County · code 46019
Butte CountySouth Dakota
Butte County is a county in northwestern South Dakota, with Belle Fourche as its seat. Founded in 1883, the county was named after a butte.
- Founded1883
- County seatBelle Fourche
- Named forbutte
- Land area2,250 sq mi + 17 sq mi water
- Population10,243 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped12,521 checked 16 October 2026
Where it is
Butte 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 1883
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Butte County became a county in the state of South Dakota on November 2, 1889, having gained territory from Harding. Between 1890 and 1898, several extinct townships and counties were attached to or gained by Butte for tax collection and judicial purposes, with several attachments becoming permanent in 1898. In 1908, Butte lost territory to the re-creation of Harding County and the creation of Perkins County.
- 1889Gained territory Butte gained from Harding. · Dak. Terr. Laws 1889, 18th sess., ch. 47/p. 73
- 1889Became part of South Dakota Butte 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
- 1890Changed Choteau (extinct), Delano (extinct), Martin (extinct), Rinehart (extinct), and Wagner (extinct) detached from Lawrence, attached to Butte. Ewing (extinct) and Harding attached to Butte. All attachments were “for the levy and collection of taxes therein.” · S. Dak. Laws 1890, 1st sess., ch. 65/p. 159
- 1894Gained territory Butte gained from Choteau (extinct), Delano (extinct), Harding, and Scobey (extinct). Ewing eliminated, ending its attachment to Butte. · S. Dak. Laws 1893, 3d sess., ch. 47/p. 77
- 1895Changed Delano (extinct) detached from Butte, attached to Meade "for judicial purposes." Attachment of Choteau (extinct), Harding, Martin (extinct), Rinehart (extinct), and Wagner (extinct) to Butte “for judicial purposes” was confirmed. · S. Dak. Laws 1895, 4th sess., ch. 48/pp. 53-54
- 1898Gained territory Butte gained most of Choteau and Rinehart, and gained all of Harding, Martin, and Wagner. Choteau, Harding, Martin, Rinehart, and Wagner all eliminated, ending all attachments to Butte. · S. Dak. Laws 1897, 5th sess., ch. 43/p. 93
- 1908Lost territory Butte lost to re-creation of Harding, and lost to creation of Perkins. · S. Dak. Comp. Laws 1929, 1:143, 146, 149; S. Dak. Laws 1911, 12th sess., ch. 7/p. 7; S. Dak. Code 1939, 1:319, 324, 328-329
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Butte
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 12,521 parcels from Butte County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 16 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Butte 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
Butte 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
Butte 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 Butte County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Butte 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 Butte County
- When was Butte County founded?
- Butte County was founded in 1883, and named after butte.
- What is the county seat of Butte County?
- The county seat of Butte County is Belle Fourche.
- Is there an online parcel map for Butte County?
- Yes. Butte County publishes a parcel map of 12,521 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Butte County's boundary or name changed?
- Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 7 changes for Butte County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 7 later changes, chiefly involving Harding County, Choteau County and Delano County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Butte County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby