South Dakota (/dəˈkoʊtə/ ⓘ; Siouan languages: Dakȟóta itókaga, pronounced [daˈkˣota iˈtokaga]) is a double landlocked state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota Sioux tribe, which comprises a large portion of the population—with nine reservations in the state—and has historically dominated the territory. South Dakota is the 17th-largest by area, the fifth-least populous, and the fifth-least densely populated of the 50 United States. Pierre is the state capital, and Sioux Falls, with a population of about 213,900, is South Dakota's most populous city. The state is bisected by the Missouri River, dividing it into two geographically and socially distinct halves known as "East River" and "West River". South Dakota is bordered by North Dakota to the north, Minnesota to the east, Iowa to the southeast, Nebraska to the south, Wyoming to the west, and Montana to the northwest.
South Dakota
Dakȟóta itókaga (Siouan languages) | |
|---|---|
| Nickname: The Mount Rushmore State (official) | |
| Motto(s): Under God, the People Rule | |
| Anthem: "Hail, South Dakota!" | |
 Location of South Dakota within the United States | |
| Country | United States |
| Before statehood | Dakota Territory |
| Admitted to the Union | November 2, 1889 (40th) |
| Capital | Pierre |
| Largest city | Sioux Falls |
| Largest county or equivalent | Minnehaha County |
| Largest metro and urban areas | Sioux Falls |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Larry Rhoden (R) |
| • Lieutenant Governor | Tony Venhuizen (R) |
| Legislature | South Dakota Legislature |
| • Upper house | Senate |
| • Lower house | House of Representatives |
| Judiciary | South Dakota Supreme Court |
| U.S. senators | John Thune (R) Mike Rounds (R) |
| U.S. House delegation | Dusty Johnson (R) (list) |
| Area | |
• Total | 77,116 sq mi (199,729 km2) |
| • Land | 75,811 sq mi (196,350 km2) |
| • Water | 1,305 sq mi (3,379 km2) 1.7% |
| • Rank | 17th |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 380 mi (610 km) |
| • Width | 210 mi (340 km) |
| Elevation | 2,200 ft (670 m) |
| Highest elevation | 7,244 ft (2,208 m) |
| Lowest elevation (Big Stone Lake on Minnesota border) | 968 ft (295 m) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total |  924,669 |
| • Rank | 46th |
| • Density | 11.50/sq mi (4.44/km2) |
| • Rank | 46th |
| • Median household income | $71,800 (2023) |
| • Income rank | 33rd |
| Demonym | South Dakotan |
| Language | |
| • Official language | English, Sioux (official indigenous language) |
| • Spoken language | English, Spanish (2.06%), Dakota (1.39%), German (1.37%) |
| Time zones | |
| eastern half | UTC−06:00 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−05:00 (CDT) |
| western half | UTC−07:00 (Mountain) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00 (MDT) |
| USPS abbreviation | SD |
| ISO 3166 code | US-SD |
| Traditional abbreviation | S.D., S.Dak. |
| Latitude | 42°29′ N to 45°56′ N |
| Longitude | 96°26′ W to 104°03′ W |
| Website | sd |
Humans have inhabited the area for several millennia, with the Sioux becoming dominant by the early 19th century. In the late 19th century, European-American settlement intensified after a gold rush in the Black Hills and the construction of railroads from the east. Encroaching miners and settlers triggered a number of Indian wars, ending with the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890. As the southern part of the former Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889, simultaneously with North Dakota. They are the 39th and 40th states admitted to the union; President Benjamin Harrison shuffled the statehood papers before signing them so that no one could tell which became a state first.
Major events in the 20th century included the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, increased federal spending during the 1940s and 1950s for agriculture and defense, and an industrialization of agriculture that has reduced family farming. Eastern South Dakota is home to most of its population, and a variety of crops grow in the area's fertile soil. West of the Missouri River, ranching is the predominant agricultural activity, and the economy is more dependent on tourism and defense spending. Most of the Native American reservations are in West River. The Black Hills, a group of low pine-covered mountains sacred to the Sioux, is in the southwest part of the state, and contains Mount Rushmore, a major tourist destination. South Dakota has a temperate continental climate, with four distinct seasons and precipitation levels ranging from moderate in the east to semiarid in the west. The state's ecology features species typical of a North American grassland biome.
Several Democrats represented South Dakota for multiple terms in both chambers of Congress, but the state government is largely controlled by the Republican Party, whose nominees have won the state in each of the last 14 presidential elections. Historically dominated by an agricultural economy and a rural lifestyle, South Dakota has recently sought to diversify its economy to attract and retain residents. South Dakota's history and rural character still strongly influence its culture.
