Yankton County | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 43°01′N97°23′W / 43.01°N 97.39°W | |
Country | United States |
State | South Dakota |
Founded | April 10, 1862 |
Named for | Yankton Sioux |
Seat | Yankton |
Largest city | Yankton |
Area | |
• Total | 532 sq mi (1,380 km2) |
• Land | 521 sq mi (1,350 km2) |
• Water | 11 sq mi (30 km2) 2.1% |
Population (2020) | |
• Total | 23,310 |
• Estimate (2023) | 23,517 |
• Density | 44/sq mi (17/km2) |
Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
Congressional district | At-large |
Website | www |
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. [1] Its county seat is Yankton. [2] Yankton County comprises the Yankton, SD Micropolitan Statistical Area.
Yankton County lies on the south side of South Dakota. Its south boundary line abuts the north boundary line of the state of Nebraska (across the Missouri River). The Missouri flows eastward along the county's south border. The James River flows south-southeastward through the west central portion of the county, discharging into the Missouri near the midpoint of the county's south line. The county terrain consists of rolling hills, carved by creeks and drainages, hosting several lakes and ponds. The area is devoted to agriculture. [3] The terrain slopes to the south and the east. Its highest point is 1,473 ft (449 m) ASL, on the eastern portion of its north boundary line. [4] The county has a total area of 532 square miles (1,380 km2), of which 521 square miles (1,350 km2) is land and 11 square miles (28 km2) (2.1%) is water. [5]
Lewis & Clark Lake, a popular regional tourist and recreational destination is found in the southwestern part of the county. [6]
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1870 | 2,097 | — | |
1880 | 8,390 | 300.1% | |
1890 | 10,414 | 24.1% | |
1900 | 12,649 | 21.5% | |
1910 | 13,135 | 3.8% | |
1920 | 15,233 | 16.0% | |
1930 | 16,589 | 8.9% | |
1940 | 16,725 | 0.8% | |
1950 | 16,804 | 0.5% | |
1960 | 17,551 | 4.4% | |
1970 | 19,039 | 8.5% | |
1980 | 18,952 | −0.5% | |
1990 | 19,252 | 1.6% | |
2000 | 21,652 | 12.5% | |
2010 | 22,438 | 3.6% | |
2020 | 23,310 | 3.9% | |
2023 (est.) | 23,517 | [7] | 0.9% |
U.S. Decennial Census [8] 1790-1960 [9] 1900-1990 [10] 1990-2000 [11] 2010-2020 [1] |
As of the 2020 census, there were 23,310 people, 9,435 households, and 5,693 families in the county. [12] The population density was 44.7 inhabitants per square mile (17.3/km2). There were 10,372 housing units.
As of the 2010 census, there were 22,438 people, 8,770 households, and 5,476 families in the county. The population density was 43.1 inhabitants per square mile (16.6/km2). There were 9,652 housing units at an average density of 18.5 per square mile (7.1/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 92.8% white, 2.5% American Indian, 1.5% black or African American, 0.5% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.7% of the population. In terms of ancestry.
Of the 8,770 households, 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.6% were non-families, and 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age was 41.3 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,124 and the median income for a family was $62,070. Males had a median income of $37,637 versus $29,488 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,776. About 5.0% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.7% of those under age 18 and 13.5% of those age 65 or over.
Yankton County is Governed by the County Commission, a five-member legislative body elected at-large. [13] The current commissioners are:
The county is located in South Dakota Legislative District 18. As of 2019, Yankton County is represented in the South Dakota Senate by Senator Craig Kennedy-(D), and in the South Dakota House of Representatives by State Representatives Jean Hunhoff-(R) and Ryan Cwach-(D). [14] The county is located in South Dakota's At-Large Congressional District, currently held by Republican Dusty Johnson.
In national elections, Yankton County voters have been reliably Republican for several decades. In no national election since 1964 has the county selected the Democratic Party candidate.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 6,581 | 60.38% | 4,016 | 36.84% | 303 | 2.78% |
2016 | 5,659 | 58.81% | 3,301 | 34.30% | 663 | 6.89% |
2012 | 5,495 | 55.09% | 4,226 | 42.37% | 253 | 2.54% |
2008 | 5,039 | 49.72% | 4,838 | 47.74% | 257 | 2.54% |
2004 | 6,003 | 57.55% | 4,237 | 40.62% | 191 | 1.83% |
2000 | 4,904 | 56.11% | 3,596 | 41.14% | 240 | 2.75% |
1996 | 3,885 | 44.02% | 3,775 | 42.77% | 1,166 | 13.21% |
1992 | 3,430 | 36.60% | 3,404 | 36.32% | 2,538 | 27.08% |
1988 | 4,186 | 52.05% | 3,777 | 46.96% | 80 | 0.99% |
1984 | 5,161 | 63.36% | 2,932 | 36.00% | 52 | 0.64% |
1980 | 5,355 | 61.22% | 2,698 | 30.84% | 694 | 7.93% |
1976 | 4,029 | 49.82% | 3,987 | 49.30% | 71 | 0.88% |
1972 | 4,366 | 53.08% | 3,835 | 46.63% | 24 | 0.29% |
1968 | 3,977 | 56.08% | 2,733 | 38.54% | 382 | 5.39% |
1964 | 3,208 | 46.13% | 3,747 | 53.87% | 0 | 0.00% |
1960 | 4,065 | 57.04% | 3,061 | 42.96% | 0 | 0.00% |
1956 | 4,063 | 57.63% | 2,987 | 42.37% | 0 | 0.00% |
1952 | 4,802 | 68.39% | 2,220 | 31.61% | 0 | 0.00% |
1948 | 2,904 | 49.28% | 2,932 | 49.75% | 57 | 0.97% |
1944 | 3,313 | 58.41% | 2,359 | 41.59% | 0 | 0.00% |
1940 | 4,179 | 57.70% | 3,064 | 42.30% | 0 | 0.00% |
1936 | 2,702 | 36.33% | 4,349 | 58.47% | 387 | 5.20% |
1932 | 1,693 | 25.16% | 4,930 | 73.25% | 107 | 1.59% |
1928 | 2,971 | 50.88% | 2,841 | 48.66% | 27 | 0.46% |
1924 | 1,504 | 39.78% | 693 | 18.33% | 1,584 | 41.89% |
1920 | 2,555 | 61.80% | 1,147 | 27.75% | 432 | 10.45% |
1916 | 1,429 | 48.66% | 1,438 | 48.96% | 70 | 2.38% |
1912 | 0 | 0.00% | 1,289 | 44.02% | 1,639 | 55.98% |
1908 | 1,644 | 56.81% | 1,118 | 38.63% | 132 | 4.56% |
1904 | 1,968 | 69.03% | 788 | 27.64% | 95 | 3.33% |
1900 | 1,639 | 55.75% | 1,268 | 43.13% | 33 | 1.12% |
1896 | 1,423 | 51.39% | 1,330 | 48.03% | 16 | 0.58% |
1892 | 1,166 | 53.98% | 228 | 10.56% | 766 | 35.46% |
The Yankton County Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement in the county and operates the 120-bed county jail. As of 2021 [update] the current Sheriff is Preston Crissey. [16]
Lewis and Clark Lake is located in southwestern Yankton County, four miles (6.4 km) west of Yankton. The Lewis & Clark Lake area is a popular regional tourist and recreation destination with parks, trails, campgrounds, boat ramps, and marinas. Gavins Point Dam, which creates Lewis & Clark Lake, is a popular fishing destination on the Missouri River. [17] The South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks operates the Lewis & Clark State Recreation Area on the northern shore of the lake.
Below Gavins Point Dam, the Missouri National Recreational River is home to one of the few non-channelized portions of the "Big Muddy", and is popular with birdwatchers, hunters, canoers, and kayakers. [18]
Lyman County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,718. Its county seat is Kennebec.
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.
Charles Mix County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,373. Its county seat is Lake Andes. The county was created in 1862 and organized in 1879. It was named for Charles Eli Mix, an official of the Bureau of Indian Affairs influential in signing a peace treaty with the local Lakota Indian tribes. The easternmost approximately 60% of the county comprises the Yankton Indian Reservation.
Bon Homme County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,003. Its county seat is Tyndall.
Knox County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 8,391. Its county seat is Center. Knox County was named for Continental and U.S. Army Major General Henry Knox.
Cedar County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 8,380. The county seat is Hartington. The county was formed in 1857, and was named for the Cedar tree groves in the area.
Springfield is a city in Bon Homme County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,914 at the 2020 census. As of 2023, about 1,250 of the residents were inmates at Mike Durfee State Prison.
Platte is a city in Charles Mix County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,311 at the 2022 census. The community is named after the Platte Creek, a tributary of the Missouri River reservoir Lake Francis Case. Platte is located 15 miles east of Lake Francis Case on the Missouri River.
Yankton is a city in and the county seat of Yankton County, South Dakota, United States.
Gavins Point Dam is a 1.9-mile-long (3 km) embankment rolled-earth and chalk-fill dam which spans the Missouri River and impounds Lewis and Clark Lake. The dam joins Cedar County, Nebraska with Yankton County, South Dakota a distance of 811.1 river miles (1,305 km) upstream of St. Louis, Missouri, where the river joins the Mississippi River. The dam and hydroelectric power plant were constructed as the Gavins Point Project from 1952 to 1957 by the United States Army Corps of Engineers as part of the Pick-Sloan Plan. The dam is located approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) west or upstream of Yankton, South Dakota.
Lewis and Clark Lake is a 31,400 acre (130 km²) reservoir located on the border of the U.S. states of Nebraska and South Dakota on the Missouri River. The lake is approximately 25 miles (40 km) in length with over 90 miles (140 km) of shoreline and a maximum water depth of 45 feet (14 m). The lake is impounded by Gavins Point Dam and is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District.
The Missouri National Recreational River is a National Recreational River located on the border between Nebraska and South Dakota. The designation was first applied in 1978 to a 59-mile section of the Missouri River between Gavins Point Dam and Ponca State Park. In 1991, an additional 39-mile section between Fort Randall Dam and Niobrara, Nebraska, was added to the designation. These two stretches of the Missouri River are the only parts of the river between Montana and the mouth of the Missouri that remain undammed or unchannelized. The last 20 miles of the Niobrara River and 6 miles of Verdigre Creek were also added in 1991.
Marindahl Lake is a small lake located north of the city of Volin, South Dakota.
Aten is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Cedar County, Nebraska, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 112.
Lake Yankton, also called Cottonwood Lake, is an artificial lake that was originally part of the main channel of the Missouri River on the border of the U.S. States of Nebraska and South Dakota, near Yankton, South Dakota. The lake has an approximate surface area of 250 acres (100 ha) and has a maximum depth of 18 feet (5.5 m). The lake is located immediately downstream (east) of Gavins Point Dam and Lewis and Clark Lake, located just north of the current location of the main channel of the Missouri River.
Chief White Crane Recreation Area is a state recreation area in southeastern South Dakota, United States. It is located about 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Yankton and located on the shores of the Missouri River and Lake Yankton. The recreation area is located about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) downstream of Gavins Point Dam and Lewis and Clark Lake.
Pierson Ranch Recreation Area is a state recreation area in Yankton County, South Dakota in the United States. The recreation area is 60 acres (24 ha) and lies directly below Gavins Point Dam and Lewis and Clark Lake and is adjacent to Lake Yankton. The area is open for year-round recreation including camping, swimming, fishing, hiking and boating. It is 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Yankton.
Training Dike Recreation Area, also called Training Dike Day-Use Area is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers public recreation area located immediately downstream of Gavins Point Dam and Lewis and Clark Lake on the north bank of the Missouri River. The area is about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) west of Yankton. The area is located mostly in Cedar County, Nebraska, with a small portion located in Yankton County, South Dakota.
Cottonwood Recreation Area is a public recreation area located in Cedar County, Nebraska, U.S. It is located about 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Yankton and located on the shores of Lake Yankton. The recreation area is located immediately downstream of Gavins Point Dam and Lewis and Clark Lake. It is named for Cottonwood Island, an original island located in the Missouri River, for the large groves of Cottonwood Trees that dominate the area. The recreation area is owned and managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Springfield Recreation Area is a state recreation area in Bon Homme County, South Dakota in the United States. The recreation area is located on the upper part of Lewis and Clark Lake, and is popular for boating, fishing, and hunting. There is a 20-site campground and a boat launch to access the lake and the Missouri River. The area is about 30 miles west of Yankton.