Gregory County is a county in South Dakota, United States, on the Nebraska border along the Missouri River. It had a population of 3,994 at the 2020 census and covers 1,054 square miles (2,730 km2) centred near 43°12′N 99°11′W.
Burke is the county seat, and its postal code is 57523. The county has three incorporated cities, three incorporated towns, one census-designated place and several unincorporated communities, spread across 12 organized townships. Gregory County lies in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Gregory County
Ten named places appear on the map of Gregory County: three cities, three towns, one CDP and three unincorporated communities. City and town status here reflects South Dakota’s own incorporation rules rather than population size — several incorporated towns are smaller than the unincorporated communities that surround them.
| Place | Type | Township | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burke | City · seat | Burke | — | 57523 |
| Gregory | City | Ellston | 1,674 | 57533 |
| Bonesteel | City | Whetstone | — | 57317 |
| Dallas | Town | Fairfax | — | 57529 |
| Fairfax | Town | Fairfax | — | 57335 |
| Herrick | Town | Landing Creek | — | 57538 |
| St. Charles | CDP | Dickens | 22 | 57571 |
| Carlock | Unincorp. | Carlock | — | — |
| Dixon | Unincorp. | Dixon | — | — |
| Lucas | Unincorp. | Pleasant Valley | — | — |
| Fort Randall | Unincorp. | Burke | — | — |
Fort Randall is a former U.S. Army post on the Missouri River rather than a residential settlement today; it survives as a historic site near the county’s northeast corner, not as an active town.
Townships
Gregory County is organized into 12 civil townships. Precise 2020 township-level population counts are not published for this county, so the table below lists each township’s main namesake settlement instead.
| Township | Pop. (2020) | Main settlements |
|---|---|---|
| Burke | — | Burke, Fort Randall |
| Ellston | — | Gregory |
| Fairfax | — | Fairfax, Dallas |
| Whetstone | — | Bonesteel |
| Landing Creek | — | Herrick |
| Dickens | — | St. Charles |
| Carlock | — | Carlock |
| Dixon | — | Dixon |
| Pleasant Valley | — | Lucas |
| Edens | — | — |
| Jones | — | — |
| Star Valley | — | — |
ZIP Codes
- 57523 — Burke (also serves Fort Randall)
- 57533 — Gregory (also serves Ellston Township)
- 57317 — Bonesteel
- 57529 — Dallas
- 57335 — Fairfax
- 57538 — Herrick
- 57571 — Saint Charles
Carlock, Dixon and Lucas are too small to carry their own ZIP code and are served by the post office of the nearest incorporated town.
Geography
Gregory County sits on rolling hill country that slopes toward the southeast, cut by gullies and drainages feeding the Missouri River basin along the county’s eastern edge. The high point, in the county’s southwest corner, reaches 2,247 feet (685 m). Of the county’s 1,054 square miles, 1,015 square miles are land and 39 square miles (3.7%) are water, most of it the Missouri River and Lake Francis Case behind Fort Randall Dam.
Gregory County borders Lyman County to the north, Charles Mix County to the east, Tripp County to the west, and Boyd County and Keya Paha County, Nebraska, to the south and southwest across the state line.
Demographics
Gregory County had 3,994 residents at the 2020 census, a density of about 3.9 people per square mile. Gregory, the largest community with roughly 1,674 residents, and Burke, the county seat, together account for most of the county’s population; Saint Charles is the smallest place, with about 22 residents. Gregory County’s median household income runs well below the South Dakota median of $71,810, reflecting the county’s reliance on farm and ranch income, which fluctuates with commodity prices from year to year.
Economy & Local Life
Farming and ranching are the county’s two main economic drivers, with cattle grazing on the rolling grassland and corn, soybeans and small grains grown in the river-bottom and upland fields. Gregory and Burke serve as the county’s trade centers, with the county’s schools, medical services and grain elevators concentrated in those two towns. Lake Francis Case, on the county’s eastern edge, draws fishing and boating traffic in summer and is a local economic factor of its own.
History
Gregory County was created in 1862 and organized in 1898. It was named for J. Shaw Gregory, a politician. Fort Randall, on the Missouri River in the county’s northeast, was an active U.S. Army post from 1856 to 1892 and later held the surrendered Lakota leader Sitting Bull as a prisoner in the 1880s; the fort’s chapel ruins remain as a National Historic Landmark.
Getting There
U.S. Routes 18 and 281 cross the county, along with South Dakota Highways 43, 44, 47, 251 and 1806.
- Winner, South Dakota (Tripp County) — about 25 miles west
- Chamberlain, South Dakota — about 45 miles north
- Mitchell, South Dakota — about 75 miles east
- Pierre, South Dakota (state capital) — about 90 miles northwest
The nearest commercial airport is Pierre Regional Airport; Joe Foss Field in Sioux Falls offers more frequent service but is roughly 170 miles east.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Gregory County?
Gregory County is in south-central South Dakota, on the Nebraska border along the Missouri River.
What is the population of Gregory County?
Gregory County had a population of 3,994 at the 2020 census.
How big is Gregory County?
Gregory County covers 1,054 square miles (2,730 km2), of which 39 square miles are water.
What is the county seat of Gregory County?
Burke is the county seat.
How many towns are in Gregory County?
Gregory County has three incorporated cities (Bonesteel, Burke and Gregory), three incorporated towns (Dallas, Fairfax and Herrick), one census-designated place (Saint Charles) and a handful of smaller unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Gregory County?
Gregory County’s ZIP codes are 57523 (Burke), 57533 (Gregory), 57317 (Bonesteel), 57529 (Dallas), 57335 (Fairfax), 57538 (Herrick) and 57571 (Saint Charles).
What historic site is in Gregory County?
Fort Randall, a former U.S. Army post on the Missouri River, is a National Historic Landmark in the county’s northeast corner.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in South Dakota.