Oglala Lakota

Formed January 11, 1875 (41^st county)

Oglala Lakota County (13,669), Hot Springs (3,391), Pine Ridge* (3,138), Batesland (76)

The red stone courthouse in Hot Springs, Fall River County serves Oglala Lakota County for judicial functions.  The building is on River Street between Battle Mountain Avenue and Main Street.  United States Highway 385 is River Street in the town.  Charles P. Brown designed the Romanesque courthouse.  The Tribal Affairs Building in Pine Ridge contains the administrative functions.  The county was created on January 11, 1875 as the 41^st county.  The county was originally named Shannon County until 2014 when it changed its name.  Oglala Lakota County is named for the Native American tribe.  Hot Springs is named for the local springs. 

Oglala Lakota County government consists of a sheriff and 5 Commissioners.  Eight Circuit Court Judges and One Magistrate Court Judge serve Oglala Lakota, Custer, Fall River, and Pennington counties.  Oglala Lakota County is on the southwest border with Nebraska entirely within the boundaries of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.  Rapid City, South Dakota is north and Pierre, South Dakota is northeast of the county.  The county center is 56.5 miles East-Southeast of Hot Springs nearer Oglala.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Pennington, Jackson, and Bennett counties and Nebraska and Fall River and Custer counties. 

The area of the county is 2094 square miles.  It is 8 out of 66 in the state.  It ranks 15 out of 66 in population in the state.  It has a density of 6.5 persons per square mile making it 29 out of 66 in the state.  Oglala Lakota County has 0.6% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 18 travels east to west through the county from Bennett County to Fall River County.  The county is an overall rectangle.  Hot Springs is located in the county to the west of Oglala Lakota County.  Pine Ridge is on the southern border.  Batesland is on the eastern border of the county.  Hot Springs remotely serves as the judicial county seat and Batesland is the largest city since it is the only incorporated city.  Pine Ridge is 23.0% of the county population.  Batesland is 0.6% of the county population.