Charles Mix County, South Dakota

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.

The Papineau Trading Post, whose building is now in Geddes, South Dakota, was an early county seat. Geddes tried to wrest the county seat from Wheeler in 1900, 1904, and 1908.

Geography

Charles Mix County lies on the south line of South Dakota. Its south boundary line abuts the north boundary line of the state of Nebraska (across the Missouri River, which flows southeastward along the county's south line). A smaller drainage flows south-southwesterly to the river along the east county line, separating it from Bon Homme County. The county terrain consists of rolling hills, mostly dedicated to agriculture. The terrain drops off into the river basin along the county's southwest side, but otherwise generally slopes to the southeast.

The county has a total area of , of which is land and (4.6%) is water.

Major highways

20px U.S. Highway 18
23px U.S. Highway 281
20px South Dakota Highway 44
20px South Dakota Highway 45
20px South Dakota Highway 46
20px South Dakota Highway 50
23px South Dakota Highway 1804

Adjacent counties

Brule County – northwest
Aurora County – north
Douglas County – northeast
Hutchinson County – northeast
Bon Homme County – east
Knox County, Nebraska – southeast
Boyd County, Nebraska – southwest
Gregory County – west

Protected areas

Academy Lake State Game Production Area
Bovee Lake State Game Production Area
Central Charles Mix State Game Production Area
Central Platte State Game Production Area
Dante Lake State Game Production Area
Fuchs Waterfowl Production Area
Gray Area State Game Production Area
Lake Andes National Wildlife Refuge
Lake Andes State Game Production Area
Lake George State Game Production Area
Missouri National Recreational River (part)
North Point State Recreation Area
North Wheeler State Game Production Area
North Wheeler State Recreation Area
Paulson State Game Production Area
Pease Creek State Recreation Area
Platte Creek State Recreation Area
Raysby Waterfowl Production Area
Red Lake State Game Production Area
Sherman Waterfowl Production Area
Snake Creek State Recreation Area
Spillway State Lakeside Use Area
Trout Waterfowl Production Area
Tucek Waterfowl Production Area
Turgeon State Game Production Area
Van Zee Waterfowl Production Area
Vanderpol Waterfowl Production Area

West Platte State Game Production Area
White Swan State Game Production Area
White Swan State Lakeside Use Area
Williamson state Game Production Area

Major lakes

Academy Lake
Carroll Lake
Lake Francis Case (part)
Goose Lake
Lake Andes
Lake Platte
White Lake

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 9,373 people, 3,050 households, and 2,019 families residing in the county, and the population density was .

Of the residents, 28.7% were under the age of 18 and 18.2% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 36.9 years. For every 100 females there were 99.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.8 males.

The racial makeup of the county was 61.4% White, 0.2% Black or African American, 33.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% Asian, 0.5% from some other race, and 4.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 2.4% of the population.

Education

School districts include:

Armour School District 21-1
Avon School District 04-1
Andes Central School District 11-1
Platte-Geddes School District 11-5
Tripp-Delmont School District 33-5
Wagner School District 11-4

Marty Indian School, a tribal school affiliated with the Bureau of Indian Education, is in the county.