Perkins County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,835. Its county seat is Bison. The county was established in 1908 and organized in 1909. It was named for Sturgis, South Dakota, official Henry E. Perkins.

Geography

Perkins County lies on the north edge of South Dakota. Its north boundary line abuts the south boundary line of the state of North Dakota. The Grand River flows eastward through the upper part of the county, and the Moreau River flows eastward through the lower part of the county. Shadehill Reservoir is a large impoundment on the Grand River in the county.

Perkins County terrain consists of semi-arid rolling hills, carved by drainage creeks, sparsely dedicated to agriculture. The terrain slopes to the east; its highest point is on its lower west boundary line, at ASL. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (0.7%) is water. It is the second-largest county by area in South Dakota. Meade County is the state's largest county by area.

Perkins County came to media attention in 2009 when Stephen Von Worley calculated that it was the site of the "McFarthest Spot" — the point in the continental United States that is most distant from a McDonald's restaurant: as the crow flies and by car. However, it was updated in 2010 and the spot was updated to the middle of the Nevada Desert.

Major highways

  • 20px U.S. Highway 12
  • 20px South Dakota Highway 20
  • 20px South Dakota Highway 73
  • 20px South Dakota Highway 75

Adjacent counties

  • Adams County, North Dakota – north
  • Corson County – east
  • Ziebach County – southeast
  • Meade County – south
  • Butte County – southwest
  • Harding County – west

Protected areas

Source:

  • Hugh Glass State Lakeside Use Area
  • Lemmon Lake State Game Production Area
  • Llewellyn Johns State Recreation Area
  • Owens Lake State Game Production Area
  • Shadehill State Game Production Area
  • Shadehill State Recreation Area
  • Sorum Dam State Game Production Area
  • Vobejda Dam State Game Production Area

Lakes

Source:

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|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<br>1790–1960 1900–1990<br>1990–2000 2010–2020 Of the residents, 20.8% were under the age of 18 and 26.5% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 47.2 years. For every 100 females there were 97.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 98.2 males.

The racial makeup of the county was 93.8% White, 0.1% Black or African American, 2.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% Asian, 0.3% from some other race, and 3.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.3% of the population.

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Education

School districts in the county include:

  • Bison School District 52-1
  • Faith School District 46-2
  • Lemmon School District 52-4

See also

  • National Register of Historic Places listings in Perkins County, South Dakota

References