County · code 46093
Meade CountySouth Dakota
Meade County is a county in South Dakota, with its seat in Sturgis. The county was formed on March 9, 1889, from Lawrence County and named after George Meade.
- Founded1889
- County seatSturgis
- Named forGeorge Meade
- Land area3,471 sq mi + 12 sq mi water
- Population29,852 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped20,092 checked 14 October 2026
Where it is
Meade 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 1889
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
By March 9, 1889, Meade County was created by Dakota Territory from Lawrence County. On November 2, 1889, Meade became a county in the state of South Dakota. Throughout the 1890s, Meade County gained and lost parcels of land through various boundary adjustments and temporary attachments for tax collection and judicial purposes.
- 1889Meade County created By 9 March 1889, Meade was created by Dakota Territory in present South Dakota from Lawrence. · Dak. Terr. Laws 1889, 18th sess., ch. 57, sec. 1/p. 83
- 1889Became part of South Dakota Meade 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
- 1890
- 1893Changed Nowlin (extinct) and Sterling (extinct) detached from Meade, attached to Stanley "for judicial purposes." · S. Dak. Laws 1893, 3d sess., ch. 50/p. 79
- 1898Gained territory Meade gained from Choteau (extinct) and Rinehart (extinct), and gained all of Delano and Scobey; Choteau, Delano, Rinehart, and Scobey eliminated. Delano's and Scobey's attachment to Meade ended.from Choteaufrom Rinehartfrom Delanofrom Scobey· S. Dak. Laws 1897, 5th sess., ch. 42/p. 91; S. Dak. Comp. Laws 1929, 148
Show all 8 changes
- 1889Meade County created By 9 March 1889, Meade was created by Dakota Territory in present South Dakota from Lawrence. · Dak. Terr. Laws 1889, 18th sess., ch. 57, sec. 1/p. 83
- 1889Became part of South Dakota Meade 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
- 1890
- 1893Changed Nowlin (extinct) and Sterling (extinct) detached from Meade, attached to Stanley "for judicial purposes." · S. Dak. Laws 1893, 3d sess., ch. 50/p. 79
- 1895Changed Delano (extinct) detached from Butte, attached to Meade “for judicial purposes.” Attachment of Scobey (extinct) to Meade “for judicial purposes” was confirmed. · S. Dak. Laws 1895, 4th sess., ch. 48/pp. 53-54
- 1898Gained territory Meade gained from Choteau (extinct) and Rinehart (extinct), and gained all of Delano and Scobey; Choteau, Delano, Rinehart, and Scobey eliminated. Delano's and Scobey's attachment to Meade ended.from Choteaufrom Rinehartfrom Delanofrom Scobey· S. Dak. Laws 1897, 5th sess., ch. 42/p. 91; S. Dak. Comp. Laws 1929, 148
- 1901Changed Legislature authorized an adjustment in the boundary between Meade and Pennington, dependent on local referendum; change did not take effect (no change). · S. Dak. Laws 1901, 7th sess., ch. 90/p. 115
- 1903Changed Legislature authorized an adjustment in the boundary between Meade and Pennington, dependent on local referendum; change did not take effect (no change). · S. Dak. Laws 1903, 8th sess., ch. 101/p. 109
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Meade
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 20,092 parcels from Meade County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 14 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Meade 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
Meade 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
Meade 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 Meade County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Meade 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 Meade County
- When was Meade County founded?
- Meade County was founded in 1889, and named after George Meade.
- What is the county seat of Meade County?
- The county seat of Meade County is Sturgis.
- Is there an online parcel map for Meade County?
- Yes. Meade County publishes a parcel map of 20,092 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Meade County's boundary or name changed?
- Meade County was created in 1889. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 5 later changes, chiefly involving Scobey County, Delano County and Nowlin County.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Meade County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby