Buffalo, South Dakota
Buffalo, South Dakota | |
|---|---|
 Harding County Courthouse in Buffalo | |
 Location in Harding County and the state of South Dakota | |
| Coordinates: 45°35′11″N 103°32′36″W / 45.58639°N 103.54333°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | South Dakota |
| County | Harding |
| Incorporated | 1949[1] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.55 sq mi (1.43 km2) |
| • Land | 0.55 sq mi (1.43 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,897 ft (883 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 346 |
| • Density | 624.55/sq mi (241.29/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code | 57720 |
| Area code | 605 |
| FIPS code | 46-08140[5] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1267302[3] |
| Website | townofbuffalo |
Buffalo is a town in, and the county seat of, Harding County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 346 at the 2020 census.[6]
History[edit]
Buffalo was established in 1909.[7] It was named for the large herds of bison (mistakenly called buffalo) that once roamed the area.[8] It is about fifty miles west of Bison, South Dakota.
Geography[edit]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.55 square miles (1.42 km2), all land.[9]
Climate[edit]
Buffalo has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk). Like all of the High Plains, this climate features summers with cool to pleasant mornings and typically very warm to hot afternoons, alongside winters that average freezing but are extremely variable due to the conflict between hot Chinook winds and cold Arctic air. Annual precipitation is quite low at around 14.5 inches or 370 millimetres and concentrated in the spring and summer months from April to August. Buffalo lies within USDA hardiness zone 4a, meaning temperatures can drop to as low as −30 to −25 °F (−34.4 to −31.7 °C).[10]
| Climate data for Buffalo, South Dakota (2,881 feet above sea level) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 69.0 (20.6) |
72.0 (22.2) |
82.0 (27.8) |
94.0 (34.4) |
101.0 (38.3) |
108.0 (42.2) |
113.0 (45.0) |
114.0 (45.6) |
105.0 (40.6) |
95.0 (35.0) |
84.0 (28.9) |
70.0 (21.1) |
114.0 (45.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 33.0 (0.6) |
37.0 (2.8) |
47.0 (8.3) |
59.0 (15.0) |
68.0 (20.0) |
78.0 (25.6) |
87.0 (30.6) |
87.0 (30.6) |
76.0 (24.4) |
61.0 (16.1) |
45.0 (7.2) |
34.0 (1.1) |
59.3 (15.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 21.5 (−5.8) |
25.0 (−3.9) |
34.0 (1.1) |
44.5 (6.9) |
54.5 (12.5) |
64.0 (17.8) |
71.0 (21.7) |
70.0 (21.1) |
59.5 (15.3) |
46.5 (8.1) |
32.5 (0.3) |
22.5 (−5.3) |
45.5 (7.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 10.0 (−12.2) |
13.0 (−10.6) |
21.0 (−6.1) |
30.0 (−1.1) |
41.0 (5.0) |
50.0 (10.0) |
55.0 (12.8) |
53.0 (11.7) |
43.0 (6.1) |
32.0 (0.0) |
20.0 (−6.7) |
11.0 (−11.7) |
31.6 (−0.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −57.0 (−49.4) |
−50.0 (−45.6) |
−33.0 (−36.1) |
−12.0 (−24.4) |
4.0 (−15.6) |
24.0 (−4.4) |
32.0 (0.0) |
27.0 (−2.8) |
9.0 (−12.8) |
−17.0 (−27.2) |
−28.0 (−33.3) |
−46.0 (−43.3) |
−57.0 (−49.4) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.31 (7.9) |
0.31 (7.9) |
0.71 (18) |
1.38 (35) |
2.54 (65) |
2.69 (68) |
2.13 (54) |
1.38 (35) |
1.21 (31) |
1.14 (29) |
0.50 (13) |
0.29 (7.4) |
14.59 (371.2) |
| Source: Weather Channel[11] | |||||||||||||
Demographics[edit]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 380 | — | |
| 1960 | 652 | 71.6% | |
| 1970 | 393 | −39.7% | |
| 1980 | 453 | 15.3% | |
| 1990 | 488 | 7.7% | |
| 2000 | 380 | −22.1% | |
| 2010 | 330 | −13.2% | |
| 2020 | 346 | 4.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12][4] | |||
2010 census[edit]
As of the census[13] of 2010, there were 330 people, 168 households, and 86 families residing in the town. The population density was 600.0 inhabitants per square mile (231.7/km2). There were 220 housing units at an average density of 400.0 per square mile (154.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.3% White, 0.9% Native American, 0.3% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.5% of the population.
There were 168 households, of which 22.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 48.8% were non-families. 46.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.96 and the average family size was 2.80.
The median age in the town was 43.8 years. 21.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.6% were from 25 to 44; 30.6% were from 45 to 64; and 17.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 52.7% male and 47.3% female.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "SD Towns" (PDF). South Dakota State Historical Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 10, 2010. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
- ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Buffalo, South Dakota
- ^ a b "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Buffalo town, South Dakota". U.S. Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
- ^ Hellmann, Paul T. (May 13, 2013). Historical Gazetteer of the United States. Routledge. p. 984. ISBN 978-1135948597. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
- ^ Federal Writers' Project (1940). South Dakota place-names, v.1-3. University of South Dakota. p. 28.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 25, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
- ^ "USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map". United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on February 27, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2018.
- ^ "Buffalo, SD Monthly Weather Forecast". Weather Channel. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
- ^ United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Retrieved November 8, 2014.
- ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
External links[edit]
Municipalities and communities of Harding County, South Dakota, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Towns |  | |
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Ghost towns | ||