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Hill City, South Dakota

20 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1896 and the latest in 1998. It stands in Hill City City. It lies in ZIP code area 57745. It lies near Allen Gulch. The Survey maps it on the Hill City quadrangle. 872 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 5,157 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Hill City within Pennington County

On record in Hill City

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 6 records

Population over time

2 figures

Hill City fell from 948 to 872 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.

YearPeople Change
2010948
2020872-76 (-8%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

7 surveys from 20 printed sheets

Matched 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.

Fires near this place

229 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 229 fires within 5 miles of Hill City between 1992 and 2020, burning about 2,959 acres in total. 88 started naturally. 2 were 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
Natural88
Debris and open burning42
Missing data/not specified/undetermined31
Recreation and ceremony29
Power generation/transmission/distribution14
Equipment and vehicle use9
Railroad operations and maintenance4
Smoking3
Other causes3
Misuse of fire by a minor3
Arson/incendiarism2
Fireworks1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
9 September 2012Railroad operations and maintenanceunder an acreBlack Hills National ForestTIN MILL
6 September 2011Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreBlack Hills National ForestLOG CABIN
6 September 2000Natural15 acresBlack Hills National ForestSHERIDAN 2
5 September 2000Naturalunder an acreBlack Hills National Forest385
5 September 1996Naturalunder an acreBlack Hills National ForestMIRACLE
5 September 1995Naturalunder an acreBlack Hills National Forest425
5 September 1995Naturalunder an acreBlack Hills National ForestUNION
3 September 2006Recreation and ceremonyunder an acreBlack Hills National ForestRENO RESERVOIR

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Pennington County

Mines and quarries near this place

10 of 166 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 166 workings within 5 miles of Hill City: 78 past producers, 49 occurrences, 32 prospects, 5 unknowns. 2 still produce. What was taken out: Tin, Tungsten, Gold, Silver. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Annie No. 1 LodeTungsten, Tin, Mica, Feldspar, GraphitePast ProducerCassiterite, Feldspar, Graphite, Muscovite, Wolframite
Century Lode ClaimLithium, TinPast ProducerAmblygonite, Cassiterite, Spodumene
Clara BelleGold, Tin, SilverPast Producer1886
Clara BelleGold, Tin, SilverUnknown
Dewey Mine MS 1699Mica, Feldspar, LithiumPast Producer
El DoradoGold, Tin, Tungsten, SilverPast Producer1890
El Dorado MS 2014Gold, Tungsten, Tin, SilverPast Producer
First Find LodeTin, Tantalum, Niobium (Columbium)OccurrenceCassiterite
Forest City ClaimTin, Silver, GoldOccurrence1886, 1901
Gap LodeMica, FeldsparPast ProducerMuscovite, Plagioclase

Every working recorded in Pennington County

Storms near this place

60 of 114 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Hill City in 114 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 96 hail, 11 thunderstorm wind, 4 flood, 1 wildfire. 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.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
August 2013HailHill City$6,000,000Golf ball size hail was reported from Hill City to Palmer Gulch southeast of town, causing extensive damage to vehicles and property.
May 2019FloodHill City$750,000Runoff from heavy rain flooded creeks and inundated roads. Water covered part of Winter Street/US Highway 16A in Keystone. Water was reported over Old Hill City Road near Keystone, Grizzly Gulch Road, Mountain Park Road, Spring Creek Road, Lower Spring Creek Road, Rockwood Road, South Valley Drive, Orchard Lane, Reservoir Road, Green Valley Drive, Lamb Road, Anderson Road, Antelope Creek Road three miles south of SD Highway 44, Neva Way, 143rd Avenue, 156th Street south of highway 14-16, and 159th Street.
June 2015FloodHill City$700,000Many roads were flooded by heavy rain and high stream levels. On the north side of Rapid City, 143rd Avenue was underwater near Neva Way. In Rapid Valley; Reservoir Road, Green Valley Drive between Reservoir Road and Greenfield Road, South Valley Drive, the east end of Dunn Road, Anderson Road, South Radar Hill Road, and Antelope Creek Road were flooded. Around Box Elder; Elk Vale Road just north of Interstate 90, 155th Street south of Highway 14-16, and the South Ellsworth Road bridge were flooded. Hammerquist Road and 157th Street in the Caputa area were closed. Palmer Gulch Road east of Hill City was underwater. Old Hill City Road and the Needles Highway (SD Highway 87) from Playhouse Road to Sylvan Campground were flooded in various areas. At Hart Ranch, the golf course sustained flooding and debris damaged foot bridges. Spring Creek reached the bottom of the bridge at Mulligan Mile Crossing. High water damaged private bridges in Magic Canyon west of Rapid City.
July 2007HailHill City$500,000Baseball sized hail broke building windows and automobile windshields in Hill City. The hail accumulated six to eight inches deep.
June 2011HailHill City$250,000no account filed
June 2014HailHill City$150,000Many vehicles were damaged by the large hail.
August 2013Tornado (EF1)Hill City$25,000A small tornado touched down south of Hill City near the Mickelson Trail. It continued to the south, crossing the Needles Highway (SD Highway 87) east of US Highway 16/385. The tornado blew down and snapped numerous large Ponderosa Pine trees and blew a few shingles off a house. The trees fell onto power lines, which caused the poles to fall.
July 2004HailHill City$20,000no account filed
June 2015Flash FloodHill City$10,000Most streets in Hill City were covered with water and debris. Water was at least a foot deep on Allen Gulch Road, Railway Avenue, and East Main Street and Deerfield Road at Marshall Gulch was closed. Major Lake Drive, Chute Rooster Drive, and Smokey Drive were damaged by the flooding.
May 1998HailHill City$500Hail broke car windshield.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindHill City-Spotter reported an estimated wind gust.
June 2025Thunderstorm WindHill City-Public reported estimated wind gust.
July 2022HailHill City-Hail to ping pong ball size lasted around 20 minutes.
August 2021HailHill City-Hail caused considerable damage at the Mount Rushmore KOA Campground.
July 2018HailHill City-Nickel sized hail covered the ground.
July 2018HailHill City-Hail covered the ground.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindHill City-A tree blew down onto US Highway 16 south of Hill City.
June 2017Thunderstorm WindHill City-Several small trees were downed by the wind at the Medicine Mountain Boy Scout Camp.
June 2016HailHill City-Golf ball sized hail fell at the Medicine Mountain Boy Scout Camp.
May 2015FloodHill City-Runoff from heavy rain caused minor flooding along Spring Creek, both upstream and downstream from Sheridan Lake, and along Newton Fork northwest of Hill City. Releases from Pactola Reservoir reached 500 cubic feet per second, and combined with heavy rain, caused minor flooding along Rapid Creek downstream from Pactola Dam to the Cheyenne River. The flooding continued into early June.
June 2015HailHill City-Hail to the size of golf balls covered the ground.
June 2015FloodHill City-Runoff from heavy rain caused flooding along Spring Creek between Hill City and Sheridan Lake.
June 2012Thunderstorm WindHill City-Winds were estimated at 60 mph.
July 2004HailHill City-Hail covered the ground.
June 2003HailHill City-Hail to the size golf balls fell for 20 minutes.
May 2002HailHill City-A single severe thunderstorm moved across the Black Hills portion of Pennington County, producing nickle sized hail.
July 2024HailHill City-no account filed
July 2023HailHill City-no account filed
July 2023HailHill City-no account filed
May 2022HailHill City-no account filed
July 2022HailHill City-no account filed
June 2022HailHill City-no account filed
July 2021HailHill City-no account filed
August 2021HailHill City-no account filed
August 2021HailHill City-no account filed
August 2021HailHill City-no account filed
May 2020HailHill City-no account filed
May 2020HailHill City-no account filed
July 2020HailHill City-no account filed
June 2020Thunderstorm WindHill City-no account filed
June 2020HailHill City-no account filed
August 2019HailHill City-no account filed
August 2019HailHill City-no account filed
August 2019HailHill City-no account filed
July 2018HailHill City-no account filed
July 2018HailHill City-no account filed
July 2018HailHill City-no account filed
July 2018HailHill City-no account filed
July 2018HailHill City-no account filed
July 2018HailHill City-no account filed
June 2017HailHill City-no account filed
June 2017Thunderstorm WindHill City-no account filed
June 2017HailHill City-no account filed
May 2016HailHill City-no account filed
August 2016HailHill City-no account filed
July 2016HailHill City-no account filed
July 2016HailHill City-no account filed
July 2016HailHill City-no account filed
June 2015HailHill City-no account filed
June 2015HailHill City-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Pennington County

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 PlaceDistance Sheets
Reno2.6 miles20
Kennedyville2.8 miles20
Tigerville4.6 miles21
Clara Belle Camp (historical)4.9 miles19
Oreville5.2 miles19
Redfern6.1 miles16
Sheridan (historical)6.3 miles21
Keystone8.7 miles21

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 Hill CityAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q2230607The 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 1267029. 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.