White River is a city in Mellette County, South Dakota, home to about 606 people across 0.5 square miles. Its ZIP code is 57579.
Mostly White River; also Horse Creek
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| Nearest major airport | Eppley Airfield (OMA)292 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Pierre Regional Airport (PIR)61 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Lincoln, NE282 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Chicago, IL673 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of White River; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
White River had 533 residents in the 2020 census, down 11% since 2000.
It’s the 131st largest of 440 towns in South Dakota by population.
Mellette County grew from 1,700 residents in 1910 to 1,918 in 2020.
Mellette County, 1910–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 90°F in summer, and winter lows average 12°F. About 20.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 40 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Cedar Butte, SD weather station (14 miles away).
156 jobs at 21 businesses in Mellette County. The biggest industries by number of businesses:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
1 doctors and other health care providers list an office in White River.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 1 |
|---|---|
| Pharmacies | 1 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (1 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 1 mile of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Public schools here are run by White River School District 47-1. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White River Elementary - 02White River | Pre-K–5 | 172 | Public | 0.1 mi |
| White River Middle School - 04White River | 6–8 | 93 | Public | 0.1 mi |
| White River High School - 01White River | 9–12 | 112 | Public | 0.1 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Horse Creek.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.