Moody

Formed January 8, 1873 (32^nd county)

Moody County (6,340), Flandreau (2,370)

The masonry Classical Revival building was constructed in 1914.  The courthouse is on a square at Pipestone Avenue, Crescent Street, 3^rd Avenue, and Wind Street.  Pipestone Avenue is South Dakota State Highway 32.  Joseph A. Schwarz is the columned building designer.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  An 1882 courthouse was also in Flandreau, the only county seat.  Moody County was formed on January 8, 1873 as the 32^nd county.  The county was named for Senator Gideon C. Moody.  The county seat is named for Judge Charles Eugene Flandreau. 

Moody County government consists of a sheriff and 5 Commissioners.  Five Circuit Court Judges and One Magistrate Court Judge serve Moody, Beadle, Brookings, Clark, Codington, Deuel, Grant, Hamlin, Hand, Jerauld, Kingsbury, Lake, Miner, and Sanborn counties.  The county is located on the eastern border with Minnesota.  Sioux Falls, South Dakota is directly south and Pierre, South Dakota is west of the county.  The county center is 8.5 miles Southwest of Flandreau nearer Egan.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Brookings County and Minnesota and Minnehaha and Lake counties. 

The area of the county is 520 square miles.  It is 59 out of 66 in the state.  It ranks 28 out of 66 in population in the state.  It has a density of 12.2 persons per square mile making it 17 out of 66 in the state.  Moody County has 55.0% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 29 enters the county from the north, Brookings County, and exits to the south, Minnehaha County.  The county is a rectangle.  Flandreau is located in the northeast quarter of the county.  Flandreau is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 37.4% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced FLAN-DROE.