County · code 46129
Walworth CountySouth Dakota
Walworth County is in South Dakota, with its county seat in Selby. The county was created in 1873 from Buffalo County in Dakota Territory.
- Founded1873
- County seatSelby
- Named forWalworth County, Wisconsin
- Land area709 sq mi + 36 sq mi water
- Population5,315 2020 Census
Where it is
Walworth 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
Formed in 1873 from Buffalo County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Walworth County was created by Dakota Territory on January 8, 1873, from Buffalo County. When South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889, Walworth became a county of the new state. Over the following decades, the county's boundaries were adjusted as neighboring counties were organized: Dewey detached in 1910, Corson in 1909, and Ziebach in 1911.
- 1873Walworth County created Walworth created by Dakota Territory in present South Dakota from Buffalo. · Dak. Terr. Laws 1872, 10th sess., ch. 16, sec. 35/p. 37
- 1889Became part of South Dakota Walworth 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
- 1895Changed Dewey and Schnasse (extinct) attached to Walworth “for judicial purposes.”DeweySchnasse· S. Dak. Laws 1895, 4th sess., ch. 48/pp. 53-54
- 1909Changed Corson attached to Walworth “for judicial purposes.” · S. Dak. Laws 1909, 11th sess., ch. 133/p. 209
- 1911Eliminated Ziebach attached to Walworth “for judicial purposes;” Schnasse eliminated, ending its attachment to Walworth.into Ziebachinto Schnasse· S. Dak. Laws 1911, 12th sess., ch. 107/p. 137
Show all 8 changes
- 1873Walworth County created Walworth created by Dakota Territory in present South Dakota from Buffalo. · Dak. Terr. Laws 1872, 10th sess., ch. 16, sec. 35/p. 37
- 1889Became part of South Dakota Walworth 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
- 1895Changed Dewey and Schnasse (extinct) attached to Walworth “for judicial purposes.”DeweySchnasse· S. Dak. Laws 1895, 4th sess., ch. 48/pp. 53-54
- 1909Changed Corson attached to Walworth “for judicial purposes.” · S. Dak. Laws 1909, 11th sess., ch. 133/p. 209
- 1909Changed Corson fully organized, detached from Walworth. · Corson Co. Commissioner's Meeting Minutes, 3 August 1909; Tidball, 68
- 1910Changed Dewey fully organized, detached from Walworth. · Early History of South Dakota Counties, 29-30
- 1911Eliminated Ziebach attached to Walworth “for judicial purposes;” Schnasse eliminated, ending its attachment to Walworth.into Ziebachinto Schnasse· S. Dak. Laws 1911, 12th sess., ch. 107/p. 137
- 1911
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Walworth
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Missing
No public parcel map found for Walworth County yet. Lot lines and owners of record are kept by the county (walworthco.org).
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Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Walworth 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
Walworth 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.
Permits
Zoning and code
County government
- County government
The official website of Walworth County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Walworth 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 Walworth County
- When was Walworth County founded?
- Walworth County was founded in 1873, formed from Buffalo County, and named after Walworth County, Wisconsin.
- What is the county seat of Walworth County?
- The county seat of Walworth County is Selby.
- Is there an online parcel map for Walworth County?
- Not that we have found yet. Lot lines and owners of record are kept by the county assessor's office. When a public parcel map appears, it shows here.
- Has Walworth County's boundary or name changed?
- Walworth County was created in 1873 from Buffalo County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 7 later changes, chiefly involving Corson County, Dewey County and Schnasse County.
- Who issues building permits in Walworth County?
- The county's page on building permits: building permit. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Walworth County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby