Geography of South Dakota - Location and Size

Location and Size

South Dakota is situated in the north-central United States, and is considered to be a part of the Midwest by the U.S. Census Bureau, although the Great Plains region also covers the state. Additionally, the culture, economy, and geography of western South Dakota has more in common with the West than the Midwest. The state has a total land area of 77,116 sq. miles (199,905 km²), making it the 17th largest in the Union. South Dakota is bordered to the north by North Dakota; to the south by Nebraska; to the east by Iowa and Minnesota; and to the west by Wyoming and Montana.

Two time zones cover South Dakota; the state is split roughly in half between the Central Time Zone (UTC-6) in the east and the Mountain Time Zone (UTC-7) in the west. The boundary between the two zones runs south down the Missouri River until Pierre, at which point the boundary roughly continues due south while the river turns southeast.

The North American continental pole of inaccessibility is in Bennett County, located 1024 mi (1650 km) from the nearest coastline, between Allen and Kyle (Shannon County) at 43°22′N 101°58′W / 43.36°N 101.97°W / 43.36; -101.97 (Pole of Inaccessibility North America).