Armour, South Dakota

Armour, South Dakota
City
Downtown Armour: Main Street
Location in Douglas County and the state of South Dakota
Coordinates: 43°19′08″N98°20′41″W / 43.31889°N 98.34472°W / 43.31889; -98.34472
Country	United States
State	South Dakota
County	Douglas
Incorporated	1904 [1]
Area [2]
• Total	0.95 sq mi (2.47 km2)
• Land	0.94 sq mi (2.45 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation [3]	1,519 ft (463 m)
Population  (2020) [4]
• Total	698
• Density	739.41/sq mi (285.36/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	57313
Area code	605
FIPS code	46-02260 [5]
GNIS feature ID	1267268 [3]
Website	www.armoursd.com

Armour is a city in county seat of Douglas County, South Dakota, United States. ^[6] The population was 698 at the 2020 census. ^[7]

History

Armour was founded in 1885. The city was named after Philip Danforth Armour, who was the founder of Armour and Company, a meat packing company. ^[8] Contrary to popular belief, Armour was never home to a meat packing plant; the town was so named because Mr. Armour was also the chairman of the railroad that went through Armour and donated a bell to the local congregational church. The athletic teams of Armour High School were formerly known as the "Packers" in reference to the well known packing company, although today the high school plays its sports jointly with Tripp-Delmont High School as the "Armour/Tripp-DelmontNighthawks." ^[9]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 0.95 square miles (2.46 km²), of which 0.94 square miles (2.43 km²) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km²) is water. ^[10]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	482		—
1900	912		89.2%
1910	968		6.1%
1920	1,045		8.0%
1930	1,009		−3.4%
1940	1,013		0.4%
1950	900		−11.2%
1960	875		−2.8%
1970	925		5.7%
1980	819		−11.5%
1990	854		4.3%
2000	782		−8.4%
2010	699		−10.6%
2020	698		−0.1%
[4]

2010 census

As of the census ^[11] of 2010, there were 699 people, 325 households, and 181 families residing in the city. The population density was 743.6 inhabitants per square mile (287.1/km²). There were 378 housing units at an average density of 402.1 per square mile (155.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.7% White, 2.7% Native American, 0.3% Asian, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.6% of the population.

There were 325 households, of which 20.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 3.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.3% were non-families. 41.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 28% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.02 and the average family size was 2.72.

The median age in the city was 52.4 years. 18.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 15.5% were from 25 to 44; 28.2% were from 45 to 64; and 33.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.1% male and 53.9% female.

The Douglas County Courthouse in Armour 1995

2000 census

As of the census ^[5] of 2000, there were 782 people, 342 households, and 215 families residing in the city. The population density was 828.9 inhabitants per square mile (320.0/km²). There were 377 housing units at an average density of 399.6 per square mile (154.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.08% White, 0.77% Native American, 0.13% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.64% of the population.

There were 342 households, out of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were married couples living together, 5.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.1% were non-families. 35.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 21.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.79.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.0% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 21.4% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 30.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,438, and the median income for a family was $41,797. Males had a median income of $27,500 versus $18,897 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,829. About 8.8% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.4% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Armour has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps. ^[12]

Climate data for Armour, South Dakota
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	−1 (30)	2 (35)	8 (46)	17 (62)	23 (73)	28 (83)	32 (90)	31 (88)	26 (78)	19 (66)	8 (47)	1 (34)	16 (61)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−14 (7)	−11 (12)	−6 (22)	2 (35)	8 (47)	14 (57)	17 (62)	16 (60)	10 (50)	3 (38)	−4 (24)	−11 (13)	2 (35)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	15 (0.6)	18 (0.7)	36 (1.4)	61 (2.4)	81 (3.2)	99 (3.9)	71 (2.8)	71 (2.8)	56 (2.2)	38 (1.5)	23 (0.9)	15 (0.6)	580 (23)
Source: Weatherbase [13]

Notable people

• Benjamin H. Adams, Rear Admiral and medical officer in the United States Navy
• Philip Danforth Armour
• Peirson M. Hall, federal judge born in Armour
• Edwin S. Johnson, United States Senator buried in Armour
• Emily St. James, critic-at-large at Vox, born in Armour

See also

• List of cities in South Dakota

References

1. "SD Towns" (PDF). South Dakota State Historical Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 10, 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
2. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
3. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Armour, South Dakota
4. "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
5. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
6. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
7. "U.S. Census Bureau: Armour city, South Dakota". www.census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 23, 2021.
8. Federal Writers' Project (1940). South Dakota place-names, v.1-3. University of South Dakota. p. 23.
9. "Tripp Delmont Armour Nighthawks". Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved February 26, 2008.
10. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 25, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
11. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved June 21, 2012.
12. Climate Summary for Armour, South Dakota
13. "Weatherbase.com". Weatherbase. 2013. Retrieved on October 13, 2013.

External links

• Official website
• Armour population 2023