Lead, South Dakota
Lead is a city of 3,006 people in Lawrence County, South Dakota, founded in 1876.
Why visit Lead
Townapedia lists 6 museums and landmarks, 2 parks and trails, 5 places to eat, 5 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Bella Union Saloon, Gem Theatre, Lead and Mount Theodore Roosevelt Monument.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; February lows average 18°F, and about 184 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Lead
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Lead
Lead is a city in Lawrence County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 2,982 at the 2020 census. Lead is located in western South Dakota, in the Black Hills near the Wyoming state line.
From the Wikipedia article Lead, South Dakota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Bella Union Saloon
Cinema and theater · 2.5 mi
Former saloon and theater in Deadwood, South Dakota, United States
Gem Theatre
Cinema and theater · 2.6 mi
Saloon in Deadwood, South Dakota, United States
Museums and landmarks6
Lead
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places
City in Lawrence County, South Dakota, United States of America
Mount Theodore Roosevelt Monument
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Historic monument in the Black Hills of South Dakota
St. Lawrence O'Toole Catholic Church
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Church building in South Dakota, United States of America
Adams Museum & House
Museum · 2.5 mi
Museum and historic house in Deadwood, South Dakota
Black Hills Mining Museum
Museum
323 West Main Street, Lead
Mo-Sa 09:00-17:00
Parks, trails and playgrounds2
Restaurants and cafes5
High Country Grub N Waterin' Hole
Cafe · American · 0.5 mi
32 Baltimore Street, Lead
Mo 08:00-20:00, Th-Fr 08:00-20:00, Sa-Su 07:00-20:00
Lotus Up Espresso & Deli
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Sandwich
95 East Main Street, Lead
Mo-Fr 06:00-18:00, Sa 06:00-16:00, Su 07:00-14:00
History
The city was officially founded on July 10, 1876, after the discovery of gold. The city was named for the leads or lodes of the deposits of valuable ores. It is the site of the Homestake Mine, the largest, deepest (8,240 feet [2,510 m]) and most productive gold mine in the Western Hemisphere before closing in January 2002. By 1910, Lead had a population of 8,382, making it the second-largest town in South Dakota.
Lead was founded as a company town by the Homestake Mining Company, which ran the nearby Homestake Mine. Phoebe Hearst, wife of George Hearst, one of the principals, was instrumental in making Lead more livable. She established the Hearst Free Public Library in town, and in 1900 the Hearst Free Kindergarten. Phoebe Hearst and Thomas Grier, the Homestake Mine superintendent, worked together to create the Homestake Opera House and Recreation Center for the benefit of miner workers and their families. Phoebe Hearst donated regularly to Lead's churches, and provided college scholarships from Lead–Deadwood school, with a staff of over 130, to the children of mine and mill workers.
In the early 1930s, due to fear of cave-ins of the miles of tunnels under Lead's Homestake Mine, many of the town's buildings located in the bottom of a canyon were moved further uphill to safer locations.
From the History section of Lead, South Dakota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay5
Copper Mountain Resort and Condominiums
Motel and hotel · 0.4 mi
900 Miners Avenue, Lead
Churches and places of worship2
Old Finnish Lutheran Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places
Shopping3
Havlik's Antique Emporium and Deadwood Decor
Shop · 1.6 mi
Cliff Street, Deadwood
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries7
Map of Lead
34 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38°F | 18°F | 1.5 in | 24.8 in |
| Feb | 39°F | 18°F | 1.8 in | 26.2 in |
| Mar | 47°F | 25°F | 2.2 in | 27.6 in |
| Apr | 54°F | 31°F | 3.5 in | 29.0 in |
| May | 63°F | 41°F | 4.9 in | 6.7 in |
| Jun | 74°F | 50°F | 3.8 in | 0.9 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 57°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 81°F | 55°F | 2.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 72°F | 47°F | 2.0 in | 1.8 in |
| Oct | 57°F | 35°F | 3.3 in | 19.3 in |
| Nov | 46°F | 25°F | 1.7 in | 22.3 in |
| Dec | 38°F | 18°F | 1.5 in | 25.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Lead (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
Lawrence County has had 11 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2020-04-05: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2019-10-07: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2013-11-08: Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2013-06-28: Severe Storms, Tornado, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2008-07-09: Severe Storms And Flooding (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, 9 miles away.
- Deadwood 3 mi northeast, about 5 min by car
- Boulder Canyon 9 mi east, about 14 min by car
- Mountain Plains 9 mi northwest, about 15 min by car
- Spearfish 10 mi north, about 16 min by car
- Whitewood 10 mi northeast, about 16 min by car
- Belle Fourche 22 mi north, about 35 min by car
- Colonial Pine Hills 32 mi southeast, about 52 min by car
- Rapid City 33 mi southeast, about 54 min by car
- Box Elder 38 mi southeast, about 1 h by car
- Custer 41 mi south, about 1 h 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
- Lead, South Dakota 1, Gary Chancey, Black Hills National Forest, Public domain
- Homestake Mine Visitor Center, Lead, SD 20110822 1, DXR, CC BY-SA 4.0
- LeadSD PostOffice, Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- LeadSD OldTownHall, Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- LeadSD MainStreetHouse, Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- LeadSD ChristChurch, Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- LeadSD CityHall, Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- LeadSD BlackHillsMiningMuseum, Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- LeadSD ResidentialArea, Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- LeadSD IOOFHall, Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Aerial view of the Homestake Mine, Lead, SD 2022-07-10, Schwerdf, CC BY 4.0
- Roundhouse and other buildings in Lead, South Dakota, Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- OLD FINNISH LUTHERAN CHURCH, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD, CC BY-SA 3.0
- FriendshipTower - Flickr - USDAgov, U.S. Department of Agriculture, CC BY 2.0
- Open Work, David Brossard, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Air Loco (37287547392), David Brossard, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Homestake's Open Cut Mine (3917166655), KimonBerlin, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Homestake's Open Cut Mine (3917167833), KimonBerlin, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Homestake Mine, South Dakota, 1900, Detroit Publishing Co., Public domain
- Ghost Farm, Black Hills, SD 1989 (6378913063), inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0
- CentralCitySD StLawrenceOTooleCatholicChurch, Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
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