Buffalo, South Dakota
6 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1935 and the latest in 1980. It stands in the North Harding unorganized territory. It lies in ZIP code area 57720. It stands on Rush Creek. The Survey maps it on the Buffalo quadrangle. 346 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 2,881 feet above sea level.
On record in Buffalo
Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.
On the National Register 2 records
- Thomas Ashcroft Ranchlisted 1987
- Fowler Hotellisted 2008
Population over time
2 figuresBuffalo grew from 330 to 346 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.
| Year | People | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 330 | |
| 2020 | 346 | +16 (+5%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
5 surveys from 6 printed sheetsMatched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.
- 1935 USGS Buffalo quadrangle1:125000
- 1954 USGS Lemmon quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1957 USGS Lemmon quadrangle1:250000
- 1971 USGS Buffalo quadrangle1:24000
- 1980 USGS Camp Crook quadrangle1:100000
Fires near this place
13 since 2003Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 13 fires within 5 miles of Buffalo between 2003 and 2020, burning about 283 acres in total. 6 started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Natural | 6 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 4 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 2 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 September 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 16 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | not named |
| 7 August 2007 | Natural | 2.0 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | not named |
| 31 August 2006 | Natural | 7.0 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | not named |
| 30 August 2006 | Natural | 112 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | not named |
| 28 August 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 30 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | VROMAN |
| 22 August 2009 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 24 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | not named |
| 31 July 2005 | Equipment and vehicle use | 5.0 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | not named |
| 18 July 2006 | Natural | 75 acres | Miles City Field Office | RUSH CREEK |
Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:
Mines and quarries near this place
1 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Buffalo: 1 past producer. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Lignite, Petroleum (Oil), Natural Gas, Uranium, Bloating Material, Stone, Crushed/Broken. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Quad | Lignite, Petroleum (Oil), Natural Gas, Uranium, Bloating Material, Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | Carnotite, Clay, Lignite |
Storms near this place
60 of 76 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Buffalo in 76 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 39 hail, 35 thunderstorm wind, 2 tornado. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $200,000 | The combination of large hail and strong wind gusts caused property damage in Buffalo. |
| July 2012 | Hail | Buffalo | $25,000 | Hail covered U.S. Highway 85; the ground was completely white from hail. |
| July 2011 | Hail | Buffalo | $20,000 | Large hail damaged home, automobiles, and roof of an outbuilding. |
| July 2011 | Hail | Buffalo | $10,000 | no account filed |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $5,000 | The combination of hail and wind caused minor damage. |
| July 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $5,000 | Windows were blown out of a house and numerous trees were downed. |
| July 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $5,000 | Widespread hail accumulated on roads, broke windows in several homes, and damaged some vehicles. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | $4,000 | Power company reported 4 power poles blown over. |
| July 2025 | Hail | Buffalo | - | Public report. |
| June 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph. |
| June 2018 | Tornado (EF2) | Buffalo | - | The tornado developed just south of SD Highway 20 near mile marker 17, where it snapped power poles and trees near a house. A farm outbuilding was also severely damaged, with most of its exterior walls collapsed. Based on video evidence, the tornado then continued northward across rural areas northwest of Buffalo and crossed Clanton Road before dissipating. The tornado was rated an EF-2 with peak wind speeds estimated near 115 mph. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | Wind gusts were estimated around 60 mph. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | The spotter estimated wind gusts at 60 mph. |
| August 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph. |
| July 2012 | Hail | Buffalo | - | Hail covered the ground. |
| July 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | The sheriff estimated wind gusts at 70 mph. |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | Wind gusts were estimated at 60 mph. |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | Wind gusts were estimated at 70 mph. |
| July 2008 | Hail | Buffalo | - | Hail was six inches deep. |
| June 2005 | Hail | Buffalo | - | 3 inch diameter limbs down in Buffalo. |
| July 2004 | Hail | Buffalo | - | Hail covered the ground. |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | The Buffalo Automatic Meteorological Observing System recorded a 62 mph wind gust. |
| July 1995 | Hail | Buffalo | - | Large hail caused some crop and structural damage near Buffalo. |
| June 2024 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| June 2024 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| June 2022 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| May 2020 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| July 2020 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| August 2017 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| July 2015 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| July 2011 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| July 2011 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| August 2011 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| August 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| June 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| July 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| August 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| July 2008 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| August 2007 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| July 2005 | Tornado (F0) | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| July 2004 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| August 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| August 2004 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| June 2003 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| June 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| June 2002 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| June 2002 | Hail | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| June 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| June 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Buffalo | - | no account filed |
Nearest settlements
The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.
Elsewhere
Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.
| Wikipedia article on Buffalo | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q2149699 | The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0). |
Provenance
This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1254110. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.




