Bennett County, South Dakota

Bennett County
Art Deco style Inland Theater at Martin SD.
Art Deco style Inland Theater at Martin SD.
Map of South Dakota highlighting Bennett County
Location within the U.S. state of South Dakota
Map of the United States highlighting South Dakota
South Dakota's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 43°11′N 101°40′W / 43.18°N 101.66°W / 43.18; -101.66
Country United States
State South Dakota
Founded1909 (created)
April 27, 1912 (organized)
Named forJohn E. Bennett or Granville G. Bennett
SeatMartin
Largest cityMartin
Area
 • Total1,191 sq mi (3,080 km2)
 • Land1,185 sq mi (3,070 km2)
 • Water5.8 sq mi (15 km2)  0.5%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total3,381
 • Estimate 
(2023)
3,305 Decrease
 • Density2.8/sq mi (1.1/km2)
Time zoneUTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional districtAt-large

Bennett County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,381.[1] Its county seat is Martin.[2] Bennett County was removed from the Pine Ridge Reservation by an act of Congress in 1911, much of Bennett County however is still held in trust by the Reservation.[3] To the east is the Rosebud Indian Reservation, where dwell the Sicangu Oyate, also known the Upper Brulé Sioux Nation and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe (RST), a branch of the Lakota people.

The North American continental pole of inaccessibility is in Bennett County, located 1,650 km (1,030 mi) from the nearest coastline, between Allen and Kyle (Oglala Lakota County) at 43°22′N 101°58′W / 43.36°N 101.97°W / 43.36; -101.97 (Pole of Inaccessibility North America).[4]

Historically, ranching and dry land farming have been the chief agricultural pursuits possible given climate and soil conditions.

Bennett County lies entirely within the boundaries of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
  1. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ Suzanne R. Schaeffer, Assistant Solicitor, Environment, Land and Minerals Branch, Division of Indian Affairs
  4. ^ Garcia-Castellanos, D.; U. Lombardo (2007). "Poles of Inaccessibility: A Calculation Algorithm for the Remotest Places on Earth" (PDF). Scottish Geographical Journal. 123 (3): 227–233. doi:10.1080/14702540801897809. S2CID 55876083. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 29, 2014. () - p. 231: "Region: America, North Longitude (deg. E.) -101.97 Latitude (deg. N.) 43.36 distance (km) 1639 uncertainty (km) +14 Altitude (m) 1030"