Box Elder, SD: Population, ZIP Codes & Nearby Cities

Looking for facts about Box Elder? It is a small incorporated city in Pennington County, South Dakota, with an estimated 10,228 people according to our dataset. It lies at 44.112°N, 103.083°W in Mountain time. The sections below cover its size, ZIP codes, neighbors and distances.

What are the key facts about Box Elder, SD?

What is the population of Box Elder, SD?

Box Elder has an estimated population of 10,228. That makes it the 12th largest of the 382 places we list in South Dakota, and the 2nd largest of 13 places in Pennington County. The typical place in South Dakota has about 287 residents, so Box Elder is roughly 35.6 times the size of a typical neighbor in the state.

Estimates for places of this size carry wider margins of error than those for big cities, so treat the figure as a guide to scale. Our guide to understanding city population numbers explains why sources disagree.

Places in South Dakota with a similar population include Spearfish (12,836), Vermillion (10,926), Brandon (10,074), Rapid Valley (9,114), Madison (7,270). Comparing these pages is a quick way to see how Box Elder differs from communities of the same scale.

How dense is Box Elder?

Box Elder has about 686 people per square mile (265 per square kilometer), which we classify as small-town or exurban. Within South Dakota, it is denser than about 61% of the listed places. Homes at this level are spread out with larger lots, and most daily trips involve a car, though a small central area may still be walkable. Read how to interpret population density to see how we draw these lines.

What ZIP codes does Box Elder use?

The postal data lists 3 ZIP codes for Box Elder: 57703, 57706, 57719. Several codes in one place usually reflect separate delivery areas, post offices or large buildings with their own code. Codes beginning with 5 are assigned to the Upper Midwest and northern Plains (Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, the Dakotas and Wisconsin). Learn more in our guide to how ZIP codes work or check any code with the ZIP code lookup.

What time zone is Box Elder in?

Box Elder is in the Mountain time zone, which is UTC−7 from Coordinated Universal Time in standard time (IANA zone America/Denver). The area observes daylight saving time, so clocks move forward in March and back in November. The nearest listed place in a different time zone is Pierre, SD, about 138 miles away, which gives a sense of how far the nearest zone boundary may be. Current local time: see the Mountain time hub. For the rules behind these zones, read US time zones explained.

Where is Box Elder located in South Dakota?

Box Elder lies in the western part of South Dakota, at 44.112° north latitude and 103.083° west longitude. The state capital, Pierre, is about 138 miles to the east. The closest listed place in another state is Chadron, NE, roughly 89 miles to the south, which shows how near Box Elder is to a state line. For big-city services, the nearest place with more than 100,000 people is Fort Collins, CO, 266 miles to the southwest.

Which cities are near Box Elder, SD?

The closest listed place to Box Elder is Rapid Valley, SD, 3.7 miles to the southwest. Of the eight nearest places below, 2 are in the same county. Distances are straight-line (great-circle) miles measured between place centers; see how distance is calculated.

Which county is Box Elder in?

Box Elder is in Pennington County, which has the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code 46103. The county contains 13 places in our data, 3 of which have their own page here and 10 smaller communities that appear only in county and state lists. Other places in the county include Rapid City (92,664), Rapid Valley (9,114), Colonial Pine Hills (2,396), Green Valley (1,227), Hill City (1,032). Codes like this one help separate places that share a name; see the guide to counties and FIPS codes.

How far is Box Elder from major US cities?

Among six major hubs, Box Elder is closest to Denver, CO at about 314 miles and farthest from New York, NY at about 1,498 miles in a straight line. Road distances are usually 10 to 30 percent longer. Try the distance calculator for any other pair.

Are there other places called Box Elder?

Yes. Our data lists 1 other place named Box Elder: Box Elder, MT (47). When you search for Box Elder, add the state or county so you land on the right one. This page covers the Box Elder in Pennington County, South Dakota.

Planning a move to Box Elder?

If you are weighing Box Elder, start with the practical numbers: how far it is from where you live, whether it changes your time zone, and how its size and density compare with your current city. Use the distance calculator to measure the trip from where you live. The radius search tool lists every place within any distance of it. Our checklist for comparing cities explains what to check next.

Where to go next

Population and density come from a compiled dataset and are estimates. They may differ from official Census Bureau counts. Verify important figures at census.gov.