Miner County is a county in South Dakota, United States, on the rolling prairie of the state’s eastern lake country. It had a population of 2,298 at the 2020 census and covers 572 square miles (1,480 km2) centred near 44°01′N 97°36′W.
Howard is the county seat, and its postal code is 57349. The county holds two incorporated cities, two incorporated towns, and several smaller unincorporated communities. Miner County sits in the Central time zone; its FIPS county code is 46091.
Towns & Villages in Miner County
Miner County has nine named places on record, split between two cities, two towns, and five unincorporated communities and colonies. CDP stands for census-designated place; Unincorp. covers communities with no municipal government of their own.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howard | City · seat | 848 | 57349 |
| Carthage | City | — | — |
| Canova | Town | — | — |
| Vilas | Town | — | — |
| Argonne | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Fedora | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Roswell | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cloverleaf Colony | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shannon Colony | Unincorp. | — | — |
Cloverleaf Colony and Shannon Colony are Hutterite colonies — communal farming settlements common across eastern South Dakota — rather than platted towns, which is why neither carries its own ZIP code or municipal population count.
ZIP Codes
- 57349 — Howard (also serves the surrounding rural county)
Carthage, Canova, and Vilas share rural-route ZIP codes with neighboring post offices rather than one of their own; Argonne, Fedora, Roswell, and the two Hutterite colonies have no dedicated ZIP and are served by Howard’s.
Geography
Miner County is prairie country: rolling hills dotted with small lakes and ponds, and land given over almost entirely to farming. The terrain slopes generally to the south and southwest; the county’s highest point, 1,729 feet above sea level, sits along the north boundary in the northeast part of the county. The county covers 570 square miles of land and about 1.6 square miles of water.
Miner County borders Kingsbury County to the north, Lake County to the east, McCook County to the southeast, Hanson County to the southwest, and Sanborn County to the west.
Demographics
Miner County had 2,298 residents at the 2020 census, with a population density of about 4 people per square mile. Howard, the county seat, is the largest community at 848 residents; Carthage is the second-largest incorporated place. German ancestry dominates at just over half the population, followed by Norwegian and Irish. Median household income in the county runs below the South Dakota median of $71,810, typical of the state’s farm-belt counties.
Economy & Local Life
Agriculture drives Miner County’s economy — corn, soybeans, and cattle on the rolling farmland that covers nearly all of the county. Howard serves as the trade center for the surrounding farms, with the county courthouse, schools, and grain-handling facilities anchoring the local economy. The Hutterite colonies at Cloverleaf and Shannon operate as large communal farming operations, a distinctive feature of Miner County and its eastern South Dakota neighbors.
History
Miner County was created by the Dakota Territory legislature in 1873 and organized in 1880, named for Ephriam Miner and Nelson Miner, two territorial legislators (Nelson also served as a captain in the 1st Dakota Cavalry). The first settler, Matthew A. Moore, homesteaded near present-day Howard in the spring of 1879, and the bulk of the county filled in with settlers between 1879 and 1884. On August 28, 1884, a photographer in the county captured what is recorded as the second known photograph of a tornado. On June 13, 1943, two B-17 bombers on a training flight collided over the county, killing 11 airmen.
Getting There
South Dakota highways cross the county rather than an interstate; South Dakota Highway 34 runs east–west through Howard.
- Mitchell, SD — 30 miles southwest
- Sioux Falls, SD — 55 miles southeast
- Madison, SD — 25 miles northeast
- Huron, SD — 45 miles northwest
The nearest commercial airport is Sioux Falls Regional Airport, about an hour’s drive southeast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Miner County, South Dakota?
It sits in the eastern part of the state, between Sioux Falls and Mitchell, in South Dakota’s lake-and-farmland belt.
What is the population of Miner County?
Miner County had a population of 2,298 at the 2020 census.
How big is Miner County?
The county covers 572 square miles (1,480 km2), of which about 1.6 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Miner County?
Howard is the county seat.
How many towns are in Miner County?
The county has two incorporated cities (Howard and Carthage), two incorporated towns (Canova and Vilas), and five smaller unincorporated communities and colonies.
What ZIP codes are in Miner County?
Howard’s ZIP code, 57349, covers the county seat and most of the surrounding rural county.
What are the Hutterite colonies in Miner County?
Cloverleaf Colony and Shannon Colony are Hutterite communal farming settlements, a settlement pattern common across eastern South Dakota.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in South Dakota.