Harding is a county in South Dakota, United States, tucked into the northwest corner of the state where it meets both Montana and North Dakota. It had a population of 1,311 at the 2020 census and covers 2,678 square miles (6,940 km2) centred near 45°36′N 103°28′W.
Buffalo is the county seat, and its postal code is 57720. The county has two incorporated towns and seven unincorporated communities, no civil townships, sits in the Mountain time zone, and carries FIPS code 46063.
Towns & Villages in Harding County
Nine named places appear on the map in Harding County: two incorporated towns and seven unincorporated communities. The legend below uses Town for incorporated municipalities and Unincorp. for places with no municipal government.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | Town · seat | — | 57720 |
| Camp Crook | Town | — | 57724 |
| Gustave | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Harding | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Karinen | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ladner | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ludlow | Unincorp. | — | 57755 |
| Ralph | Unincorp. | — | 57650 |
| Redig | Unincorp. | — | 57776 |
| Reva | Unincorp. | — | 57651 |
ZIP Codes
- 57720 — Buffalo (also serves Gustave, Harding, Karinen and Ladner)
- 57724 — Camp Crook
- 57755 — Ludlow
- 57650 — Ralph
- 57776 — Redig (PO Box service only)
- 57651 — Reva
Gustave, Harding, Karinen and Ladner have no post office of their own and are served through the Buffalo ZIP.
Geography
Harding County’s terrain is a band of high hills sloping eastward, with the county’s highest point a ridge near 3,366 feet (1,026 meters) in the southwest corner. Of the county’s 2,678 square miles, 2,671 square miles are land and about 7 square miles are water, making it one of South Dakota’s largest counties by land area.
Harding County borders Butte County to the south and Perkins County to the east, both in South Dakota. Across the state line it borders Bowman County and Adams County, North Dakota, to the north, and Carter County and Fallon County, Montana, to the west.
Demographics
The 2020 census counted 1,311 residents, making Harding the third-least populous county in South Dakota. Buffalo and Camp Crook are the county’s two incorporated towns and its largest population centers. Median household income figures specific to Harding County are not reliably available for the current period; South Dakota’s statewide median stands at $71,810, and Harding, as a sparsely populated ranching county, has historically run well below the state figure. Population density is about 0.5 people per square mile, among the lowest of any county in the state.
Economy & Local Life
Cattle ranching and hay production drive Harding County’s economy, spread across its open rangeland and hill country. Buffalo, the county seat, holds the county courthouse and the small businesses that serve the surrounding ranches, including the county’s only grocery store and its K-12 school. Camp Crook, on the Montana border, serves ranch families along the Little Missouri River bottoms and runs its own small school district. With no incorporated town topping a few hundred residents, most local commerce is agricultural: feed and fuel dealers, a livestock auction circuit shared with neighboring counties, and seasonal haying and calving work that sets the rhythm of the local calendar.
History
Harding County was organized on February 17, 1909, carved from the vast unorganized territory of northwestern South Dakota during the state’s last wave of county formation, and named for J.A. Harding, a former Speaker of the Dakota Territory House of Representatives. Like much of northwestern South Dakota, its population peaked early: homesteaders drawn by the Enlarged Homestead Act filled the county’s grasslands in the 1900s and 1910s, and the county counted 4,228 residents in 1910. Drought, mechanization and the consolidation of small homestead claims into larger cattle ranches steadily emptied the county through most of the 20th century, bottoming out near 1,255 people at the 2010 census before a slight recovery to 1,311 by 2020.
Getting There
US Highway 85 runs north-south through the county, connecting Buffalo to Belle Fourche and the Black Hills to the south. State highways link the county’s smaller communities to Buffalo and across the Montana and North Dakota lines.
- Belle Fourche, SD — about 65 miles south
- Rapid City, SD — about 115 miles south
- Baker, MT — about 45 miles west of Camp Crook
- Bowman, ND — about 45 miles north
The nearest commercial airport is Rapid City Regional Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Harding County, South Dakota?
It sits in the far northwest corner of South Dakota, bordering both Montana and North Dakota.
What is the population of Harding County?
1,311 people, per the 2020 census, making it South Dakota’s third-least populous county.
How big is Harding County?
2,678 square miles (6,940 km2), most of it open rangeland.
What is the Harding County seat?
Buffalo is the county seat.
How many towns are in Harding County?
Two incorporated towns, Buffalo and Camp Crook, plus seven unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Harding County?
57720 (Buffalo), 57724 (Camp Crook), 57755 (Ludlow), 57650 (Ralph), 57776 (Redig) and 57651 (Reva).
What is Harding County’s economy based on?
Cattle ranching and hay farming across its rangeland and hill country.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in South Dakota.