{"id":7550,"date":"2023-09-03T08:12:06","date_gmt":"2023-09-03T08:12:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/?p=7550"},"modified":"2026-08-07T18:59:39","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T18:59:39","slug":"oglala-lakota-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/oglala-lakota-county\/","title":{"rendered":"Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Oglala Lakota County is a county in South Dakota, United States, about 75 miles south of<br \/>\nRapid City. It had a population of 13,672 at the 2020 census, an estimated 13,491 by 2024, and<br \/>\ncovers 2,096.35 square miles (5,429.5 km2) centred near 43\u00b022\u2032N 102\u00b034\u2032W.<\/p>\n<p>Oglala Lakota County has no functioning seat of government &mdash; Fall River County provides<br \/>\nits auditor, treasurer and register of deeds by contract, and Hot Springs, in Fall River County,<br \/>\nserves as the county&#8217;s administrative center. Pine Ridge, tribal headquarters of the Oglala<br \/>\nSioux Tribe and the county&#8217;s largest community; its postal code is 57770. The county holds 1<br \/>\nincorporated town, 6 census-designated places and several unincorporated communities, and it runs<br \/>\non Mountain Time. Its FIPS code is 46102.<\/p>\n<h2>Towns &amp; Villages in Oglala Lakota County<\/h2>\n<p>Oglala Lakota County has 11 named places on record: 1 incorporated town, 6 census-designated<br \/>\nplaces and 4 unincorporated communities with no local government of their own. CDP stands for<br \/>\ncensus designated place; Unincorp. covers crossroads and rural communities with no formal<br \/>\nboundary. South Dakota assigns the county no civil townships &mdash; it is split instead into two<br \/>\nunorganized administrative areas, East Oglala Lakota and West Oglala Lakota, carried over from the<br \/>\nold East Shannon and West Shannon designations.<\/p>\n<div class=\"tv-table-scroll\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Place<\/th>\n<th>Type<\/th>\n<th>Pop.<\/th>\n<th>ZIP<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Pine Ridge<\/td>\n<td>CDP<\/td>\n<td>3,138<\/td>\n<td>57770<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Oglala<\/td>\n<td>CDP<\/td>\n<td>1,282<\/td>\n<td>57764<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Kyle<\/td>\n<td>CDP<\/td>\n<td>943<\/td>\n<td>57752<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Porcupine<\/td>\n<td>CDP<\/td>\n<td>925<\/td>\n<td>57772<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Manderson-White Horse Creek<\/td>\n<td>CDP<\/td>\n<td>554<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Wounded Knee<\/td>\n<td>CDP<\/td>\n<td>364<\/td>\n<td>57794<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Batesland<\/td>\n<td>Town<\/td>\n<td>100<\/td>\n<td>57716<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Denby<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Red Shirt<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Rockyford<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Sharps Corner<\/td>\n<td>Unincorp.<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<td>&mdash;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>The seven places with a 2020 census count add up to 7,306 residents, out of the county&#8217;s<br \/>\n13,672 total &mdash; the remaining 6,366 people live scattered across open reservation land outside<br \/>\nany named CDP or town, a pattern common on Pine Ridge, where housing clusters (locally called<br \/>\n&#8220;districts&#8221;) often carry no formal Census boundary of their own.<\/p>\n<h2>ZIP Codes<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>57770 &mdash; Pine Ridge (the county&#8217;s most populous ZIP)<\/li>\n<li>57764 &mdash; Oglala<\/li>\n<li>57752 &mdash; Kyle<\/li>\n<li>57772 &mdash; Porcupine<\/li>\n<li>57794 &mdash; Wounded Knee<\/li>\n<li>57716 &mdash; Batesland<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Manderson-White Horse Creek, Denby, Red Shirt, Rockyford and Sharps Corner have no confirmed ZIP<br \/>\ncode of their own; mail addressed to those communities routes through the nearest post office<br \/>\ntown above.<\/p>\n<h2>Geography<\/h2>\n<p>Oglala Lakota County sits on the high plains of southwestern South Dakota, entirely within the<br \/>\nPine Ridge Indian Reservation. Of its 2,096.35 square miles, 2,093.60 are land and 2.75 are water,<br \/>\nwell under one percent &mdash; the county has no large natural lake, and its main watercourse is<br \/>\nthe Little White River, which rises in the county&#8217;s eastern half. The county&#8217;s northwestern<br \/>\ncorner reaches into Badlands National Park, where wind and water have carved the pale sedimentary<br \/>\nbuttes the park is known for.<\/p>\n<p>Pennington County lies to the north, Jackson County to the northeast, Bennett County to the<br \/>\neast, Sheridan County, Nebraska to the south, Dawes County, Nebraska to the southwest, Fall River<br \/>\nCounty to the west, and Custer County to the northwest. <a<br \/>\nhref=&#8221;https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/pennington-county\/&#8221;>Pennington County<\/a>, <a<br \/>\nhref=&#8221;https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/jackson-county-south-dakota\/&#8221;>Jackson County<\/a>, <a<br \/>\nhref=&#8221;https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/bennett-county\/&#8221;>Bennett County<\/a>, <a<br \/>\nhref=&#8221;https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/sheridan-county-nebraska\/&#8221;>Sheridan County, Nebraska<\/a>, <a<br \/>\nhref=&#8221;https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/fall-river-county\/&#8221;>Fall River County<\/a> and <a<br \/>\nhref=&#8221;https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/custer-county-south-dakota\/&#8221;>Custer County<\/a> all border<br \/>\nOglala Lakota directly; Dawes County, Nebraska has no page on this site.<\/p>\n<h2>Demographics<\/h2>\n<p>Oglala Lakota County had a population of 13,672 at the 2020 census, and the latest estimate<br \/>\nputs the county near 13,491 residents by 2024. Pine Ridge and Oglala are the two largest named<br \/>\ncommunities, together home to roughly a third of the county&#8217;s population. Median household<br \/>\nincome runs $41,417, well below South Dakota&#8217;s statewide figure of $71,810 (2023 ACS).<br \/>\nPopulation density works out to roughly 6.5 people per square mile of land, among the lowest in<br \/>\nSouth Dakota outside its Black Hills backcountry. The county&#8217;s 2020 population was 93.8<br \/>\npercent American Indian &mdash; the highest Native share of any county in the United States &mdash;<br \/>\nand its median age was 25.7 years, younger than the state as a whole.<\/p>\n<h2>Economy &amp; Local Life<\/h2>\n<p>Educational services employ the most workers in the county, about 820 people, followed by<br \/>\nhealth care and social assistance at 536 and public administration at 365. Between them, the<br \/>\nOglala Sioux Tribe&#8217;s government, the Indian Health Service and the county school district<br \/>\nanchor most local jobs. Oglala Lakota College, headquartered in Kyle with satellite centers spread<br \/>\nacross the reservation, is the largest employer tied to education. Oglala Lakota County School<br \/>\nDistrict 65-1 covers the whole county and runs Lakota Tech High School. Pine Ridge houses the<br \/>\nOglala Sioux Tribe&#8217;s council chambers and serves as the tribal government&#8217;s seat. The<br \/>\nreservation has restricted alcohol sales for generations; a 2013 referendum allowed limited legal<br \/>\nsales to fund treatment and education programs, reversing a longstanding ban.<\/p>\n<h2>History<\/h2>\n<p>Dakota Territory lawmakers organized the county in 1875, though it never received a functioning<br \/>\ncounty government. It carried the name Shannon County, after Peter C. Shannon, chief justice of<br \/>\nthe Dakota Territory Supreme Court, until a 2014 voter referendum renamed it Oglala Lakota County<br \/>\neffective May 2015, honoring the Oglala Lakota people who make up the great majority of its<br \/>\nresidents.<\/p>\n<p>On December 29, 1890, the U.S. 7th Cavalry killed more than 300 Lakota men, women and children<br \/>\nnear Wounded Knee Creek, in what is now the county&#8217;s southeastern corner &mdash; the Wounded<br \/>\nKnee Massacre, the last major armed engagement of the Indian Wars. In 1973, members of the<br \/>\nAmerican Indian Movement occupied the community of Wounded Knee for 71 days, from February 27 to<br \/>\nMay 8, in a standoff with federal law enforcement over tribal government and treaty rights.<\/p>\n<h2>Getting There<\/h2>\n<p>US Route 18 is the only federal highway in the county, crossing it east&#8211;west through Pine<br \/>\nRidge, where it meets South Dakota Highway 407. No interstate crosses Oglala Lakota County. State<br \/>\nand tribal (BIA) routes connect the county&#8217;s other communities to US 18.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Rapid City &mdash; about 75 miles north<\/li>\n<li>Hot Springs &mdash; about 53 miles northwest<\/li>\n<li>Chadron, Nebraska &mdash; about 27 miles south<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Rapid City Regional Airport, roughly 75 miles north of Pine Ridge, is the nearest major<br \/>\ncommercial airport; Chadron Municipal Airport, about 27 miles south in Nebraska, is closer but has<br \/>\nno scheduled passenger service. No Amtrak route crosses South Dakota; the county has no passenger<br \/>\nrail service.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Where is Oglala Lakota County located?<\/strong><br \/>\nIt sits on the high plains of southwestern South Dakota, entirely within the Pine Ridge Indian<br \/>\nReservation, about 75 miles south of Rapid City.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the population of Oglala Lakota County?<\/strong><br \/>\n13,672 at the 2020 census, with a 2024 estimate near 13,491.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How big is Oglala Lakota County?<\/strong><br \/>\n2,096.35 square miles (5,429.5 km2), of which 2,093.60 square miles are land.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Does Oglala Lakota County have a county seat?<\/strong><br \/>\nNo. The county has no functioning government of its own; Fall River County handles its auditor,<br \/>\ntreasurer and register of deeds by contract, and Hot Springs, in Fall River County, serves as its<br \/>\nadministrative center. Pine Ridge, the tribal headquarters, is the county&#8217;s largest community.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How many towns and communities are in Oglala Lakota County?<\/strong><br \/>\nOne incorporated town, Batesland, plus six census-designated places &mdash; Pine Ridge, Oglala,<br \/>\nKyle, Porcupine, Manderson-White Horse Creek and Wounded Knee &mdash; and four unincorporated<br \/>\ncommunities: Denby, Red Shirt, Rockyford and Sharps Corner.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What ZIP codes does Oglala Lakota County use?<\/strong><br \/>\n57770 for Pine Ridge, 57764 for Oglala, 57752 for Kyle, 57772 for Porcupine, 57794 for Wounded Knee<br \/>\nand 57716 for Batesland.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is Oglala Lakota County known for?<\/strong><br \/>\nThe 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre, the 1973 Wounded Knee occupation, and being the poorest county in<br \/>\nthe United States by median household income.<\/p>\n<p>More counties in this state: <a href=\"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/category\/south-dakota\/\">Towns and villages in South Dakota<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Oglala Lakota County is a county in South Dakota, United States, about 75 miles south of Rapid City. It had a population of 13,672 at the 2020 census, an estimated 13,491 by 2024, and covers 2,096.35 square miles (5,429.5 km2) centred near 43\u00b022\u2032N 102\u00b034\u2032W. Oglala Lakota County has no functioning seat of government &mdash; Fall [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"Towns & Villages in Oglala Lakota County, SD","_seopress_titles_desc":"11 towns and communities in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota - population, ZIP codes, Wounded Knee history and the county's unusual lack of a seat.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[6],"class_list":["post-7550","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-south-dakota","tag-towns-and-cities","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7550","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7550"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7550\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9408,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7550\/revisions\/9408"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7550"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7550"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/townsvillages.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7550"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}