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Traffic heat map of Lincoln County, South Dakota: 450 miles of roads shaded from blue (light) to red (heavy traffic), busiest on I 229 and Louise Avenue

Lincoln County, South Dakota Traffic Counts

Our Lincoln County, South Dakota traffic data covers 5,110 road segments over 450 road miles, with an average segment of just 465 ft. Its average highway carries more trucks than in any other county in South Dakota, about 1,354 a day. Whether you are evaluating a new retail location, planning routes or assessing infrastructure, these numbers replace guesswork.
Data sourced from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform.
Data current as of:
Q3 2026
Updated:
September 29, 2026
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Total Traffic Volume & Performance in Lincoln County, South Dakota

Traffic

The average number of vehicles that travel each day over any road in the road network.

vehicles per day3,089
Trucks

The percentage of the total traffic volume composed of heavy vehicles.

9.3%
Average travel time

The average time of travel averaged among all vehicles traveling on the road network.

27.6 min
Congestion ratio

The rate at which the actual travel time exceeds free-flow travel time, averaged among all roads in the network.

11.5%
Drivers’ average age

Average age of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

43.1 yrs
Drivers’ average income

Average income of residents in the geographic areas where the vehicle trips originated.

$96,117

A typical monitored road in Lincoln County, South Dakota sees 3,089 vehicles per day, while its 450 miles of monitored roads together handle 1,425,504 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈520 million per year). About 1 in 11 vehicles is a truck, in line with South Dakota (10.3%).

Shorter trips than 95% of counties in South Dakota

Lincoln's average daily traffic volume of 3,089 vehicles per day is on par with the state average of 3,156. Network-wide, Lincoln accounts for about 5.8% of South Dakota's statewide total of vehicle-miles. 88% of counties in South Dakota see less traffic than Lincoln's 3,089 vehicles per day.

At 27.6 minutes, the average travel time is 15% lower than the state level. On travel time, Lincoln runs shorter than 95% of counties in South Dakota.

Congestion is somewhat lower than the state level, at a ratio of 11.5% (11% lower) - relevant for traffic control and delivery planning.

Highway vs. Non-Highway Traffic Analysis

highway traffic icon

Highway Traffic in Lincoln County, South Dakota

Trafficvehicles per day10,007
Trucks14.8%
Average travel time38.3 min
Drivers’ average age43.4 yrs
Drivers’ average income$88,302

Highways carry a significant share of travel in Lincoln County, South Dakota: 40% of all vehicle-miles. The average highway carries 10,007 vehicles per day, 240% more than the average non-highway road in the same area, which carries 2,942 vehicles per day.

With 14% of the road miles (62 miles in 106 segments), highways punch above their length, carrying 564,036 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈206 million per year).

That puts Lincoln among the top 5 counties in South Dakota for highway travel volume.

The most highway trucks of any county in South Dakota

The concentration of trucks on highways (14.8%) is 9% higher than the state average for similar road classifications. The highway traffic mix is typical for South Dakota: neither freight- nor commuter-dominated.

56% of counties in South Dakota see a lower highway truck share than Lincoln's 14.8%. Lincoln also moves the highest raw count of highway trucks in South Dakota, at roughly 1,354 per day.

non-highway traffic icon

Non-highway Traffic in Lincoln County, South Dakota

Trafficvehicles per day2,942
Trucks5.6%
Average travel time27.4 min
Congestion ratio11.5%
Drivers’ average age43.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income$99,602

Local roads carry more than half of all travel in Lincoln County, South Dakota (60% of vehicle-miles). A typical local road sees 2,942 vehicles per day.

Local roads make up 86% of the monitored road miles (388 miles in 5,004 segments) but carry less than their share of travel: 861,468 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈314 million per year). The truck share on non-highway roads is 5.6%.

The highest driver income of any county in South Dakota

Non-highway roads carry a truck concentration that's 62% lower than the highway network.

Non-highway congestion (11.5%) runs slightly lower than the state level (10% lower).

Trips here originate from the highest average driver income in South Dakota, at $96,117. 85% of counties in South Dakota have an older driver population than Lincoln.

Time-of-Day & Seasonal Patterns

peak hours icon
Peak Traffic Windows
Weekday peaks:
AM peak 7:00 AM–8:00 AM and PM peak 4:00 PM–7:00 PM, with volumes reaching approximately 88% higher than the daily average.
Weekend traffic:
Weekend traffic is about as busy as on weekdays (-2%): leisure and through trips largely replace the commute.
seasonal traffic icon
Seasonal Fluctuation
Busy season:
June–August is the high season, with volumes +13% versus the annual average.
Lowest month:
January is the quietest month, with volumes -20% versus the annual average - the usual winter low.

Data Finding: Hourly & Seasonal Patterns

In Lincoln County, South Dakota, the peak hour concentrates about 8% of the day's traffic, and there is a strong seasonal swing of +13% in high season.

Lincoln County vs. South Dakota Traffic Comparison

Lincoln County stays close to the South Dakota average; the largest gap is its average travel time, 15% below.

MetricLincoln CountySouth Dakota averageDifference
Traffic3,0893,156-2.1%
Truck % (Total Traffic)9.3%10.3%-9.8%
Truck % (Highway)14.8%13.6%+9.3%
Avg. Travel Time27.6 min32.5 min-14.9%

How Lincoln County compares

Lincoln County has the shortest trips among its nearby counties

Against the 4 nearest areas, Lincoln County sees 20.2% shorter typical trips; it has the second busiest roads of the five. Busier roads and shorter trips together - destinations here sit closer to one another than in the areas around it.

Lincoln County and the 4 nearest county-level areas by centroid distance, with the South Dakota average for scale.
AreaAverage daily trafficTruck shareDaily vehicle-milesAverage travel timeCongestion ratio
Lincoln County3,0899.3%1,425,50427.6 min11.5%
Turner County, South Dakota8127.6%152,12837.8 minN/A
Clay County, South Dakota1,6078.6%244,63531.7 min8.8%
Lyon County, Iowa1,3459.3%355,01637.6 min6.5%
Minnehaha County, South Dakota5,9657.7%3,884,83431.4 min13.4%
South Dakota average3,15610.3%N/A32.5 min12.9%

Lincoln County ranked within South Dakota

Lincoln County leads South Dakota on 2 of the measures below: highway truck volume and average driver income.

Lincoln County ranked among 66 county-level areas in South Dakota (1 = highest); measures without data in every county rank a smaller field, down to 49.
MeasureLincoln CountySouth Dakota rank
Traffic volume (AADT)3,089#9 of 66
Highway vehicle-miles per day564,036#5 of 49
Truck share on highways14.8%#22 of 49
Highway trucks per day1,485#1 of 49
Average travel time27.6 min#63 of 66
Average driver income$96,117#1 of 66
Average driver age43.1 yrs#56 of 66

Lincoln County ranks #1 of 49 on highway truck volume but #63 of 66 on average travel time - the two describe the same roads and are worth reading together rather than either on its own.

Busiest roads in Lincoln County, South Dakota

The three busiest roads in Lincoln County average 21,878 vehicles a day, 7.1 times the county average of 3,089 across all its monitored roads.

I 229 leads with 25,009 vehicles a day, 1,616 of them trucks (6.5%). I 29 carries the most trucks, 2,915 a day (14.6% of its traffic), although it ranks #3 for all traffic.

Trips using I 29 are long: a median of 38.1 minutes against 27.6 county-wide, the mark of a through route.

Trucks make up 14.6% of traffic on I 29, against 9.3% across all roads in the county.

Few trucks use Louise Avenue: 4.0% of its traffic, under half the county's 9.3%.

Ranked by daily traffic (AADT)

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1I 229Motorway · 25,009vehicles1,616trucks · 6.5%
Road class
Motorway
Median trip time
31.3 min
Drivers’ median age
43.5 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$93,289

I 229 carries 8.1 times the county average at its busiest, 1,616 of them trucks (6.5%, below the county-wide 9.3%).

2Louise AvenueSecondary road · 20,653vehicles829trucks · 4.0%
Road class
Secondary road
Congestion ratio
29.3%
Median trip time
26.4 min
Drivers’ median age
42.8 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$98,060

Travel on Louise Avenue's busiest stretch runs 29% over free-flow time, against 11% across the county, so expect slower peak hours.

3I 29Motorway · 19,971vehicles2,915trucks · 14.6%
Road class
Motorway
Median trip time
38.1 min
Drivers’ median age
43.4 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$89,661

I 29 carries 6.5 times the county average on its busiest stretch, where the median trip lasts 38.1 minutes.

4Western AvenueSecondary road · 16,730vehicles598trucks · 3.6%
Road class
Secondary road
Congestion ratio
30.9%
Median trip time
26.2 min
Drivers’ median age
42.9 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$100,265

Western Avenue is one of the more congested roads here: trips take 31% longer than at free-flow speed, against 11% county-wide.

5Gateway BoulevardSecondary road · 14,310vehicles817trucks · 5.7%
Road class
Secondary road
Median trip time
25.7 min
Drivers’ median age
42.3 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$103,343

At 4.6 times the county average, Gateway Boulevard draws drivers from neighborhoods averaging $103,343 in household income.

Ranked by trucks per day

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1I 29Motorway · #3 by traffic19,971vehicles2,915trucks · 14.6%
2I 229Motorway · #1 by traffic25,009vehicles1,616trucks · 6.5%
3SD Highway 11Primary road · 9,384vehicles838trucks · 8.9%
Road class
Primary road
Median trip time
26.1 min
Drivers’ median age
44.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$110,742

The busiest stretch of SD Highway 11 carries 3.0 times the county average; trucks are 8.9% of it, in line with the county-wide 9.3%.

4Louise AvenueSecondary road · #2 by traffic20,653vehicles829trucks · 4.0%
5Gateway BoulevardSecondary road · #5 by traffic14,310vehicles817trucks · 5.7%
How to read these road counts
  • The first number is AADT, annual average daily traffic: the vehicles passing a point on an average day, both directions combined and trucks included. On a divided highway both carriageways are added together.
  • Traffic changes along a road, with more near interchanges and towns and less in open country. Every figure for a road describes its busiest stretch in the county, so the two rankings show the same numbers for the same road.
  • The second number is the trucks on that stretch, a part of its AADT. The bar splits the AADT into cars and light vehicles (blue) and trucks (amber).
  • See segment-level AADT for any road on TrafficZoom.

Data Sources & Methodology

The data presented on this page is derived from TrafficZoom's proprietary analytics platform, which aggregates and normalizes information from multiple sources, including:

Mobile device location data (anonymized and aggregated)

Road sensor networks and traffic counters

Historical traffic pattern databases

Public traffic count programs published by the

LincolnDepartment of Transportation

Demographic Baseline for O-D Modeling

U.S. Census Bureau
All metrics represent estimates based on statistical modeling and are intended for strategic planning purposes.
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Data current as of:
Q3 2026

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Counties near Lincoln County

The same traffic breakdown for the areas closest to Lincoln County, South Dakota.

Need segment-level traffic data?

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