Buffalo County, SD zoning map, flood zone and property lines by address
Free, no account. Or open the South Dakota map and tap a lot.
Towns in Buffalo County: Fort Thompson.
Flood zone by address
ParcelSheet reads FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer at the lot: the zone, whether it is a high risk area where lenders ask for flood insurance, and the base flood elevation where FEMA lists one. FEMA has 2 FIRM panels covering Buffalo County, the newest effective May 2004; no coastal V zones are mapped in it.
The official panel and any Letter of Map Amendment are at FEMA's Map Service Center. An elevation certificate for a Buffalo house comes from a licensed surveyor and is often on file with the county or city building office.
Property lines
The parcel outline, parcel number and mapped size come from the South Dakota county parcel layers (each county publishes its own), so a Buffalo lot shows the same lines the county director of equalization draws. Buffalo County covers about 301,699 acres of land and 10,468 acres of water.
Mapped lines are approximate. The Buffalo County director of equalization keeps the parcel record (Buffalo County website); a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
Zoning
Buffalo County zones its unincorporated land. ParcelSheet shows the use the county director of equalization lists for the lot and links the county planning and zoning office for the district, the uses it allows and the lot size it needs.
ADU and guest houses
Under South Dakota's county planning and zoning law (South Dakota Codified Laws Chapter 11-2), local governments can allow an accessory dwelling unit on a lot with a house. Whether a Buffalo lot can add one depends on its district; the county planning and zoning office has the rule. ParcelSheet shows the mapped lot size and the ground's slope, the first two things the question turns on.
Septic and soil
ParcelSheet reads the USDA soil survey at the lot: the soil's name, its septic absorption rating and whether it is prime farmland. Buffalo County is soil survey area SD603, Brule and Buffalo Counties, South Dakota, last updated September 2026, on Web Soil Survey.
A new or changed septic system in Buffalo County must follow the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources onsite rules, installed by a state certified installer; Buffalo County may add its own permit.
Setbacks
Setbacks in Buffalo County come from the zoning district: the front, side and rear distances a house must keep. ParcelSheet does not draw setback lines; the county zoning office gives them for the lot's district.
Hazards that apply
- Wetlands and wildfire. ParcelSheet shows the National Wetlands Inventory near a Buffalo lot and the Forest Service wildfire hazard rating at it.
Questions
Is my house in a flood zone in Buffalo County?
Type the address in the box above and ParcelSheet reads FEMA's flood zone at the lot's center. FEMA has 2 flood map panels covering Buffalo County, the newest effective May 2004. A lender or insurer uses the official FIRM panel; FEMA's Map Service Center has it.
How do I find property lines in Buffalo County?
Open the South Dakota map, type the address, and the parcel outline from the Buffalo County director of equalization shows on the map with its parcel number and mapped size. Mapped lines are approximate; only a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
What is my property zoned in Buffalo County?
Zoning in Buffalo County is set by the county for unincorporated land and by each city inside its own limits. ParcelSheet shows the use code the county director of equalization lists and links the office that sets the zoning; the planning office has the final word.
Can I build an ADU in Buffalo County?
Under South Dakota's county planning and zoning law (South Dakota Codified Laws Chapter 11-2), counties and cities can allow an accessory dwelling unit, and each sets its own rules. In Buffalo County ask the zoning office for the lot's district first; ParcelSheet shows the lot size as mapped so you can see the room you have.
Do I need a septic permit in Buffalo County?
Yes. A new or changed septic system in Buffalo County must follow the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources onsite rules, installed by a state certified installer; Buffalo County may add its own permit. ParcelSheet shows the USDA soil survey's septic rating at the lot, from survey area SD603 (Brule and Buffalo Counties, South Dakota).
What can I build on 5 acres in Buffalo County?
Zoning in Buffalo County is set by the county for unincorporated land and each city inside its own limits. The zoning district decides the uses, how many homes and the smallest lot it allows on 5 acres. ParcelSheet shows the lot size as mapped and the use code on the parcel record; the planning office has the district and its rules. See the Buffalo County website.
What are the residential setbacks in Buffalo County (2026)?
Setbacks in Buffalo County come from the zoning code of the county, or of the city when the lot is inside city limits: the front, side and rear distances depend on the lot's district. ParcelSheet does not draw setback lines or give a number it did not read; the zoning office gives them for the district. See the Buffalo County website.
Next to Buffalo County: Brule County, Hand County, Jerauld County, Lyman County.
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