US Land Life

South Dakota

Buying Land in Jones County, South Dakota

Central South Dakota's Jones County, seat Murdo, is the state's least populous county and its most recently organized one -- and it appears to be one of the many rural South Dakota counties that has never adopted county zoning. Its economy blends cattle ranching with a genuine Interstate 90 travel-corridor trade, anchored by the long-running 1880 Town attraction just outside Murdo.

No Evidence of Adopted County Zoning

Case-by-case / verify locally

We searched the state's own Dakota At Home government-services directory, county office listings, and ordinance archives, and found no Planning & Zoning department, ordinance, or planning commission listed for Jones County -- a contrast with neighboring and comparable counties (Lawrence, Lincoln, Grant, and others) that do have a dedicated Dakota At Home Planning & Zoning entry. This is consistent with, not an exception to, the pattern the state hub describes: county zoning is optional under SDCL Chapter 11-2, and Jones County appears to be one of the counties that has not adopted it. Land-use, building, and septic questions for a specific parcel should be confirmed directly with the County Auditor's office, since we found no separate planning department to route them through.

South Dakota's Least Populous, Most Recently Organized County

Could not confirm

Jones County recorded a 2020 Census population of 917, the smallest of any South Dakota county, and it is also the most recently created and organized county in the state (created by the legislature in 1916, organized in 1917). A very small population base means a thinner local government staff, fewer comparable sales for appraisal purposes, and a smaller pool of local contractors, well drillers, and septic installers than a more populous county -- plan for longer lead times on services and confirm current staffing directly with each office before assuming quick turnaround.

An I-90 Travel-Corridor Economy Alongside Ranching

Generally favorable

Murdo sits directly on Interstate 90 (with US Route 83 also passing through), and the area's economy carries a genuine tourism and travel-services layer beyond agriculture -- most visibly the "1880 Town" attraction just west of Murdo, a collection of more than 30 relocated turn-of-the-century buildings (plus film props from Dances With Wolves) that has drawn highway travelers since 1972, alongside the motels, restaurants, and fuel stops that an interstate exit supports. For a parcel near the interstate or Murdo itself, this travel-corridor commercial layer is a real, distinct land-use consideration from a purely agricultural or ranching tract elsewhere in the county.

Land use with no dedicated zoning office to check

Buyers coming from a zoned state should understand upfront that Jones County appears to be one of the South Dakota counties that has never adopted a comprehensive zoning ordinance. We checked the state's Dakota At Home directory of county government services, which lists a distinct "Planning and Zoning" entry for many South Dakota counties (Lawrence, Lincoln, and Grant Counties among them), and found no comparable entry for Jones County. We also found no ordinance, planning commission, or dedicated planning staff referenced anywhere in county records or news coverage we could locate. That doesn't mean anything goes -- state septic design standards under ARSD 74:53 still apply, and building and septic permits are still required -- but it does mean there's no zoning district map, use table, or setback ordinance specific to the county to review before you buy. Route zoning and land-use questions to the County Auditor's office, which appears to be the office of record for county administrative functions here, and confirm directly whether any use restriction, floodplain rule, or subdivision requirement applies to a specific parcel.

That absence of formal zoning is worth weighing alongside the county's very small size: at 917 residents as of the 2020 Census, Jones County is South Dakota's least populous county, and it's also the state's youngest county as a governmental unit -- created by the legislature in 1916 and organized the following year, the most recently organized of South Dakota's 66 counties. A small population means a lean county government (a handful of elected officials handling auditor, treasurer, register of deeds, and equalization functions out of the same courthouse building in Murdo) and a thin bench of local contractors, well drillers, and septic installers -- build extra lead time into any project that depends on local labor or equipment.

Ranching country with a real interstate travel-trade layer

Jones County's underlying economy is cattle ranching and small-grain and hay farming typical of central South Dakota's mixed-grass prairie, but Murdo's position directly on Interstate 90 -- with US Route 83 also crossing there -- gives the county seat a genuine second economic layer that a purely rural county lacks. As the area's rail-based economy declined through the 20th century, Murdo's role as a highway stop grew, supported by motels, restaurants, and fuel services serving interstate travelers, and reinforced by "1880 Town," a recreated turn-of-the-century prairie settlement first assembled by local ranchers starting in 1972 that today combines more than 30 relocated period buildings with film props from Dances With Wolves, drawing enough visitors that it's cited as generating more tourist traffic per capita than any other South Dakota town of its size.

For a land buyer, this means Jones County parcels split into fairly distinct categories: ranch and farm ground away from the interstate, priced and used like the rest of central South Dakota's cattle country, and land near the I-90/Murdo corridor where commercial travel-trade use, higher traffic exposure, and interstate access itself are part of the value proposition. Because there's no zoning ordinance sorting these uses into formal districts, confirm any existing commercial use, easement, or highway-access permit for a corridor-adjacent parcel directly with the county and, for anything touching the interstate right-of-way, the South Dakota Department of Transportation.

Who to Call Before Buying Land in Jones County

We could not identify any dedicated Jones County Planning & Zoning office, phone line, or staff -- unlike several other South Dakota counties, Jones County has no such entry in the state's Dakota At Home directory, which is itself consistent with the finding that the county has not adopted zoning. We're listing the Auditor's office as the practical first point of contact for land-use and permitting questions, but this is an inference from the county's organizational structure, not a confirmed statement that the Auditor formally handles zoning or building permits -- confirm the correct office for any specific building, septic, or subdivision question by calling the Auditor's office directly. We could not confirm a direct email for the Director of Equalization or Register of Deeds beyond their phone lines.

Other

Jones County Auditor

County administration, commissioner meeting agendas, and the first point of contact for land-use questions given the absence of a dedicated Jones County planning & zoning office.

Phone: (605) 669-7100Email: jonesaud@goldenwest.netOfficial website →

Assessor / Property Tax

Jones County Director of Equalization

Assessed value and property tax questions for a specific parcel.

Phone: (605) 669-7103Official website →

Recorder / Clerk / Land Records

Jones County Register of Deeds

Recorded deed, easement, and plat history for a specific parcel.

Phone: (605) 669-7104Official website →

Want to know if this specific parcel actually works?

Tell us what you're looking at and we'll connect you with a local land specialist who can help you sanity-check it before you go further.

Get local guidance

Topics Specific to Jones County

RV Parks and Campgrounds in Jones County, South Dakota →

Sources

  1. Jones County, South Dakota — Wikipedia (cross-checked against U.S. Census Bureau data) (accessed 2026-09)
  2. Jones County, South Dakota - QuickFacts — U.S. Census Bureau (accessed 2026-09)
  3. Auditor | Jones County — South Dakota Department of Social Services (Dakota At Home directory) (accessed 2026-09)
  4. Director of Equalization | Jones County — South Dakota Department of Social Services (Dakota At Home directory) (accessed 2026-09)
  5. Register of Deeds | Jones County — South Dakota Department of Social Services (Dakota At Home directory) (accessed 2026-09)
  6. Planning & Zoning | Lawrence County — South Dakota Department of Social Services (Dakota At Home directory) -- referenced to show the contrast with counties that do list a P&Z office (accessed 2026-09)
  7. Murdo, South Dakota — Wikipedia (accessed 2026-09)
  8. 1880 Town-South Dakota's Original — Travel South Dakota (official state tourism office) (accessed 2026-09)
  9. South Dakota's 1880 Town takes you from I-90 to the wild west — 2 Lane America (accessed 2026-09)
  10. Codified Law 11-2, County Planning and Zoning — South Dakota Legislature (accessed 2026-09)

Last reviewed 2026-09