 1877 and in 1898.

The county seat was initially at Sheridan, a mining camp. [5] (Sheridan is credited with hosting the first Federal Court west of the Missouri River.) In 1878, the county seat was moved to Rapid City. [6] [7]

In 1923, Doane Robinson, superintendent of the SD State Historical Society, began promoting the concept of a giant sculpture carved from a Black Hills mountain. By 1927 this concept took substance, when work on Mount Rushmore began.

Shortly after the US entered World War II, an Army training airbase was established in Pennington County. It has continued until the present, now known as Ellsworth Air Force Base. Supporting this activity has provided a substantial portion of the county's economic base since that time. [6]

Geography

Extinct Mesohippus horse, found in Pennington County, on display at the Houston Museum of Natural Science WLA hmns Mesohippus baidi 2.jpg
Extinct Mesohippus horse, found in Pennington County, on display at the Houston Museum of Natural Science

Pennington County is located on the west line of South Dakota. Its west boundary line abuts the east boundary line of the state of Wyoming. Its west end contains the nation's highest peak east of the continental divide, Black Elk Peak. The rugged arid western end contains forest and gullies, descendending to rough rolling hill country in the east. The Cheyenne River flows north-northeastward through the center of the county and then along its northeastern border on its way to discharge in the Missouri River, while Rapid Creek flows east-southeastward through the western part, to discharge into the Cheyenne at the county's midpoint. [8] The county terrain varies in elevation from Black Elk Peak at 7,242 ft (2,207 m) to its NE corner, at 1,896 ft (578 m) ASL. [9]

Pennington County has a total area of 2,784 square miles (7,210 km2), of which 2,777 square miles (7,190 km2) is land and 7.7 square miles (20 km2) (0.3%) is water. [10] It is the third-largest county in South Dakota by area.

Major highways

Transit

Adjacent counties

National protected areas

Lakes and reservoirs [8]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1880 2,244—
1890 6,540191.4%
1900 5,610−14.2%
1910 12,453122.0%
1920 12,7202.1%
1930 20,07957.9%
1940 23,79918.5%
1950 34,05343.1%
1960 58,19570.9%
1970 59,3492.0%
1980 70,36118.6%
1990 81,34315.6%
2000 88,5658.9%
2010 100,94814.0%
2020 109,2228.2%
2023 (est.)115,903 [11] 6.1%
US Decennial Census [12]
1790-1960 [13] 1900-1990 [14]
1990-2000 [15] 2010-2020 [1]

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 109,222 people, 44,909 households, and 27,584 families residing in the county. [16] The population density was 39.3 inhabitants per square mile (15.2/km2). There were 49,153 housing units.

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 100,948 people, 41,251 households, and 26,323 families in the county. The population density was 36.4 inhabitants per square mile (14.1/km2). There were 44,949 housing units at an average density of 16.2 per square mile (6.3/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 83.6% white, 9.7% American Indian, 1.0% black or African American, 1.0% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.8% from other races, and 3.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 38.0% were German, 14.3% were Irish, 11.0% were Norwegian, 10.2% were English, and 3.6% were American.

Of the 41,251 households, 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.2% were non-families, and 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.93. The median age was 36.8 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $46,849 and the median income for a family was $57,278. Males had a median income of $38,626 versus $30,251 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,894. About 9.4% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.7% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.

Law enforcement & emergency services

The Pennington County Sheriff's Office provides county-wide law enforcement services to the county. There are 118 deputies in the Patrol Division, in addition court services, investigations, and operation of the Pennington County Jail. The sheriff's office is headquartered in Rapid City. [17] The sheriff's office issues concealed pistol permits to county residents. [18] The current Sheriff is Kevin Thom.

The Sheriff's Office also operates the Pennington County Search and Rescue (PCSAR) team, a volunteer search and rescue (SAR) team based in Rapid City, was established in 1973, prompted by a 1972 flood in Rapid City. It serves residents and tourists in the county and the Black Hills area. [19]

Communities

Cities

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities [8]

Ghost towns

Townships

Unorganized territories

Politics

Pennington County is very conservative for an urban county. It has been strongly Republican for decades, having voted Republican in all but one presidential election since 1936 (Johnson's landslide victory in 1964). Indeed, a Democrat has only garnered 40 percent of the county's vote three times since 1948.

United States presidential election results for Pennington County, South Dakota [20]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 35,06360.96%20,60635.83%1,8493.21%
2016 29,80462.43%14,07429.48%3,8658.10%
2012 28,23263.49%15,12534.02%1,1072.49%
2008 27,60359.64%17,80238.47%8751.89%
2004 29,97666.66%14,21331.61%7791.73%
2000 24,69667.55%11,12330.43%7382.02%
1996 19,29354.32%12,78436.00%3,4399.68%
1992 18,05247.92%11,10629.48%8,51122.59%
1988 19,51061.44%12,06838.00%1790.56%
1984 21,94772.22%8,22427.06%2180.72%
1980 18,99167.33%7,12125.25%2,0927.42%
1976 13,35256.34%10,05842.44%2891.22%
1972 13,65461.16%8,59238.48%800.36%
1968 9,67153.29%7,30340.24%1,1746.47%
1964 8,92647.46%9,88152.54%00.00%
1960 11,36460.31%7,47839.69%00.00%
1956 10,95567.26%5,33232.74%00.00%
1952 11,02971.16%4,47028.84%00.00%
1948 6,39256.01%4,92943.19%920.81%
1944 5,24659.87%3,51740.13%00.00%
1940 6,60357.51%4,87842.49%00.00%
1936 4,44242.60%5,55753.29%4294.11%
1932 3,63840.99%5,17858.34%590.66%
1928 4,64566.97%2,26632.67%250.36%
1924 3,20163.57%85416.96%98019.46%
1920 2,56864.23%1,20530.14%2255.63%
1916 1,10842.73%1,33951.64%1465.63%
1912 00.00%1,13548.15%1,22251.85%
1908 1,70257.38%1,16039.11%1043.51%
1904 1,12669.00%39224.02%1146.99%
1900 89852.92%78446.20%150.88%
1896 73941.40%1,03858.15%80.45%
1892 95950.66%1477.77%78741.57%

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pierre, South Dakota</span> Capital city of South Dakota, United States

Pierre is the capital city of the U.S. state of South Dakota and the County seat of Hughes County. The population was 14,091 at the 2020 census, making it the 2nd least populous US state capital after Montpelier, Vermont. It is South Dakota's 9th most populous city. Founded in 1880 on the Missouri River near the center of South Dakota, it was selected as the state capital when the territory was admitted as a state. Pierre is the principal city of the Pierre Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Hughes and Stanley counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yankton County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Yankton County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,310, making it the 9th most populous county in South Dakota. Its county seat is Yankton. Yankton County comprises the Yankton, SD Micropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Union County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Union County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,811, making it the 13th most populous county in South Dakota. Its county seat has been Elk Point since April 30, 1865. Originally named Cole County, its name was changed to Union on January 7, 1864, because of Civil War sentiment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Oglala Lakota County is a county in southwestern South Dakota, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 13,672. Oglala Lakota County does not have a functioning county seat; Hot Springs in neighboring Fall River County serves as its administrative center. The county was created as a part of the Dakota Territory in 1875, although it remains unorganized. Its largest community is Pine Ridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lawrence County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Lawrence County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,768, making it the 8th most populous county in South Dakota. Its county seat is Deadwood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Jackson County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,806. Its county seat is Kadoka. The county was created in 1883, and was organized in 1915. Washabaugh County was merged into Jackson County in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gregory County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Gregory County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,994. Its county seat is Burke. The county was created in 1862 and organized in 1898. It was named for the politician J. Shaw Gregory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grant County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Grant County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,556. The county seat is Milbank. The county was founded in 1873 and organized in 1878. It is named for Ulysses S. Grant, 18th President of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Custer County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Custer County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,318. Its county seat is Custer. The county was created in 1875, and was organized in 1877. It was named after General George Armstrong Custer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corson County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Corson County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,902. Its county seat is McIntosh. The county was named for Dighton Corson, a native of Maine, who came to the Black Hills in 1876, and in 1877 began practicing law at Deadwood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Codington County, South Dakota</span> County in South Dakota, United States

Codington County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,325, making it the 7th most populous county in South Dakota. Its county seat is Watertown. The county was created in 1877 and organized in 1878. It is named for Rev. George S. S. Codington, Dakota Territory legislator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McKenzie County, North Dakota</span> County in North Dakota, United States

McKenzie County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,704. Its county seat is Watford City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hill City, South Dakota</span> City in South Dakota, United States

Hill City is the oldest existing city in Pennington County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 872 at the 2020 census. Hill City is located 26 miles (42 km) southwest of Rapid City on U.S. Highway 16 and on U.S. Route 385 that connects Deadwood to Hot Springs. Hill City is known as the "Heart of the Hills", a distinction derived from its proximity to both the geographical center of the Black Hills, and the local tourist destinations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rapid City, South Dakota</span> City in South Dakota, United States

Rapid City is the second most populous city in South Dakota after Sioux Falls and the county seat of Pennington County. Named after Rapid Creek, where the settlement developed, it is in western South Dakota, on the Black Hills' eastern slope. The population was 74,703 as of the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wasta, South Dakota</span> Town in South Dakota, United States

Wasta(Lakota: wašté) is a town in Pennington County, South Dakota, United States, situated along the Cheyenne River. It had a population of 65 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 16A</span> Alternate highway route in South Dakota, United States

U.S. Highway 16A (US 16A) is a 36.971-mile-long (59.499 km) scenic United States Numbered Highway. It is an alternate route for US 16. It splits from US 16 in the Black Hills of the southwestern part of the U.S. state of South Dakota. The highway's western terminus is an intersection with US 16, US 385, and South Dakota Highway 89 (SD 89) in Custer. The eastern terminus is at an interchange with US 16 called Keystone Wye south of Rapid City. Portions of US 16A are known as the Iron Mountain Road, named after the peak it summits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Summerset, South Dakota</span> City in South Dakota, United States

Summerset is a city in Meade County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 2,972 at the 2020 census. Located in the western part of the state, it is the first city to incorporate in the state since 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of South Dakota</span> Overview of the geography of South Dakota

South Dakota is a state located in the north-central United States. It is usually considered to be in the Midwestern region of the country. The state can generally be divided into three geographic regions: eastern South Dakota, western South Dakota, and the Black Hills. Eastern South Dakota is lower in elevation and higher in precipitation than the western part of the state, and the Black Hills are a low, isolated mountain group in the southwestern corner of the state. Smaller sub-regions in the state include the Coteau des Prairies, Missouri Coteau, James River Valley, and the Dissected Till Plains. Geologic formations in South Dakota range in age from two billion-year-old Precambrian granite in the Black Hills to glacial till deposited over the last few million years. South Dakota is the 17th-largest state in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rapid City, South Dakota metropolitan area</span> Metropolitan Statistical Area in South Dakota, United States

The Rapid City, SD metropolitan area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau. Anchored by the city of Rapid City, the area corresponds to the entirety of Pennington and Meade counties in the state of South Dakota, though the Rapid City market area extends well beyond those counties and into Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota. The population was 139,074 at the 2020 census. According to 2022 census estimates, the MSA is estimated to have a population of 145,159.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 16 in South Dakota</span> Section of U.S. Highway in South Dakota, United States

U.S. Highway 16 (US 16) is a 69-mile-long (111 km) east–west United States Numbered Highway in the western part of the state of South Dakota. It travels between Yellowstone National Park near Newcastle, Wyoming and Interstate 90 (I-90) in Rapid City.

References

  1. 1 2 "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. 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 31, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Pennington County, SD History" Archived October 22, 2013, at the Wayback Machine . Pennington County official website. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
  5. ↑ Sheridan became a ghost town after the gold rush; it was inundated in 1939 by Sheridan Lake.
  6. 1 2 History - Pennington County (accessed February 8, 2019)
  7. ↑ History of SD Counties/Pennington (accessed February 8, 2019)
  8. 1 2 3 "Pennington County · South Dakota". Google Maps. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  9. ↑ ""Find an Altitude" Google Maps (accessed 8 February 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  10. ↑ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  11. ↑ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2023" . Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  12. ↑ "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  14. ↑ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  16. ↑ "US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Sheriff's Office - Law Enforcement Division".
  18. ↑ "Law Enforcement Division - Concealed Weapons Permits".
  19. ↑ "Search & Rescue - Pennington County, South Dakota". www.pennco.org. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  20. ↑ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 11, 2018.

44°01′N102°49′W / 44.01°N 102.82°W / 44.01; -102.82

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.