Day

Formed January 1, 1880 (47^th county)

Day County (5,451), Webster (1,730)

The tan brick and concrete Modern courthouse was erected in 1963.  There was a classier 1903 courthouse earlier.  The courthouse is on 1^st Street, 7^th Avenue, 2^nd Street, and 8^th Avenue.  The structure is one block west of South Dakota State Highway 25.  The courthouse was designed by Herges, Kirchgasler, and Associates.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  The county was established on January 1, 1880 as the 47^th county with Webster as the only county seat.  Day County is named for Legislator Merritt H. Day.  The county seat is named for settler J. B. Webster. 

Day County government consists of a sheriff and 5 Commissioners.  Four Circuit Court Judges and One Magistrate Court Judge serve Day, Brown, Campbell, Edmunds, Faulk, Marshall, McPherson, Roberts, Spink, and Walworth counties.  Day County is in the northeast part of the state.  Sioux Falls, South Dakota is southeast and Pierre, South Dakota is southwest of the county.  The county center is 5.7 miles Northwest of Webster.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Marshall, Roberts, Grant, Codington, Clark, Spink, and Brown counties. 

The area of the county is 1029 square miles.  It is 28 out of 66 in the state.  It ranks 32 out of 66 in population in the state.  It has a density of 5.3 persons per square mile making it 34 out of 66 in the state.  Day County has 53.5% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 12 crosses east to west in the county from Roberts County to Brown County.  The county is a rectangle with the northeast corner cut away.  Webster is located south and east of center in the county.  Webster is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 31.7% of the county population.