De Smet, South Dakota
11 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1899 and the latest in 1985. It stands in De Smet City. It lies in ZIP code area 57231. The Survey maps it on the De Smet quadrangle. 1,056 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,726 feet above sea level.
Research this city
On record in De Smet
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 5 records
Chicago Northwestern Depotlisted 1976
Ingalls Houselisted 1975
Kingsbury County Courthouselisted 1977
Railroad Camp Shantylisted 1973- Shady Lawn School No. 8listed 2019
Population over time
2 figuresDe Smet fell from 1,089 to 1,056 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 | 1,089 | |
| 2020 | 1,056 | -33 (-3%) |
Topographic sheets covering this place
5 surveys from 11 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.
- 1899 USGS De Smet quadrangle1:125000, 2 printings
- 1953 USGS Watertown quadrangle1:250000, 3 printings
- 1958 USGS Watertown quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
- 1971 USGS De Smet quadrangle1:24000
- 1985 USGS De Smet quadrangle1:100000, 3 printings
Fires near this place
21 since 1999Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 21 fires within 5 miles of De Smet between 1999 and 2018, burning about 310 acres in total. 1 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 |
|---|---|
| Equipment and vehicle use | 7 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 5 |
| Debris and open burning | 4 |
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 3 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
| Natural | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 September 2016 | Natural | under an acre | Madison Wetland Management District | HALVERSON |
| 17 September 2009 | Debris and open burning | 140 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | not named |
| 16 September 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | JANSSEN |
| 11 July 1999 | Equipment and vehicle use | 20 acres | Plankinton Volunteer Fire Department | MAYCLIN |
| 28 June 2012 | Debris and open burning | 30 acres | Madison Wetland Management District | HALVERSON |
| 16 May 2001 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Desmet Volunteer Fire Department | INCIDENT 693 |
| 30 April 2002 | Equipment and vehicle use | under an acre | Desmet Volunteer Fire Department | INCIDENT #712 |
| 22 April 2000 | Debris and open burning | 4.0 acres | Desmet Volunteer Fire Department | INCIDENT #671 |
Mines and quarries near this place
5 within 5 milesRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 5 workings within 5 miles of De Smet: 4 producers, 1 past producer. 4 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitner S & G Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Braun Sand & Gravel | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Close Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Johnson Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Spader Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Storms near this place
60 of 69 shownRegional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names De Smet in 69 storm reports between 1995 and 2025: 35 hail, 18 thunderstorm wind, 9 tornado, 3 lightning. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2010 | Hail | De Smet | $300,000 | Widespread large hail, with numerous stones to baseball size, fell along a narrow path several miles long which included the town of De Smet. The hail heavily damaged numerous vehicles, denting vehicle bodies and smashing or cracking windows, and also heavily damaged roofs on homes and other buildings. Damage to siding and to windows on buildings was limited because the hail was accompanied by light winds. The hail damaged lights at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant site. One large hailstone punched a hole in the roof of a metal building. Crop damage was suspected in the area, but the amount of crop damage was not known. |
| May 2005 | Lightning | De Smet | $200,000 | Lightning struck a house, starting a fire which destroyed the house and its contents. |
| May 2000 | Hail | De Smet | $100,000 | Large hail broke windows and damaged vehicles. |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | De Smet | $100,000 | no account filed |
| August 2020 | Tornado (EF1) | De Smet | $75,000 | A tornado spun up west of 432nd Avenue and north of 211th Street. As the tornado traveled generally eastward, ground scour was noted to crops. The greatest damage occurred mid-track where a barn collapsed, with the debris blown downstream into another building. A few other outbuildings were also damaged. Large branches in tree breaks were snapped and the upper half of a concrete silo collapsed. The tornado dissipated one quarter mile east of 432nd Avenue around 3 miles south-southwest of De Smet. Property damage costs are rough estimates. |
| May 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | De Smet | $20,000 | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, blew down a pole barn, and damaged outbuildings. |
| August 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | De Smet | $12,000 | Short-lived thunderstorm wind gusts rolled a semi-truck over on U.S. Highway 14 just west of De Smet, and resulted in a few trees down around town. Property damage costs are a rough estimate. |
| July 2002 | Lightning | De Smet | $10,000 | Lightning struck a livestock barn on the Laura Ingalls Wilder homestead and killed two carriage horses inside. The barn suffered minor damage. |
| June 1999 | Lightning | De Smet | $2,000 | no account filed |
| June 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | De Smet | $1,000 | Thunderstorm winds downed several tree branches in De Smet, including a limb from 6 to 8 inches in diameter. Property damage costs are a rough estimate. |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | De Smet | $1,000 | Thunderstorm winds damaged a shed. |
| August 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | De Smet | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts caused extensive tree damage throughout the De Smet city limits, but no structural damage. |
| July 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | De Smet | - | Thunderstorm outflow winds churned up large waves on Lake Henry after 2000 CST. Indirect fatalities occurred when two persons on flotation devices were overcome by the high wave action and drowned. |
| August 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | De Smet | - | Thunderstorm winds blew the top off a grain bin, which was secured with large bolts. |
| October 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | De Smet | - | A tree fell on a power line and resulted in several power outages around De Smet. |
| May 2022 | Hail | De Smet | - | Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture. |
| June 2020 | Flash Flood | De Smet | - | Water flowed rapidly to a foot depth over Highway 25 at 215th Street. |
| August 2018 | Flash Flood | De Smet | - | Water was flowing over the road along 215th Street and State Highway 25. |
| August 2018 | Heavy Rain | De Smet | - | Rainfall totaled 4.75 inches in a two-hour period. |
| August 2018 | Heavy Rain | De Smet | - | Rainfall of 2.55 inches occurred over a two-hour period. |
| August 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | De Smet | - | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including up to 2.5 inch diameter branches blown down. |
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | De Smet | - | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including branches blown down. |
| June 2012 | Hail | De Smet | - | Large hail up to baseball size caused an unknown amount of damage to vehicles, windows, roofs, and crops over a long path. |
| March 2011 | Hail | De Smet | - | Large hail produced sufficient accumulations to make part of Highway 14 and some other roads icy. |
| June 2006 | Hail | De Smet | - | Large hail covered the ground in places and damaged corn and soybean crops. The amount of crop damage could not be determined. |
| June 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | De Smet | - | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including at least one large tree blown down. |
| September 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | De Smet | - | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including several branches blown down. |
| July 2005 | Thunderstorm Wind | De Smet | - | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including half a large tree blown down. The winds also caused an unknown amount of crop damage. |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | De Smet | - | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including 6 to 8 inch diameter limbs blown down. |
| June 2003 | Tornado (F0) | De Smet | - | A brief tornado caused no reported damage. |
| June 2003 | Tornado (F1) | De Smet | - | A tornado damaged farm buildings and crops. |
| June 2003 | Tornado (F0) | De Smet | - | A brief tornado caused no reported damage. |
| June 2003 | Tornado (F0) | De Smet | - | A brief tornado caused no reported damage. |
| June 2003 | Tornado (F1) | De Smet | - | A tornado damaged structures and trees along the edge of Mud Lake. |
| June 2003 | Tornado (F0) | De Smet | - | A tornado caused no reported damage before crossing north into Clark County. |
| June 2003 | Tornado (F1) | De Smet | - | A tornado destroyed or heavily damaged several farm structures. |
| July 1997 | Tornado (F0) | De Smet | - | A brief tornado in an open area resulted in no reported damage. |
| July 2025 | Hail | De Smet | - | no account filed |
| August 2023 | Hail | De Smet | - | no account filed |
| August 2023 | Hail | De Smet | - | no account filed |
| August 2023 | Hail | De Smet | - | no account filed |
| July 2017 | Hail | De Smet | - | no account filed |
| March 2011 | Hail | De Smet | - | no account filed |
| May 2009 | Hail | De Smet | - | no account filed |
| July 2009 | Hail | De Smet | - | no account filed |
| July 2009 | Hail | De Smet | - | no account filed |
| June 2009 | Hail | De Smet | - | no account filed |
| April 2007 | Hail | De Smet | - | no account filed |
| September 2006 | Hail | De Smet | - | no account filed |
| September 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | De Smet | - | no account filed |
| July 2006 | Hail | De Smet | - | no account filed |
| August 2006 | Hail | De Smet | - | no account filed |
| August 2006 | Hail | De Smet | - | no account filed |
| August 2006 | Hail | De Smet | - | no account filed |
| June 2002 | Hail | De Smet | - | no account filed |
| June 2002 | Hail | De Smet | - | no account filed |
| July 2002 | Hail | De Smet | - | no account filed |
| April 2001 | Hail | De Smet | - | no account filed |
| June 2001 | Hail | De Smet | - | no account filed |
| May 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | De Smet | - | 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.
| Map | Place | Distance | Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erwin | 8.9 miles | 9 | |
| Manchester | 9.1 miles | 11 | |
| Fairview (historical) | 9.2 miles | 11 | |
| Lake Preston | 9.3 miles | 9 | |
| Bancroft | 12.7 miles | 11 | |
| Esmond | 14.6 miles | 11 | |
| Iroquois | 16.0 miles | 11 | |
| Osceola | 16.2 miles | 11 |
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 De Smet | An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied. |
| Wikidata item Q2625666 | 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 1265178. 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.




