Map of Miner County, South Dakota

Miner County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,298. Its county seat is Howard. The county was created in 1873 and organized in 1880.

Miner County overview:
Name:Miner County
FIPS code:46-097
State:South Dakota
Founded:1873
Named for:Nelson Miner and Ephriam Miner
Seat:Howard
Largest city:Howard
Total Area:572 sq mi (1,480 km²)
Land Area:570 sq mi (1,500 km²)
Total Population:2,298
Population Density:4.0/sq mi (1.6/km²)
Time zone:UTC−6 (Central)
Summer Time Zone (DST):UTC−5 (CDT)
Website:www.minercountysd.org

Miner County location map. Where is Miner County?

Miner County location on the U.S. Map. Where is Miner County.
Location of Miner County in the the United States.
Miner County location on the South Dakota map. Where is Miner County.
Location of Miner County in South Dakota.

History

The area is situated on the site of Dakota Sioux trails that connected two sites of cultural significance to the Dakota people, the pipestone quarries in southwestern Minnesota and the Sioux Crossing of the Three Rivers, near present-day Fort Thompson. South Dakota Highway 34 now roughly follows this route.

The Fort Ridgely and South Pass Wagon Road, also known as Nobles Trail, the first road in Dakota Territory, passed through the area. It was made in 1857, connecting Fort Ridgley, Minnesota with South Pass in Wyoming Territory, along the Oregon Trail. The Minnesota and Powder River Road of 1865 also passed through the county.

The boundaries of present-day Miner County experienced several changes during territorial times. The county was established in 1873 by the Dakota Territorial Legislature when Hanson County was divided into several parts. It was named for Ephriam Miner, a territorial legislator, and Nelson Miner, a territorial legislator and captain in the 1st Dakota Cavalry. At the time, Miner County spanned the southern half of present-day Miner and Sanborn counties; Bramble County (now extinct) spanned the northern portion of these counties. In 1879 the legislature combined Miner, Bramble, and portions of Wetmore counties, and eliminated the latter two. The new Miner County was organized the following year with Forestburg as the county seat. In 1883 the county was divided; the western portion being renamed Sanborn County, and the eastern portion retaining the name Miner County. Howard was named the county seat of Miner County.

In 1881, the Milwaukee Road railroad opened tracks in Miner County that followed Fort Ridgely Road from east to west, connecting Madison to Woonsocket. The Chicago and North Western railroad opened tracks from Hawarden, Iowa, to Iroquois, crossing northwest across the county in 1882. These railroads have since abandoned their tracks in the county.

The first settler in Miner County was Matthew A. Moore, who homesteaded near the present site of Howard in the spring of 1879. Significant homesteading started in the latter part of 1879 and concluded in 1884, when all available government land had been claimed. Settlers were primarily Norwegian, German, Danish, Welsh, Irish and Swedish.

On August 28, 1884, the second known photograph of a tornado was taken in Miner County. See 1884 Howard, South Dakota tornado.

The current Miner County Courthouse was built in 1938 at a cost of $107,000 by the Great Depression-era Public Works Administration and was dedicated on September 26, 1938.

On June 13, 1943, two B-17 bombers from the 393rd Bomb Group of the Sioux City Army Air Base collided while on a training exercise over Miner County. One plane crashed immediately, and the other made a controlled landing in a creek bed several miles away. Eleven airmen were killed.

Miner County Road Map

Miner CountyStreet Map.
Street map of Miner County, South Dakota. Source: OpenStreetMap (OSM)
Miner CountyMap
Miner Countypolitical map.

Geography

The terrain of Miner County consists of rolling hills, dotted with lakes and ponds, and generally devoted to agriculture. The terrain generally slopes to the south and southwest, with its highest point occurring along the north boundary line in the northeast part of the county, at 1,729′ (530m) ASL. The county has a total area of 572 square miles (1,480 km), of which 570 square miles (1,500 km) is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km) (0.3%) is water.

Major highways

  • U.S. Route 81
  • South Dakota Highway 25
  • South Dakota Highway 34

Adjacent counties

Protected areas

  • Bitter Lake Public Shooting Area
  • Burke Slough Public Shooting Area
  • Morris Lake Public Shooting Area
  • Twin Lakes Public Shooting Area

Lakes

  • Bitter Lake
  • Glee Lake
  • Lake Carthage
  • Lake Thompson
  • Morris Lake
  • Ness Chain Lake
  • Stone House Lake
  • Twin Lakes

Miner County Topographic Map

Topographic Map of Miner County, South Dakota
Miner County Topo map.

Miner County Satellite Map

Satellite Map of Miner County, South Dakota
Miner County satellite map.

Miner County Outline Map

Outline Map of Miner County, South Dakota
Miner County outline map.
5/5 - (5 votes)

Parent Unit Map

Map of United States
The United States (US) covers a total area of 9,833,520 sq. km. Of this area, the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia cover 8,080,470 sq. km. The archipelago of Hawaii has an area of 28,311 sq. km while the remaining area is part of the US territories. The greatest east-west distance in the ... Read more
Map of United States
Political map of South Dakota State – Printable Collection
South Dakota (/- dəˈkoʊtə/ (listen); Sioux: Dakȟóta itókaga, pronounced [daˈkˣota iˈtokaga]) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large portion of the population with nine reservations ... Read more
Political map of South Dakota State – Printable Collection

Related Administrative Divisions

Sub-Administrative Units Maps