South Dakota Highway 50

South Dakota Highway 50 (SD 50) is a state route serving south central and southeast South Dakota. The current alignment begins at the junction of South Dakota Highway 34 at "Lee's Corner" east of Fort Thompson, and ends at the Iowa border near Richland, where it continues as Iowa Highway 3. It is about 212 miles (341 km) in length.

Highway 50 marker
Highway 50
Route of SD 50 (in red)
Route information
Maintained by SDDOT
Length212.421 mi[1] (341.858 km)
Existed1926–present
Tourist
routes
Lewis and Clark Trail
Native American Scenic Byway
Major junctions
West end SD 34 east of Fort Thompson
Major intersections
East end Iowa 3 near Richland
Location
CountryUnited States
StateSouth Dakota
CountiesBuffalo, Brule, Charles Mix, Bon Homme, Yankton, Clay, Union
Highway system
  • South Dakota State Trunk Highway System
SD 49 SD 52

History

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SD 50 was designated on the route known as the Sunshine Highway. When it was formed in the 1920s, it traveled the entire length of southern South Dakota, from the Wyoming state line west of Edgemont, to the Iowa state line at Sioux City.

When U.S. Route 18 (US 18) was designated in the late 1920s, it replaced the SD 50 designation from the Wyoming state line at Ravinia (east of Lake Andes). SD 50 continued in southeast South Dakota.

Around 1940, SD 50 was extended northwest of its former terminus. It assumed a portion of alignment of SD 45 through Geddes, and SD 47 through Academy; the northern terminus became US 16 near Pukwana.

Around 1950, the eastern terminus was rerouted. At US 77 (with which it had previously shared a concurrency to Sioux City), SD 50 was extended east to the Iowa state line.

In 1975, the northwestern terminus was again extended. It was routed west to Chamberlain, then assumed a segment of SD 47 (which had been realigned west) to its new northern terminus at SD 34 east of Fort Thompson.[2]

Major intersections

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CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
BuffaloCrow Creek0.0000.000   SD 34 / Lewis and Clark Trail / Native American Scenic BywayWestern terminus
BruleChamberlain20.14532.420 
 
I-90 BL west
Western end of BL I-90 concurrency
23.331–
23.450
37.548–
37.739
 
 
 
 
I-90 west / I-90 BL begins / Native American Scenic Byway begins
Eastern terminus of BL I-90, western end of I-90 concurrency, exit 265.
Red Lake Township29.642–
30.237
47.704–
48.662
 
 
I-90 east
Eastern end of I-90 concurrency, exit 272.
Charles MixCastalia61.98699.757 
 
SD 44 west
Western end of SD 44 concurrency
64.074103.117 
 
SD 1804 south
Platte72.070115.985 
 
SD 45 north
Southern terminus of SD 45
DarlingtonClark
township line
78.999127.137 
 
SD 44 east
Eastern end of SD 44 concurrency
Jackson Township93.827151.000 
 
SD 1804 south
Lake Andes102.714165.302 
 
 
 
  US 18 west / US 281 south / Lewis and Clark Trail
Western end of US 18/US 281 concurrency
Plain CenterBryan
township line
112.611181.230 
 
 
 
US 18 east / US 281 north
Eastern end of US 18/US 281 concurrency
Wagner117.904189.748 
 
  SD 46 west / Lewis and Clark Trail
Western end of SD 46 concurrency
Lone TreeChoteau Creek
township line
126.743203.973 
 
SD 46 east
Eastern end of SD 46 concurrency
Bon HommeNorthwest Bon Homme137.056220.570 
 
SD 37 north
Western end of SD 37 concurrency
Southwest Bon Homme141.175227.199 
 
  SD 37 south / Lewis and Clark Trail
Eastern end of SD 37 concurrency
Southeast Bon Homme150.725242.568 
 
SD 25 north
Southern terminus of SD 25
156.817252.372 
 
  SD 52 west / Lewis and Clark Trail
Western end of SD 52 concurrency
YanktonWest Yankton161.701260.233 
 
  
 
 
SD 52 east / Lewis and Clark Trail / SD 52 Truck begins
Eastern end of SD 52 concurrency
164.738265.120 
 
SD 153 south – Gavin's Point Dam, Utica
Northern terminus of SD 153
165.322266.060 
 
  SD 314 east
Western terminus of SD 314
Yankton169.768273.215 
 
US 81 north – Freeman
Northern end of US 81 concurrency
172.435277.507 
 
 
 
  
 
 
US 81 south / SD 52 west / Lewis and Clark Trail / SD 52 Truck ends – Norfolk, NE
Eastern terminus of SD 52, southern end of US 81 concurrency
ClayVermillion Township194.864313.603 
 
 
SD 50 Bus. east – Vermillion Business District, Newcastle, NE
Western terminus of SD 50 Bus.
Vermillion196.882316.851  SD 19 – Vermillion, Newcastle, NE, CentervilleVermillion only signed eastbound; Newcastle, NE only signed westbound
Fairview Township197.238317.424 
 
 
  SD 50 Bus. west
Eastern terminus of SD 50 Bus.
UnionBrule Township202.894–
203.069
326.526–
326.808
  I-29 – Elk Point, BeresfordI-29 Exit 26.
209.632337.370 
 
SD 11 south – Elk Point
Northern terminus of southern segment of SD 11
PlymouthRichland Township212.421341.858 
 
Iowa 3 east
Continuation into Iowa
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

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  1. ^ a b "State Highway Log: Mitchell Region" (PDF). South Dakota Department of Transportation. January 2012. Retrieved 2013-12-23.
  2. ^ "Highway Division Makes Road Numbering Changes". The Sioux Falls Argus-Leader. March 20, 1975. p. 2 (32). Retrieved March 18, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.  
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