White River, South Dakota
White River, Lakota: Makhízita wakpá, meaning “White Dirt River,” is a small city and the county seat of Mellette County, South Dakota. It was founded in 1911 when Mellette County was created and incorporated in 1912. The town is named after the nearby White River and covers about 0.52 square miles of land, sitting roughly 2,139 feet above sea level.
As of the 2020 census, about 533 people live in White River. The community observes Central Time (UTC-6 standard time, UTC-5 daylight time). The ZIP code is 57579 and the area code is 605. Frontier Days, a yearly celebration that began in 1912, features a parade, a rodeo, and a Lakota Wacipi (powwow).
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 15:36 (CET).