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Traffic heat map of McCook County, South Dakota: 243 miles of roads shaded from blue (light) to red (heavy traffic), busiest on Purple Heart Memorial Highway

McCook County, South Dakota Traffic Counts

Traffic analytics for McCook County, South Dakota, calculated from real-world mobile and sensor networks on 1,219 road segments (243 road miles, about 1,054 ft each). Its highways rank among the top 5 counties in South Dakota for trucks per day. Use the figures below to move from assumptions to certainty on retail locations, logistics and road planning.
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 McCook County, South Dakota

Traffic

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

vehicles per day1,004
Trucks

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

13.9%
Average travel time

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

34.6 min
Drivers’ average age

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

45.6 yrs
Drivers’ average income

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

$78,359

Our data shows 1,004 vehicles per day on the average road in McCook County, South Dakota, and 496,446 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈181 million per year) across its 243 miles of monitored roads. Trucks are 13.9% of traffic, more than the 10.3% across South Dakota.

Traffic 68% below the South Dakota average

McCook's average daily traffic volume is 68% lower than the state average - 1,004 vehicles per day against 3,156 - suggesting less traffic load per road - very light roads: easy truck access, but little passing trade for roadside retail. Network-wide, McCook accounts for about 2.0% of South Dakota's statewide total of vehicle-miles. 57% of counties in South Dakota see more traffic than McCook's 1,004 vehicles per day.

The average trip takes 34.6 minutes, 7% higher than the state level. 62% of counties in South Dakota have a longer average travel time than McCook's 34.6 minutes.

Highway vs. Non-Highway Traffic Analysis

highway traffic icon

Highway Traffic in McCook County, South Dakota

Trafficvehicles per day2,952
Trucks15.9%
Average travel time48.9 min
Drivers’ average age45.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income$76,109

Highways carry most of the traffic in McCook County, South Dakota: 77% of all vehicle-miles. The average highway carries 2,952 vehicles per day, 283% more than the average non-highway road in the same area, which carries 771 vehicles per day.

Highways make up 27% of the monitored road miles (67 miles, 130 segments), so they carry more than their share: 383,911 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈140 million per year).

That is more highway travel volume than 81% of counties in South Dakota.

More highway trucks than 92% of counties in South Dakota

Highway truck concentration here runs 17% higher than the state average, at 15.9%. Highways here lean toward freight, so highway access is a real asset for logistics operators.

By truck concentration, highways here outrank 75% of counties in South Dakota. 92% of counties in South Dakota see fewer highway trucks per day than McCook's roughly 469.

non-highway traffic icon

Non-highway Traffic in McCook County, South Dakota

Trafficvehicles per day771
Trucks7.2%
Average travel time33.0 min
Drivers’ average age49.0 yrs
Drivers’ average income$81,680

At 23% of vehicle-miles, local roads carry a smaller share of the traffic in McCook County, South Dakota than highways. The average non-highway road carries 771 vehicles per day.

Local roads make up 73% of the monitored road miles (177 miles in 1,089 segments) but carry less than their share of travel: 112,534 vehicle-miles traveled per day (≈41.1 million per year). The truck share on non-highway roads is 7.2%.

Drivers from higher-income areas than 85% of counties in South Dakota

Compared to highways, non-highway routes see 54% fewer trucks by share.

Trip origins here have higher average income than 85% of counties in South Dakota. McCook's median driver age is lower than 82% of counties in South Dakota.

Time-of-Day & Seasonal Patterns

Data Finding: Hourly & Seasonal Patterns

In McCook County, South Dakota, the peak hour concentrates about 7% of the day's traffic.

McCook County vs. South Dakota Traffic Comparison

The average daily traffic per road sets McCook County apart: 68% below the South Dakota average. Its truck share, by contrast, is 35% above.

MetricMcCook CountySouth Dakota averageDifference
Traffic1,0043,156-68.2%
Truck % (Total Traffic)13.9%10.3%+35.4%
Truck % (Highway)15.9%13.6%+16.9%
Avg. Travel Time34.6 min32.5 min+6.7%

How McCook County compares

McCook County moves more traffic than any nearby county

Compared with its 4 closest neighbours, McCook County moves 2.8 times the total daily travel; it has the second busiest roads of the five. It is bigger rather than busier: the extra travel comes from carrying more road, not from heavier roads.

McCook 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
McCook County1,00413.9%496,44634.6 minN/A
Hanson County, South Dakota94415.1%319,89730.0 minN/A
Turner County, South Dakota8127.6%152,12837.8 minN/A
Lake County, South Dakota1,7287.4%188,12830.2 minN/A
Miner County, South Dakota73110.8%59,73648.7 minN/A
South Dakota average3,15610.3%N/A32.5 min12.9%

McCook County ranked within South Dakota

Highway truck volume places McCook County #5 of 49 in South Dakota - the top quarter of the state.

McCook 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.
MeasureMcCook CountySouth Dakota rank
Traffic volume (AADT)1,004#38 of 66
Highway vehicle-miles per day383,911#10 of 49
Truck share on highways15.9%#13 of 49
Highway trucks per day469#5 of 49
Average travel time34.6 min#41 of 66
Average driver income$78,359#11 of 66
Average driver age45.6 yrs#54 of 66

McCook County ranks #5 of 49 on highway truck volume but #54 of 66 on average driver age - the two describe the same roads and are worth reading together rather than either on its own.

Busiest roads in McCook County, South Dakota

Traffic concentrates on a few corridors: the three busiest roads average 6,669 vehicles a day, against 1,004 on the average road in McCook County.

Purple Heart Memorial Highway is the busiest road, at 13,652 vehicles a day, 2,168 of them trucks (15.9%). No other road comes close: Nebraska Street, in second place, carries 4,426. It tops the truck ranking too, with the most trucks.

Trips using US 81 are long: a median of 64.1 minutes against 34.6 county-wide, the mark of a through route.

Ranked by daily traffic (AADT)

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1Purple Heart Memorial HighwayMotorway · 13,652vehicles2,168trucks · 15.9%
Road class
Motorway
Median trip time
48.9 min
Drivers’ median age
44.9 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$76,120

Purple Heart Memorial Highway carries through traffic: the median trip using it lasts 48.9 minutes, against 34.6 for the county.

2Nebraska StreetPrimary road · 4,426vehicles383trucks · 8.7%
Road class
Primary road
Median trip time
28.6 min
Drivers’ median age
49.2 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$77,758

At 4.4 times the county average, Nebraska Street draws drivers from neighborhoods averaging $77,758 in household income.

3441st AvenuePrimary road · 1,928vehicles190trucks · 9.8%
Road class
Primary road
Median trip time
31.1 min
Drivers’ median age
50.1 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$78,391

441st Avenue carries 92% more than the county average on its busiest stretch, where the median trip lasts 31.1 minutes.

4SD 38Secondary road · 1,700vehicles93trucks · 5.5%
Road class
Secondary road
Median trip time
34.5 min
Drivers’ median age
47.4 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$84,417

At 69% more than the county average, SD 38 draws drivers from neighborhoods averaging $84,417 in household income.

5254th StreetSecondary road · 1,577vehicles80trucks · 5.1%
Road class
Secondary road
Median trip time
33.7 min
Drivers’ median age
48.1 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$81,564

254th Street is busy by local standards, at 57% more than the county average on its busiest stretch; trucks are 5.1% of it, below the county-wide 13.9%.

Ranked by trucks per day

Cars and light vehiclesTrucks
1Purple Heart Memorial HighwayMotorway · #1 by traffic13,652vehicles2,168trucks · 15.9%
2Nebraska StreetPrimary road · #2 by traffic4,426vehicles383trucks · 8.7%
3268th StreetTrunk road · 1,295vehicles227trucks · 17.5%
Road class
Trunk road
Median trip time
62.0 min
Drivers’ median age
51.6 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$73,418

Drivers on 268th Street are on long journeys, a median 62.0 minutes against 34.6 county-wide: a through route more than a local street.

4US 81Trunk road · 1,214vehicles213trucks · 17.5%
Road class
Trunk road
Median trip time
64.1 min
Drivers’ median age
51.3 yrs
Drivers’ average income
$74,238

US 81 peaks at 1,214 vehicles a day, 21% more than the county average; trucks are 17.5% of it, above the county-wide 13.9%.

5441st AvenuePrimary road · #3 by traffic1,928vehicles190trucks · 9.8%
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

McCookDepartment 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 McCook County

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

Need segment-level traffic data?

Identify traffic patterns street by street and analyze the exact corridors that matter to your project.