County · code 46033
Custer CountySouth Dakota
Custer County is a county in South Dakota with its seat in Custer. The county was founded in 1875 and named after George Armstrong Custer.
- Founded1875
- County seatCuster
- Named forGeorge Armstrong Custer
- Land area1,557 sq mi + 2.1 sq mi water
- Population8,318 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped12,838 checked 16 October 2026
Where it is
Custer 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 1875
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Custer County was formed in 1875 in Dakota Territory. On April 3, 1883, Custer County lost territory to the creation of Fall River County; the extinct counties of Washabaugh and Washington remained attached to Custer. When South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889, Custer County became a county in the new state. In 1915, Washabaugh County was detached from Custer and attached to Jackson County for judicial purposes, and in 1919, Washington County was detached from Custer and attached to Pennington County for judicial purposes.
- 1883Lost territory Custer lost to creation of Fall River. Washabaugh (extinct) and Washington (extinct) remained attached to Custer. · Dak. Terr. Laws 1883, 15th sess., ch. 18/p. 30
- 1889Became part of South Dakota Custer 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 Attachment of Washington (extinct) to Custer “for the levy and collection of taxes therein” was confirmed.Washington· S. Dak. Laws 1890, 1st sess., ch. 65/p. 159
- 1895Changed Attachment of Washabaugh (extinct) and Washington (extinct) to Custer “for judicial purposes” was confirmed.WashabaughWashington· S. Dak. Laws 1895, 4th sess., ch. 48/pp. 53-54
- 1909Changed Attachment of Washabaugh (extinct) and Washington (extinct) to Custer “for judicial purposes” was confirmed.WashabaughWashington· S. Dak. Laws 1909, 11th sess., ch. 280/pp. 427-429
- 1915Changed Washabaugh (extinct) detached from Custer, attached to Jackson “for judicial purposes.”WashabaughJackson· S. Dak. Laws 1915, 14th sess., ch. 147/p. 324
- 1919Changed Washington (extinct) detached from Custer, attached to Pennington "for judicial purposes."WashingtonPennington· S. Dak. Laws 1918, 15th sess., spec., ch. 354/p. 434
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Custer
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Fallback
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 12,838 parcels from Custer County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey. This copy is a fallback, not the county's own: use it as a guide and check the official record.
edited 15 April 2021 · checked 16 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Custer 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
Custer 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
Who to ask before you build, dig or sell
Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.
Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.
County government
- County government
The official website of Custer County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Custer 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 Custer County
- When was Custer County founded?
- Custer County was founded in 1875, and named after George Armstrong Custer.
- What is the county seat of Custer County?
- The county seat of Custer County is Custer.
- Is there an online parcel map for Custer County?
- Yes. Custer County publishes a parcel map of 12,838 parcels, rated fallback here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Custer County's boundary or name changed?
- Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 7 changes for Custer County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 7 later changes, chiefly involving Washington County, Washabaugh County and Fall River County.
- Who issues building permits in Custer County?
- The county's page on building permits: Black Hills ATV Permit Info. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Who issues septic and well permits in Custer County?
- The county's page on septic systems and wells: Health department: septic and well.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Custer County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby