Harding

Formed March 5, 1881 (48^th county)

Harding County (1,309), Buffalo (347)

The Modern light red masonry structure was erected in 1997.  The courthouse is on Ramsland Street at 4^th Street.  United States Highway 85 passes three blocks to the east.  Hulsing & Associates are the architects.  A wooden 1911 facility preceded the current courthouse in Buffalo, the only county seat.  Harding County was organized on March 5, 1881 as the 48^th county.  The county is named for local settler, J. A. Harding.  The county seat is named for the local buffalo herds.  They are also the source name for Buffalo County and the county seat of Perkins County. 

Harding County government consists of a sheriff and 5 Commissioners.  Four Circuit Court Judges and One Magistrate Court Judge serve Harding, Butte, Corson, Dewey, Lawrence, Meade, Perkins, and Ziebach counties.  The county is located in the northwest corner bordering both North Dakota and Montana.  Rapid City, South Dakota is south and Pierre, South Dakota is southeast of the county.  The county center is 3.1 miles Southeast of Buffalo.  The county is surrounded clockwise by North Dakota and Perkins and Butte counties and Montana. 

The area of the county is 2671 square miles.  It is 4 out of 66 in the state.  It ranks 64 out of 66 in population in the state.  It has a density of 0.5 persons per square mile making it 66 out of 66 in the state.  Harding County has 31.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 85 passes north to south in the county from North Dakota to Butte County.  The county is an overall rectangle.  Buffalo is located slightly west of center in the county.  Buffalo is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 26.5% of the county population.