You can download four high-resolution JPG maps of Perkins County in one ZIP file from this page. The maps use Bison as a central reference and place Lemmon near the northeastern edge, then show the Grand River forks across the north, Rabbit Creek through the middle-south, and the Moreau River system farther south. The elevation layer adds a strong west-to-east contrast, with higher western ridges and lower river valleys toward the east and northeast.
The general county map is easiest to read by locating Bison first. Prairie City lies to the west along the same broad central corridor, road 75 provides a north-south reference west of Bison, and road 8 crosses the upper part of the county. Road 12 appears near the northeast, while roads 20 and 73 help locate the eastern and southeastern parts. Numerous blue tributaries cross the road network, so the county’s geography becomes much clearer when roads and waterways are read together.
The elevation map shows one of the county’s strongest visual patterns. Its legend reports an “Actual” range of about 273 to 964 meters and a mean near 793 meters. Broad brown terrain dominates the west and southwest, while greener lowlands expand toward the east and northeast. The North Fork Grand River and the Moreau River corridors align with many of those lower areas, making the water and elevation layers especially useful as a pair.
Table of Contents
Use Bison and road 75 to orient the middle of the county
Bison is the most practical anchor on the general map because it sits near the middle of Perkins County. Road 75 runs north-south to the west of Bison, and a long east-west road passes through the central part of the county. Prairie City lies farther west along that same broad corridor. Once Bison and Prairie City are located, the Grand River country to the north and the Rabbit Creek–Moreau River country to the south are easier to separate.
Road 8 crosses the upper interior, while road 12 is visible near the northeastern edge. A road labeled 858 appears on the upper western side near the Ellingson label. Farther south, road 10 crosses the lower-central part of the county, and roads 20 and 73 provide eastern references. These numbered roads are static map features rather than live traffic information, so current construction, closures, surface conditions, and travel times require a separate transportation source.
The general map also makes the drainage density obvious. Short blue channels appear across nearly every part of the county, especially away from the main road corridors. The specialized water layer adds names to the largest channels and reveals how several different river systems divide the county from north to south.
The city map highlights Lemmon and Bison without mileage connectors
The ranked city-distribution map emphasizes two places: Lemmon and Bison. Lemmon is placed near the northeastern edge of the county, while Bison is farther southwest in the central interior. Labels for neighboring counties—including Corson, Ziebach, Harding, Butte, and Meade—provide additional orientation around the county boundary.
No connector line or mileage value is drawn between Lemmon and Bison. Their separation on this map should therefore be read as relative position, not as a measured straight-line or driving distance. The CITY INDEX numbers are locator numbers for the selected cities and do not represent mileage, elevation, travel order, or importance. A dedicated distance or routing source is needed for an actual measurement.
The two map types serve different purposes. The general map provides Bison, Prairie City, roads, and many waterways, while the city map simplifies the county to its two ranked major-city markers and neighboring-county context. Checking Bison on both layers, then moving northeast toward Lemmon, gives a quick sense of how the central road network relates to the northern Grand River drainage.
Grand River forks dominate the north, while Rabbit Creek and Moreau River cross the south
The northern half of the terrain-and-water map is defined by the Grand River system. North Fork Grand River extends from the northwest toward the east, while South Fork Grand River follows another long course below it. Farther east, the Grand River label marks the larger channel associated with those forks. Flat Creek and Lonesome Creek provide smaller named references between the larger drainages.
The central-southern part of the county belongs to a different drainage group. Rabbit Creek makes a long diagonal course across the interior, with Timber Draw Creek approaching from the east and Antelope Creek labeled farther southwest. Moreau River crosses the lower part of the county, and South Fork Moreau River joins from the southwest. Deep Creek and Flint Rock Creek add smaller southern references, while Owen Lake and Dutton Lake provide two fixed water-body labels between the major channels.
This water layer is a geographic reference for stream and lake names and locations. It does not show real-time flow, water depth, water quality, flood zones, or navigability, and a blue stream line should not be treated as a parcel or legal boundary. For current source hydrography, consult an authoritative dataset such as USGS National Hydrography.
The elevation legend spans about 273–964 m, with higher western ridges and lower eastern valleys
The elevation map’s “Actual” line reports values of about 273 to 964 meters and a mean near 793 meters. The western and southwestern portions contain broad brown and tan areas that mark higher terrain. Moving east, the surface becomes greener, and the northeastern and eastern river valleys form the largest continuous low zones. The visual contrast is much stronger than the road map alone suggests.
The western high ground is not one flat surface. Numerous tributaries carve lower green and light-green channels through the ridges, leaving higher ground between them. In the north, the North Fork Grand River valley becomes especially low toward the east. Farther south, Rabbit Creek and the Moreau River system also follow lower corridors. Matching those channels to the water map makes the relationship between drainage and relief easy to see.
The elevation colors are designed for broad county-scale comparison rather than site measurement. They cannot provide a survey-grade elevation for a road point, building site, field corner, or engineering location. When a precise value is required, use official DEM products such as the USGS 3D Elevation Program or an appropriate survey.
Compare Bison and Prairie City to connect roads, drainage, and relief
Bison works well as a central comparison point. On the general map, several roads pass through or near the Bison area. On the water layer, Bison lies between the northern Grand River system and the southern Rabbit Creek–Moreau River system. On the elevation map, the central area sits between the higher western ridges and the larger lowlands farther east, making it a useful place to compare several map layers at once.
Prairie City provides a western reference. It appears west of Bison on the general map and lies within terrain that is generally higher than the eastern side of the county. Moving east from Prairie City crosses smaller creek valleys and then reaches the broader low corridors associated with the Grand River and Moreau River systems. Following the same locations across the maps connects roads, water, and elevation without turning the article into a list of map types.
The WebP images in the article are optimized for screen viewing. The download archive contains the corresponding original JPG files for the general county map, city-distribution map, terrain-and-water map, and elevation map. Each JPG is 2572 × 3638 pixels, which is better suited to A3 printing, presentations, classroom materials, and closer inspection of labels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the city map give the distance between Lemmon and Bison?
No. The city-distribution map shows the relative locations of Lemmon and Bison but includes no connector line or mileage label. Use a separate distance or routing source when an actual straight-line or driving distance is required.
Which map best shows the Grand River forks and Moreau River?
The terrain-and-water map is the clearest choice. North Fork and South Fork Grand River are labeled across the north, while Rabbit Creek and the Moreau River–South Fork Moreau River system occupy the central and southern portions.
Can the map-legend range of about 273–964 m be used as an exact property elevation?
No. Those values are the county-wide “Actual” range printed on the supplied elevation map, while the colored surface is intended for broad terrain comparison. Use official DEM or survey data when an exact elevation is required at a specific location.
Map File Information
The ZIP contains the original high-resolution JPG files for the Perkins County general map, city-distribution map, terrain and water map, and elevation map.
- Included Files: 4 JPG maps
- Printable Size: 2572 × 3638 px each
Related Maps
Sources and references
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line Shapefiles – official geographic source for county boundaries and base mapping data.
- USGS National Hydrography – official source for rivers, streams, lakes, and hydrographic data.
- USGS 3D Elevation Program – official source for elevation and DEM products.
- 2020 Census PL County Name API – Census API that can be used to verify Perkins County and South Dakota identifiers.
Green Map creates custom-edited map images using open geographic data sources such as geoBoundaries, Natural Earth, OpenStreetMap, and government open data.
These maps are edited visual materials, not raw data files, and are provided for education, documents, presentations, and graphic reference.
