Kingsbury

Formed January 8, 1873 (24^th county)

Kingsbury County (5,184), De Smet (1,062)

The classier Renaissance courthouse was erected in 1898.  The courthouse is on 2^nd Street, Joliet Avenue, 1^st Street, and Amoret Avenue.  South Dakota State Highway 25 is two blocks west.  W. L. Dow is the red brick building architect.  The building was restored in 1982.  It features a tower and veteran memorials on the grounds.  Kingsbury County was organized on January 8, 1873 as the 24^th county with De Smet as the only county seat.  The county is named for settlers and territorial legislators George W. and T. A. Kingsbury.  The county seat is named for Jesuit Missionary Pierre De Smet. 

Kingsbury County government consists of a sheriff and 5 Commissioners.  Five Circuit Court Judges and One Magistrate Court Judge serve Kingsbury, Beadle, Brookings, Clark, Codington, Deuel, Grant, Hamlin, Hand, Jerauld, Lake, Miner, Moody, and Sanborn counties.  The county is located in eastern South Dakota.  Pierre, South Dakota is west and Sioux Falls, South Dakota is southeast of the county.  The county center is 6.4 miles East of De Smet nearer Lake Preston.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Hamlin, Brookings, Lake, Miner, Sanborn, Beadle, and Clark counties. 

The area of the county is 838 square miles.  It is 37 out of 66 in the state.  It ranks 36 out of 66 in population in the state.  It has a density of 6.2 persons per square mile making it 32 out of 66 in the state.  Kingsbury County has 60.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 14 passes through the county from east to west from Brookings County to Beadle County.  United States Highway 81 follows the western border with Brookings County from north to south from Hamlin County to Lake County.  Kingsbury County is a rectangle.  De Smet is located slightly west and north of center in the county.  De Smet is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 20.5% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced DE SMIT.