Belle Fourche, South Dakota
Belle Fourche is a city of 5,804 people in Butte County, South Dakota.
Why visit Belle Fourche
Townapedia lists 15 museums and landmarks, 9 parks and trails, 14 places to eat, 7 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Hay Creek Bridge, Belle Fourche Commercial Historic District and Belle Fourche Band Shell.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 87°F; January lows average 13°F, and about 42 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Belle Fourche
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Belle Fourche
Belle Fourche (; bel-FOOSH) is a city in and the county seat of Butte County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 5,617 at the 2020 census, and was estimated to be 5,855 in 2024, making it the 18th-most populous city in South Dakota. It is near the geographic center of the United States, which moved some 550 miles (885 km) northwest from the geographic center of the contiguous United States in Lebanon, Kansas with the admission of Alaska and Hawaii in the mid-20th century.
From the Wikipedia article Belle Fourche, South Dakota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Hay Creek Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Road bridge in Belle Fourche, United States of America
Museums and landmarks15
Belle Fourche Commercial Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Historic district in Belle Fourche, South Dakota
Belle Fourche Band Shell
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Band shell in Belle Fourche
Butte County Courthouse and Historic Jail Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Historic site in Belle Fourche, South Dakota
Lincoln School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic school building located in Belle Fourche, South Dakota, United States
Minnesela Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic bridge in South Dakota, United States
Thomas Haskins Gay House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
House in Belle Fourche, South Dakota
Wide Awake Grocery Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Historic Building
3 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds9
Restaurants and cafes14
Pizza Hut
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.5 mi
1824 5th Avenue, Belle Fourche
Su-Tu 11:00-21:00; We-Sa 11:00-22:00
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich · 0.5 mi
1819 5th Avenue, Belle Fourche
Mo-Fr 07:00-22:00; Sa 07:00-21:00; Su 08:00-21:00
2 more on the map.
History
Belle Fourche, French for "beautiful fork", was named by French explorers from New France, referring to the confluence of what is now known as the Belle Fourche and Redwater Rivers and the Hay Creek. Beaver trappers worked these rivers until the mid-19th century, and Belle Fourche became a well-known fur-trading rendezvous point. During and after the gold rush of 1876, farmers and ranchers settled in the fertile valleys, growing food for the miners and their animals. At the time, the open plains for hundred of miles in all directions were also being filled with huge herds of Texas and Kansas cattle. Towns sprang up to serve the ever-changing needs of the farmers and ranchers. In 1884, the Marquis de Mores, a French nobleman and contemporary of Theodore Roosevelt, established a stagecoach line between Medora, North Dakota and Deadwood, South Dakota. The Belle Fourche way station included a stage barn and a saloon.
From the History section of Belle Fourche, South Dakota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay7
Churches and places of worship8
First Congregational United Church of Christ
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
St James Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 0.8 mi
1100 Stanley Street, Belle Fourche
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 0.9 mi
1105 Todd Street, Belle Fourche
United Church of Christ & Congregational
Church · United · 0.5 mi
717 Jackson Street, Belle Fourche
Shopping4
Gas and EV charging9
Schools, colleges and libraries9
Belle Fourche Education Connection - 09
School · 0.8 mi
1301 12Th Ave, Belle Fourche
Healthcare4
Map of Belle Fourche
80 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°F | 13°F | 0.4 in | 5.5 in |
| Feb | 39°F | 15°F | 0.5 in | 6.7 in |
| Mar | 50°F | 24°F | 1.2 in | 7.2 in |
| Apr | 59°F | 33°F | 2.1 in | 5.2 in |
| May | 68°F | 44°F | 3.0 in | 1.3 in |
| Jun | 79°F | 54°F | 3.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 87°F | 60°F | 2.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 57°F | 1.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 46°F | 1.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 62°F | 35°F | 1.7 in | 2.6 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 24°F | 0.7 in | 3.9 in |
| Dec | 37°F | 15°F | 0.6 in | 9.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Belle Fourche (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Butte County has had 15 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2022-08-02: Severe Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-04-05: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-10-07: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2019-09-23: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2017-02-01: Severe Winter Storm (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Clyde Ice Field (SPF) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 13 miles away.
- North Spearfish 11 mi south, about 17 min by car
- Spearfish 12 mi south, about 19 min by car
- Mountain Plains 14 mi south, about 22 min by car
- Whitewood 18 mi southeast, about 28 min by car
- Deadwood 20 mi south, about 33 min by car
- Lead 22 mi south, about 35 min by car
- Boulder Canyon 22 mi southeast, about 36 min by car
- Sturgis 25 mi southeast, about 40 min by car
- Rapid City 52 mi southeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Box Elder 54 mi southeast, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Narrow building in Belle Fourche, Bradleygee, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Belle Fourche Baand Shell NRHP 16000823 Butte County, SD, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
- BUTTE COUNTY COURTHOUSE, BELLE FOURCHE, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- WIDE AWAKE GROCERY BUILDING, BELLE FOURCHE, BUTTE COUNTY, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- THOMAS HASKINS GAY HOUSE. BELLE FOURCHE, BUTTE COUNTY, JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Smal House NRHP 91001617 Butte County, SD, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lincoln School NRHP 01000098 Butte County, SD, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- First Congregational United Church Of Christ NRHP 13000571 Butte County, SD, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Utah State's Fee Busby at the Rangeland Health Training in South Dakota (7599595288), USDA NRCS South Dakota, Public domain
- National Rangeland Health Training (7599448170), USDA NRCS South Dakota, Public domain
- Ecological Site Determination (7593159622), USDA NRCS South Dakota, Public domain
- National Rangeland Health Training - Monitoring Techniques (7598789408), USDA NRCS South Dakota, Public domain
- National Rangeland Health Training (7598782296), USDA NRCS South Dakota, Public domain
- Ecological Site Determinations (7598781652), USDA NRCS South Dakota, Public domain
- National Rangeland Health Training - Monitoring Techniques (7598789038), USDA NRCS South Dakota, Public domain
- Soil Texturing for Ecological Site Determinations (7593159910), USDA NRCS South Dakota, Public domain
- Roosevelt School NRHP 100003438 Butte County, SD, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 4.0
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