BlockBefore

Platte, South Dakota

9 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1955 and the latest in 1990. It stands in Platte Township. It lies in ZIP code area 57369. The Survey maps it on the Platte quadrangle. 1,296 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 1,601 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Platte within Charles Mix County

On record in Platte

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 3 records

Population over time

2 figures

Platte grew from 1,230 to 1,296 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
20101,230
20201,296+66 (+5%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

5 surveys from 9 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

45 since 2000

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 45 fires within 5 miles of Platte between 2000 and 2020, burning about 341 acres in total. 3 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
Missing data/not specified/undetermined18
Debris and open burning12
Equipment and vehicle use10
Natural3
Fireworks2

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
17 September 2008Debris and open burningunder an acreSouth Dakota Wildland Fire Suppressionnot named
17 September 2005Debris and open burning1.0 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire Suppressionnot named
11 September 2005Missing data/not specified/undetermined100 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression05-013 ANDERSON
10 September 2000Debris and open burning2.0 acresPlatte Volunteer Fire Department00-37
3 August 2006Debris and open burning5.0 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire Suppressionnot named
29 August 2020Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire SuppressionGEDDES FIRE
28 August 2009Missing data/not specified/undetermined2.0 acresSouth Dakota Wildland Fire Suppressionnot named
28 August 2000Equipment and vehicle use2.0 acresPlatte Volunteer Fire Department00-35

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Charles Mix County

Mines and quarries near this place

1 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Platte: 1 producer. All of them 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 SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Sly Sand & Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every working recorded in Charles Mix County

Storms near this place

60 of 84 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Platte in 84 storm reports between 1997 and 2025: 48 hail, 26 thunderstorm wind, 6 flash flood, 2 flood. 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
July 1998HailPlatte$1,000,000Large hail destroyed or damaged crops, broke windows, and damaged vehicles and many farm buildings. The hail covered the ground in places and was accompanied by strong winds and heavy rain.
July 1998HailPlatte$100,000Large hail damaged crops, totally destroying some acreage, broke windows, dented vehicles, and damaged roofs.
June 1997Thunderstorm WindPlatte$50,000no account filed
June 1997Flash FloodPlatte$30,000no account filed
June 2001Thunderstorm WindPlatte$20,000Thunderstorm winds caused damage at a farm. Two grain bins were blown over, and one of them was moved a half mile. A calf shelter was destroyed, a livestock trailer and auger were overturned, and there was tree damage.
August 2019Flash FloodPlatte$10,000Numerous roads were under water to a depth of 2 to 3 feet to the south of State Highway 44.
May 2010Thunderstorm WindPlatte$5,000Thunderstorm winds blew down power poles and caused tree damage in Platte. The winds also destroyed a small shed and damaged equipment on a farm southwest of Platte.
September 2009Thunderstorm WindPlatte$5,000Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including large limbs blown down. The winds also destroyed a gazebo with a decorative lighthouse, and moved a greenhouse several feet.
July 1998Thunderstorm WindPlatte$5,000Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage including 8 inch diameter branches blown down.
May 2025Thunderstorm WindPlatte-Thunderstorm wind gust measured by a personal weather station.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindPlatte-Thunderstorm wind gusts were measured by a personal weather station.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindPlatte-Winds measured by a personal weather station.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindPlatte-Thunderstorm wind gusts were measured by a personal weather station.
August 2024Thunderstorm WindPlatte-Thunderstorm winds downed numerous 3 inch tree limbs south of Platte.
August 2024Thunderstorm WindPlatte-Numerous tree limbs were downed by thunderstorm winds around Platte.
August 2024Flash FloodPlatte-Significant street flooding was observed in Platte with tree debris floating down the streets in town.
August 2024Thunderstorm WindPlatte-Several tree limbs up to 3 inches in diameter were broken off by thunderstorm wind gusts.
August 2024Thunderstorm WindPlatte-Thunderstorm wind gusts up to 69 mph were measured by a personal weather station.
May 2022Thunderstorm WindPlatte-A personal weather station measured frequent wind gusts to 60 mph between 0310-0320CST.
May 2022Thunderstorm WindPlatte-A thunderstorm wind gust of 61 mph was measured by mesonet site FW5858 9 miles southwest of Platte.
June 2020HailPlatte-Crop damage is an estimate from insured losses. Information provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindPlatte-At least one tree down across a road in Platte, with numerous branches and limbs down throughout the town.
May 2016Flash FloodPlatte-Heavy rain produced by thunderstorms caused flash flooding of several roads in the city of Platte.
June 2015Thunderstorm WindPlatte-Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including trees blown down.
July 2013Thunderstorm WindPlatte-Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including several branches blown down.
June 2011FloodPlatte-Runoff from heavy rain caused record flooding of Platte Creek, with several roads under water. The creek reached its highest level of 2.1 feet above flood stage near Platte at the end of the month.
July 2011FloodPlatte-Runoff from heavy rain caused continued record flooding of Platte Creek, with several roads under water. The creek crested at a record 2.7 feet above flood stage near Platte on July 8th.
June 2011Flash FloodPlatte-Very heavy rain caused flash flooding of several fields and roads, including sections of South Dakota Highways 44 and 50.
July 2010HailPlatte-Large hail was accompanied by wind gusts up to 50 mph. The wind driven hail caused an unknown amount of crop damage.
July 2010Flash FloodPlatte-Heavy rainfall, measured at 4.60 inches, flooded several rural roads, washing out at least one.
March 2009Thunderstorm WindPlatte-Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including numerous limbs and branches blown down.
June 2008HailPlatte-Large hail was accompanied by heavy rainfall of 1.50 inches.
August 2007Thunderstorm WindPlatte-Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including numerous 3 inch diameter branches blown down.
August 2007Thunderstorm WindPlatte-Thunderstorm winds blew the roof off a hog confinement building and scattered debris from the roof over a field.
April 2007HailPlatte-Large hail up to baseball size damaged vehicles and broke windows. The amount of damage was not known.
May 2007Thunderstorm WindPlatte-Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage.
May 2007HailPlatte-Large hail was accompanied by estimated 50 mph winds.
May 2007Tornado (EF0)Platte-A breif tornado caused no reported damage.
May 1999HailPlatte-Hail damaged crops near Platte. The amount of damage was not known.
August 1998Heavy RainPlatte-Heavy rain was measured at 9.5 inches by a cooperative observer. The rain flooded fields and contributed to crop damage caused by hail and wind during the storm.
August 1998HailPlatte-Large hail caused crop damage, with heavy rain and strong winds contributing to the damage. The amount of damage was not known.
August 1998Thunderstorm WindPlatte-Thunderstorm winds, along with heavy rain, aggravated crop damage caused by hail.
August 1998HailPlatte-A recurrence of large hail during a storm contributed to crop damage.
August 2024HailPlatte-no account filed
June 2020HailPlatte-no account filed
June 2020HailPlatte-no account filed
August 2019HailPlatte-no account filed
August 2019HailPlatte-no account filed
September 2019HailPlatte-no account filed
June 2017HailPlatte-no account filed
June 2017HailPlatte-no account filed
June 2017HailPlatte-no account filed
July 2017HailPlatte-no account filed
July 2017HailPlatte-no account filed
June 2010HailPlatte-no account filed
August 2008HailPlatte-no account filed
July 2007HailPlatte-no account filed
April 2007HailPlatte-no account filed
April 2007HailPlatte-no account filed
April 2007HailPlatte-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Charles Mix 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
Bovee5.9 miles9
Geddes12.1 miles9
Academy13.4 miles8
Wheeler (historical)15.8 miles9
Platte Colony16.0 miles8
Lake Andes22.6 miles11
Lake View Colony23.2 miles10
Dezera23.7 miles11

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 PlatteAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q1983451The 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 1265682. 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.