County · code 46017
Buffalo CountySouth Dakota
Buffalo County is a county in South Dakota with its seat in Gann Valley. The county was formed in 1873 and was named after buffalo.
- Founded1873
- County seatGann Valley
- Named forbuffalo
- Land area471 sq mi + 16 sq mi water
- Population1,948 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped2,628 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Buffalo on the map of South Dakota
South Dakota has 66 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Founded in 1873
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Buffalo County was created in the Dakota Territory in 1873. In 1883, Buffalo County lost territory to the creation of Jerauld County. Buffalo County became a county in the state of South Dakota on November 2, 1889.
- 1883Lost territory Buffalo lost to creation of Jerauld. · Dak. Terr. Laws 1883, 15th sess., ch. 23/p. 36
- 1889Became part of South Dakota Buffalo became a county in the state of South Dakota. · U.S. Stat., vol. 25, ch. 180[1889]/pp. 676-684; U.S. Stat., vol. 26, no. 5/pp. 1548-1549; Swindler, 9:107-109; Van Zandt, 134
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Buffalo
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 2,628 parcels from Buffalo County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Buffalo County yet.
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Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- Official
- from the office that keeps the record
- Good enough
- a reliable statewide or national copy
- Fallback
- a guide only; check the official record
- Missing
- nothing public found yet
People and land
Buffalo by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Buffalo County's official site
We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.
County government
- County government
The official website of Buffalo County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Buffalo County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about Buffalo County
- When was Buffalo County founded?
- Buffalo County was founded in 1873, and named after buffalo.
- What is the county seat of Buffalo County?
- The county seat of Buffalo County is Gann Valley.
- Is there an online parcel map for Buffalo County?
- Yes. Buffalo County publishes a parcel map of 2,628 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Buffalo County's boundary or name changed?
- Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 changes for Buffalo County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 2 later changes, chiefly involving Jerauld County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Buffalo County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby